How I Got My Cat Fix In Japan

(This is part 3 of my series of my #kawaiitothekitties post from our October Japan trip)

I'm a cat lady through and through and I can't deny it. So as you can see, part of the things I would want to see in Japan are - the CATS!!!! Japan is practically Asia's neko capital. There's even an island where there are more cats than people. Hmmm... this is an island I would want to be in! I love my babies back home but it's also nice to make new furry friends around the world.

A pleasant kitty surprise came on Day 2 of our stay when we chanced upon East Ikebukuro Central Park. It's located right next to Sunshine City, which is like a small mall somewhat like Podium or Rockwell. We discovered this after having coffee and taking photos at the terrace of Sunshine City. We saw there was a park next door and took a look. Then surprise surprise, it had a number of cute and fat kitties.

 It's literally a very chill park (chill too because it's autumn) and it's super quiet. I see students reviewing their lessons after school, older people getting some fresh air, and even those who are working taking a quick smoke break.

It was practically an outdoor cat cafe open 24/7 available to the public no need for entrance fee. There are cats walking around the park and scrambling on the bushes. They are also very friendly. Some allowed me to pat their heads and stroke their backs. There are some lap cats who were cuddling with some humans all wrapped and bundled in their coats and shawls. I saw also several people play with them and some locals were feeding the cats and giving them treats. They had collars and from how they behaved, they seem to be used to people and are treated very well.

When I did my research about the place, reviews and travel blogs mentioned the cats a lot.  The Japanese clearly love their nekos and even if these cats were strays, they were well taken care of and loved. Kinda wish it was the same here too.

Also, one thing I noticed, the cats there are fat to the point that Candy looked so normal-sized compared to them. It looks like they have been spayed and neutered too because I don't see kittens loitering around anywhere.

Just a few steps away was Nekorobi cat cafe located at Toshima, Tokyo. They have really friendly cats and yes, they are also open on weekdays. Before spending time at the cat cafe, we were given instructions to leave our shoes at the door, our belongings at the locker (with keys), and also wash and sanitize our hands before we play with the cats.  We originally settled for a short time stay of 30 minutes to play with the cats for 800 Yen but we had so much fun and they were so cute we decided to extend our stay. Even if the cats were in their sleepytime mode, they still allowed us to pet them and play with them.

Peko being a cat giving me ultimate judgement

 You also know what's funny? The cats in Japan do not respond to our usual "swswswswswswsws". Believe me, I've tried. But they are so funny they are so used to gigil play and some of the cats liked being patted near their tails. They would even arch their backs.

Kurosuke: Loooove meeee foreign cat lady

Among the cats at Nekorobi, I bonded most with Kurosuke (I also found the name cute). He's this super cute gray Minuet cat that looked like a giant dust bunny when lying down. I even named one of my cat plushies Kurosuke.

Fukomori was also an adorable bebi. He was all cheeks!!!!

Sofi is also this gorgeous and regal cat that sat down like a princess.

I was contemplating on going there on our last day but I decided against it because it would be like saying byebye to the cute Nekorobi kitties and I would definitely cry. I followed them in Instagram to keep updated with my new kitty friends.

Also, I love how the staff of Nekorobi cat cafe was super helpful in answering questions and even understood when I asked them if we could extend our time at the cafe. They were even playing with the cats as well and helping out the other customers. I guess they were just shy with us, being foreigners and me all cooing with my cat lady self.

As an added bonus for my cat lady fix, we bought our babies pasalubongs such as toys from Don Quixote and cat treats, which they absolutely loved. The first-ever pasalubong we bought our babies though? I'm not sure if they loved it but I love taking photos of them wearing these.

I don't think the models of the product liked their jobs too.

Sebastian, inasmuch as he loves me so much was not amused at this. They loved the treats and toys though.

Being a cat person, omigod Japan was such heaven for me. So much cat-themed anything and cats all over. One thing I also like with this place is the marriage of greenery and city. I'm not too much of a green all nature fan because you know me I'm such a city person but I actually found their parks kind of refreshing as in it's super quiet with everyone doing their own thing. I took lots of photos and IG photos, yoga photos and doll photos. People were having picnics, kids were playing, and there's this group doing acro yoga stuff and it's all good.

I really was missing my babies during their stay cation but these cat fixes got me my fair share of cat fur on my clothes. When I come back, I will probably know the Japanese version of "swswswswsws."


Nekorobi Cat Cafe is located at 〒170-0013 Tokyo, Toshima City, Higashiikebukuro, 1 Chome−28−２８番1号 タクトT・Oビル 301号室 
check out their site at http://www.nekorobi.jp/english/

Purr-fect Gift Ideas For the Crazy Cat Lady

The moment September hit our calendars, immediately Christmas carols started blaring in malls and some malls are decked out in Christmas lights telling everyone that the -ber months are here and soon the Holiday-inspired drinks and dishes come in and limited holiday collection sets are out in the market. Are you the type who starts their Christmas shopping early to avoid the rush when November and December hits? I really should start getting on that habit as well, because I really don't want that much traffic and I know I'll be working double time when December hits due to weddings, parties, and even these Halloween costume stuff that's coming.

Each one of us probably knows or has a cat lady friend. She's the one who posts all these cat memes on social media and probably takes random photos of cats then uploads it in Instagram.  She's the one out for kitty-themed stuff in the mall or has their own furry feline furbaby (at least two)

Good news is, cat ladies are very easy to please when it comes to gifts. and I have here stocking stuffers which are purr-fect gifts for the cat lady friend or relative you have. Some of these I would want to receive myself.

