ALTHOUGH it looks like any other bougie Klang Valley cafe from the outside, it’s something else entirely when you step inside. For one thing, you’re immediately greeted by a large poodle and an alpaca.
But don’t worry, they’re friendly creatures! —
The cafe is spacious, as it’s two shophouses combined, and the decor is minimalistic, with everything kept neat and clean. There is also ample space between the tables. All this is to make sure the alpaca and other pets in the cafe can easily get to each table – where patrons are usually waving snacks to entice them over to be petted.
For someone who hasn’t experienced a cat or dog cafe before, initially it can be strange to eat with the alpaca and dogs wandering about. But contrary to expectations, the animals are well behaved and do not bother the customers.
The vibe is generally tranquil, though the staff did warn us when serving the cafe’s signature cake that the alpaca might take a bite, so we must keep an extra eye out.
A few pet cafes in Malaysia added alpacas to the usual cats and dogs that spend time on their premises – and created a lot of buzz thanks to the animals’ cute, cuddly, and fleecy look. More alpaca cafes have mushroomed in recent months, particularly in Johor where demand is being hyped by Singaporean tourists.
Dining with pets around is said to be calming (if the animals are calm, that is) and the trend began with cats. The Kitten Garden in Taiwan is recorded as the oldest such cafe, having been in operation since 1998. It sparked a boom in Japan as tourists took the idea home and went to town with it. By 2014, the concept had spread as far as North America. Last year, there were around 125 cat cafes in the United States and over 150 in Japan.
The Country Cat Cafe opened in Setapak, Kuala Lumpur, about a decade ago, followed by Meow Meow Cat Cafe in Kuching. We don’t have as many as other countries as it is difficult to keep these types of cafes going (“Malaysian cat cafes you can visit to celebrate International Cat Day”, The Star, Aug 8, 2024).
Cleanliness and care concerns
Their likeness has been made into stuffed toys and keychains, designed on T-shirts, and turned into amusing memes.
The alpaca (Lama pacos) is a species of South American camelid mammal. Traditionally kept in herds that graze on plateaus in the Andes of South America, the animals are bred for their meat as well as their soft and luxurious fleece, which can be spun into a variety of products ranging from yarn and blankets to jackets and hats.
Are they beginning a new career now as cafe regulars?
Authorities as well as animal activists, however, have made known their concerns about the alpaca’s newfound fame beyond the Andes.
While it is possible to have alpacas visiting cafes, both the Health Ministry and Veterinary Services Department say that extra precautions must be taken to ensure human food hygiene as well as animal welfare.
In its response to StarEcowatch, the Health Ministry advises that pet-friendly food premises should have a completely separate human food preparation, serving, and eating area that the animals cannot access.
“There should be no space for customers to play with the animals while eating their meals,” the ministry says.
Dining areas and animal areas should also be completely separated, it adds, as there is risk of cross-contamination through fur, saliva, and faeces
“The spread of bacteria through unclean animals can also contribute to the risk of food poisoning among customers,” it says.
Also, hand sanitation facilities must be provided for customers before entering the food serving area and after playing with animals.
The ministry highlights that under Regulation 16 (1) of the Food Hygiene Regulations 2009, an owner, possessor, or occupant of food premises must at all times keep the space free of pests.
“In this case, based on the interpretation of the Food Hygiene Regulations 2009, a pest is any animal capable of contaminating food directly or indirectly.
“In this matter, owners of pet-friendly food premises need to take full responsibility in ensuring that food hygiene and safety are always prioritised,” it says.
Other standard hygiene requirements under the regulations include the availability of handwashing sinks; personal cleanliness of food handlers; control of temperature during preparation, storage, packaging, serving, sale, and transportation of food; equipment sanitation; and proper waste management.
The ministry acknowledges that maintaining the cleanliness of food premises is a challenge with the presence of animals.
While permits for pet cafes come from the local authority, the ministry, through its Food Safety and Quality Programme, consistently carries out inspections and monitoring of the hygiene of food premises.
“All owners of premises and food handlers in the country must always practice good food hygiene and safety, and comply with legal requirements set up for the health and well-being of the public,” it says.
The Veterinary Services Department says that it too is concerned about pet cafés, especially those featuring alpacas as they are big animals.
“In normal practice, pet café activities only involve pets such as dogs and cats. Large animals such as alpacas are not suitable for pet café activities because they require larger pen sizes,” it says in a separate statement to StarEcowatch.
It adds that large animals like alpacas should be managed like farm livestock and contained in outdoor enclosures and not indoors. Alpacas are unlike dogs and cats, which are smaller and can be placed in indoor cages, it adds.
It also points out that selling food alongside animal activities and presence is not encouraged.
“This involves hygiene and can cause contamination of human food,” it says.
