For far too long, cat cafes have dominated the “dining with adorable animals you can adopt” market, with people gathering in restaurants all around the world to drink coffee, eat pastries, and be ignored by adorable cats for a nominal fee. Fun? Yes! But what’s more fun than a latte seasoned with a hairball? A buttered scone covered in newly-shed bunny hair. That’s right, a bunny cafe is coming and it’s either the cutest idea ever or a bloodbath just waiting to happen.
The cafe will run (by reservation only) from June to July in London and is meant to introduce people who may have never considered owning a rabbit to some lop-eared animal friends that they could turn into their life companions (because rabbits basically live forever). It’s a sweet idea, but as Eater reports, it’s also one that many people are up in arms about because bunnies, unlike cats, may not have the temperament to withstand a stampede of humans fighting for their love:
…a handful of people have taken to Bunny Blossom’s Facebook page to oppose the pop-up. One writes, “You clearly have no concept of rabbit welfare by subjecting them to being part of this cruel event! … By all means run a welfare event but leave the rabbits at the rescue premises. After all they are prey animals & suffer from immense stress in environments like this.”
As a rabbit-owner myself (although I’d like to make it clear that my bunny, Ms. Cleo, isn’t owned by anyone but herself and she will happily let you know that), I can quickly tell you that while the idea may sound cute it is rife with potential problems. Bunnies are skittish creatures who don’t particularly like hanging out with humans (Ms. Cleo does not cuddle). In addition, they are aggressive pooping machines, and just plain aggressive in general. Not only are they clawers and boxers, but they’re also chewers. Imagine someone rolling into this joint dressed to the nines and then stumbling out, an hour later, with their eyes bright red (from both tears and allergies) looking like they just survived an unholy apocalypse of lagomorphs.
The rescue group running the cafe have responded with assurances that they know what they’re doing, won’t put any rabbits in danger, and will make certain to show off only the most friendly and vivacious bunnies. The people in charge have also promised to put “no grabbing” and “no harassing” rules into place, although it’s sometimes harder to tell when a rabbit is scared and wants to get the hell out of a situation than it is with a feline. Cats may just pull away and strut off, but bunnies sometimes tend to just sit there and shiver, hoping that maybe you’ll just leave them alone. Someone who doesn’t know much about rabbits may not understand that.
If you really want to make a rabbit friend, you should consider following the instructions in the following music video, which detail the ways you can bond with a bunny. (Don’t take them to a restaurant, though. That’s not safe!)