Katy Kat Matte Lipstick (from Katy Perry  Covergirl) 

Everything in that title is everything I like - Katy Perry, Kat (err, "cat"), matte, and lipstick. This quirky songstress is also a cat lady and she collaborates with the makeup brand Cover Girl to come up with these lippies that the beauty addict cat lady will just mimi-meow with excitement. These 11 semi-matte shades that give the matte we want in lipsticks without cracking our lips dry. It's even got cat-themed names for the shades (Sphinx, Perry Panther, Pink Paws, and Cosmo Kitty to name some), The kitty emblem also spells "cat" for you. If you already have 100+++ lippies in your collection (coz that's me!), you wouldn't resist one more or a few more, especially if you're a cat lady like me.

Cat-print tops and t-shirts

This is one classic cat lady gift, and I think clothing brands hear cat lady pleas to have more cat-themed outfits to wear - leggings, dresses, t-shirts, tops, etc. I even scored a cropped top in Greenhills for just 100 pesos! Cat print tops are all about every bazaar and clothing store, so all you gotta do is keep your eyes peeled for some and know the shirt size of your cat lady friend.


Cat-themed mason jar or mug

Mugs and mason jars may be classic and gasgas, but a cat lady will not say no if she receives another one, especially if her skittish kitties keep knocking over her mugs. Check out Japan surplus shops for Hello Kitty mugs or head over to cat cafes for cute curated cat-themed merchandise such as this mason jar from Cat Cafe Manila (Php 350)


An Afternoon at a Cat Cafe

Le Cat Cafe in BF Resort Village

Even if the cat lady has her furbabies at home, she won't say no to a two-hour visit to a cat cafe where she could meet new furry friends while sipping a mug (or mason jar) of coffee or drinks and reading cat books. Cat cafes are cat lady heaven, so take her on a fun-filled afternoon to a cat cafe and she would love you for life. Check out Miao Cat Cafe in Congressional Ave or Cat Cafe Manila along Maginhawa street. Cat ladies in the South would love Le Cat Cafe in BF Resort or Bistro Meau in BF Paranaque.


"How To Tell If Your Cat Is Plotting to Kill You" book

from Amazon.com

Your cat is a killing machine in disguise of a fat, fluffy furball, and this book illustrates how, comic book style. It's like all these funny cat memes in one book that will have you just roll around laughing. There are also explanations for cat behaviors so you would probably pick up a few lessons on the kitty quirks we always see. Available on Amazon.


Pusheen Plushie

Find a Pusheen Plushie and other hipster-ish cat-themed Knick Knacks at Common Room

Pusheen is the fat, gray kitty cartoon that even the non-cat lover would fall for. While my cat Candy seems to be a real-life Pusheen, I still would want a Pusheen plushie in my life. Go #lovelocal with this Pusheen plushie from Common Room in Power Plant Mall.


X-Purr Merchandise

For our pole-dancing cat lady friend whose cat constantly appears in her home pole dance videos, this is the perfect gift. A venture by pole dancers and cat ladies Natasha Wang and Arloa Reston, this purr-fect scratching post mimics sport poles of pole dancers and comes with an X-Purr Pole Cleaner, which is basically a catnip spray. Order some goodies or pledge by clicking here or checking out their Facebook page. Ships only to the United States.


Hello Kitty Handbag

Even working girls love Hello Kitty stuff and this handbag is a perfect one to bring with you to the office. #SanrioPH

A photo posted by Hello Kitty Philippines (@hellokittylovesphilippines) on Mar 1, 2016 at 12:37am PST

The queen of all iconic kitties is probably Hello Kitty and instead of giving your kitty-loving honey a leather designer bag, try giving her a Hello Kitty bag. Unlike the bags she had when she was a kid, these are very grown-up designs and styles with a Hello Kitty design. They're actually elegant enough to be used in an event. I've even brought mine in a wedding.

Hope these make your crazy cat lady friend happy! Enjoy Christmas shopping!

Store Directory:

Bistro Meau
84 Turin St. Las Pinas (0905)555-2964; instagram.com/bistromeau

Cat Cafe Manila
2nd Floor, 189 Maginhawa St. Cor. Makadios St., Sikatuna Village, Quezon City, Philippines; catcafemanila.com; instagram.com./catcafemnl

Common Room
 Archaeology Wing, R2 Level, Power Plant Mall, Rockwell Center, Makati City; facebook.com/CommonRoomPH

Covergirl
available at all department stores nationwide; facebook.com/covergirl 

Le Cat Coffee Shop
76 Gloria Diaz St., BF Resort Village, Las Pinas City; facebook.com/lecatcoffeeshop; instagram.com/lecatcoffeeshop

Miao Cat Cafe
7 Congrassional (2F of Cake 2 Go) Quezon City 1106;  (02) 2747937, 09258777617;
facebook.com/miaocatcafe; instagram.com/miaocatcafe

Sanrio Store
Sm Aura, SM North Edsa; facebook.com/hellokittylovesphilippines

X-Purr
kickstarter.com/projects/xpurr/x-purr-the-first-fitness-pole-scratching-post-for; facebook.com/XPurrPole


Image Sources
Common Room Store Interior facebook.com/CommonRoomPH
Katy Kat lipsticks : facebook.com/covergirl
book: amazon.com
X-Purr poster: facebook.com/XPurrPole