Japanese Inn Allows Sleepovers With Cats To Encourage Adoption

This is the greatest idea ever!

If you've always wanted a cat, and just wasn't sure about what living and sleeping with a cat would be like, this one Japanese Inn located in the hot spring town of Yugawara, Kanagawa Prefecture in Japan might be the answer to your questions! My Cat Yugawara, a lovely inn that has a really unique offering... the chance of having a sleepover trial with a potential adoptee!

In Japan, inns are known as 'ryokans,' and you'll be able to distinguish a ryokan from any common inn, a ryokan has more a minimalist design, futons for sleeping on a mat on the floor, traditionally paper walls, and communal baths (in this case, hot springs as well). What truly sets this inn apart from others is the opportunity to help cats find a forever home. Potential cat owners, who are unsure about living with a cat due to various living conditions, can really have their eyes opened by booking a room with a cuddly and adorable feline. Some rooms at the inn can house up to five people, letting a whole family experience a day in the life of having a cat.

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For those who decide to spend a night with a cuddly resident, they must first spend time in the inn's cat cafe, where they'll be able to bond with the cats, and the staff can determine just how comfortable people are another certain feline residents.

via @mycatyugawara
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The guests are referred to as "foster parents," and have certain rules they absolutely must follow. The cat arrives in the foster parents room at 5:30pm until 9am the next morning.

via @mycatyugawara

During that time, the foster parents are not allowed to leave their feline unattended. And because of this, it helps strengthen the bond with your cuddly resident through feeding them, cleaning their litter box, and of course, cuddling and playing with them.
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If the foster parents enjoy their sleepover, they move into the next step -- adoption process! They must fill out an application to be followed by an interview. The staff must deem the pair a good fit for one another.

via @mycatyugawara

One adopted, the adorable felines are therefore referred to as "graduates," and their departure is celebrated!
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What a room at the inn looks like:

via @mycatyugawara
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The inn's adorable way of getting hopeful owners to know a potential future furry housemate!

via @mycatyugawara
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And now, the moment you've been waiting for... Meet some of the adorable and gorgeous residents at the inn:

via @mycatyugawara
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Japanese Inn Allows Sleepovers With Cats To Encourage Adoption

For those who decide to spend a night with a cuddly resident, they must first spend time in the inn's cat cafe, where they'll be able to bond with the cats, and the staff can determine just how comfortable people are another certain feline residents.

The guests are referred to as "foster parents," and have certain rules they absolutely must follow. The cat arrives in the foster parents room at 5:30pm until 9am the next morning.

If the foster parents enjoy their sleepover, they move into the next step -- adoption process! They must fill out an application to be followed by an interview. The staff must deem the pair a good fit for one another.

What a room at the inn looks like:

The inn's adorable way of getting hopeful owners to know a potential future furry housemate!

And now, the moment you've been waiting for... Meet some of the adorable and gorgeous residents at the inn:

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