While the veterinary department does not have guidelines for keeping alpacas, it reportedly monitors animal activities to ensure that animal welfare is maintained and that there is no cruelty to animals.
Hygiene and animal welfare are key
Stuart Tan, founder of stray animal management system Trap-Neuter-Release-Manage Malaysia, believes that it is not ethical or safe to have alpacas in cafes, and there is no benefit for alpacas to be contained in cafes.
“If they could speak, I believe they would scream a big no.
“Alpacas are herd animals; let them be on farms or in their natural habitats. And they are definitely not meant for this climate,” he says.
While he expresses dismay over the authorities allowing alpacas in cafes, he says that the only way to keep them in good health is to create a living environment as similar as possible to their natural habitat.
He adds that having a well-trained handler for alpacas is also important, especially when there are children in the same space.
“Dogs especially must not be subjected to staying inside 24/7 and must be taken out for walks,” she says.
Pets in cafes must be supervised so that there will be no mishandling by customers, she adds.
Alpaca cafe owner Jessie Wong offers a strong defence of her premises, saying that her cafe complies with cleanliness and animal safety and welfare requirements, adding that authorities come by for an inspection once every three months.
Her cafe does not only house its famous alpaca, Snowy, but also over 50 different animals like meerkats, standard poodles, reptiles, frogs, and even a sleepy skunk named Scooby.
Besides having cafe and kitchen staff, a “zookeeper” also works on the premises specifically to look after all the animals.
“The reason I opened a pet cafe instead of a petting zoo is because my pets can rest if they don’t want to interact at any point.
“If I open a petting zoo, my pets would have to ‘work’, as they would have to allow people to pet them as they are customers who have paid an entrance fee. In a cafe, they don’t have such an obligation,” says the owner of Furrito Haus Café.
Wong says that the cafe ensures cleanliness by cleaning public areas every two hours; the animals are also potty trained and bathed weekly.
Customers are also strongly encouraged to interact with animals only after they finish eating, she says.
During peak hours, there is an area set up for children to pet the animals under the supervision of the cafe’s zookeeper.
As for Snowy the alpaca, Wong says that she takes the animal home every night when the cafe closes.
“I have a very close relationship with my alpaca, and I only brought her to the cafe after I understood her personality and temperament,” she says.
It took her months to familiarise herself with Snowy’s behaviour, after importing her from Australia in 2021.
Another alpaca cafe owner, Nice Lee, says that the business represents a combination of his and his partner’s interests: He loves alpacas and his partner, Jessica Phoon’s cafe dream has come true.
To keep the premises clean, the pair brushes the alpacas’ fleece once every hour and uses a pet fur filter to collect stray fleece in the cafe, he says.
“We also bathe the alpacas every week, and take them for their vet check ups every month,” says Lee.
It took his alpacas two to four weeks to recognise and familiarise themselves with their new environment, and only then were they brought to the cafe.
Lee adds that the authorities also visit their cafe for monitoring, and no issues have been raised.
One of the alpaca cafe’s patrons, who wishes to be known only as Angie, says that she can see that staff at the cafe are careful with food preparation, as alpacas are kept away from the kitchen and counter areas. She does worry, however, that the space isn’t big enough for the alpacas to roam around in.
Another customer at a different alpaca cafe says that while she has had a good experience at the alpaca cafe, she has reservations about cleanliness – the cafe has “an animal” scent, says the patron who goes by Chong. Also, extra caution is needed to stop the pets from stealing your food, she says.
Read before you meet an alpaca
They are native to the Andean Mountain Range of South America, particularly Peru, Bolivia, and Chile.
They have been domesticated for thousands of years. Till today, alpacas are considered livestock and are farmed for their meat and fleece, even outside of their native land, in Australia, the United States, and the United Kingdom.
Their fleece is known to make luxurious, soft, and lightweight coats.
Although from the same family, alpacas are smaller than llamas, almost half their size, and have shorter ears. They are herd animals, have very strong herd instincts, and need the companionship of other alpacas to thrive.
The association advises that they are better kept in groups of three or more and should not be treated as house pets.
Alpacas have a lifespan of around 15 to 20 years. The longest documented lifespan of an alpaca is 28 years.
Generally very docile animals, alpacas are easy to handle and require less pasture and food compared with other types of livestock.
When agitated or annoyed, all members of the camel family, including alpacas, will spit.
According to the association, you should not touch an alpaca’s head, hindquarters, tail, or toes. Hugging or grabbing alpacas is also not encouraged as it frightens them.
Standing behind an alpaca is not a good idea either, as they can give nasty kicks with their strong hind legs if they are startled.
Instead, when petting alpacas, do so only on the top of their backs and shoulders, and the sides of their necks, and do not grab their fur.
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