Pet lovers develop passion for the exotic
Beijing residents who love unusual stores, chic brands, upscale bistros and sophisticated bars are no strangers to the Sanlitun area in the east of the city. Recently, though, the trendy district has provided another reason for people, mainly animal lovers, to visit frequently.
Li Li, 31, frequents a small cafe in Sanlitun’s SOHO building at least once a week. The cafe, Takara, is also a pet store where customers can spend time patting and cuddling fluffy animals while having a drink.
However, unlike many other pet cafes that house cats or dogs, Takara is home to squirrels, rabbits, raccoons, hedgehogs and a capybara, the world’s largest rodent.
To Li and many other city dwellers, these animal-themed cafes serve as a haven to release stress, while also meeting their emotional needs for pets and their desire to seek novelty.
Zhao Meng, Takara’s founder, is an animal lover. After learning about capybaras in Japan, he wanted to raise one himself, but his family didn’t really like the idea of having a giant rodent at home.
Instead, he decided to open a store so the animal would have enough space to wander around. In the wild, capybaras usually live near water, so the store has a bathtub to pander to the animal’s semi-aquatic habits.
Initially, Zhao wanted to mainly sell regular pets like cats and dogs, but the presence of the capybara, which he named Tata, quickly attracted large numbers of customers and brought more fame.
Some people living in neighboring cities even make special visits to spend time with Tata.
As a regular visitor to zoos, Li said cafes such as Takara offer a different experience, which she called “a process of finding emotional bonding in the concrete and steel jungle of the city”.
“Actually there are a lot of pet cafes around. But what truly matters are the relations between people and people, and people and animals that can make you feel relaxed, like being with a good friend,” she said.
Since the beginning of the year, cafes themed with a variety of animals have become a new sensation in big cities such as Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong province.
For example, call ducks are among the most popular attractions. Key opinion leaders and social media influencers have scrambled to pet cafes to post selfies with call ducks, encouraging more people to visit.
Call ducks are smaller than other breeds and have a pure white plumage, a short bill, a little round head and a very chubby body.
Dianping, China’s most popular review and rating platform, rates Lucky Ducky, a call duck-themed cafe and retailer in Beijing, as the top pet store to visit in the capital.
The interior is pink, with
cloud-shaped pendant lights on the ceiling and posters and pictures of duck emojis hanging on the walls.
China’s pet market has expanded rapidly in recent years. Although cats and dogs still dominate, many people have started to choose ducks, rodents or domesticated animals as pets.
Their attitude toward pets has also shifted from seeing them as playthings to regarding them as family members or close friends.
Zhao, Takara’s founder, said one of his initial intentions
in opening the store was to help people learn more about animals before they buy them and take them home, because many people buy pets on impulse.
“They say ‘Oh, this pet is so cute’ and then buy it without knowing its habits or personality or if they are allergic to it. So I opened my store to let customers experience the animals first. They can play with all the animals here to see if there’s any problem. If it is okay, they can consider purchasing one,” he said.