As i've said before, you don't see many animals in Seoul and the ones you do see are pretty mangey - mostly feral cats and i've heard of some ferret sightings. Some people have little dogs, but since space is so limited here, most people just do without...unless you're in the country...then you see big dogs...but they are not pets :( So when I heard about these pet cafes it sounded like a cute idea and when my friend suggested we meet their for coffee I was semi excited. I thought to myself, "this will be nice, I do miss animals"...I had no idea what kind of twisted hell I was about to walk into.
At first everything seemed cute enough, lots of people sitting around, drinking coffee and eating cakes or donuts. There were dozens of pomeranians, bijon frises and other miniature creatures playfully running around at peoples feet. As we were finding a place to sit, I still hadn't had time to absorb the scene that was going on all around. Once we were situated and things started to register the first thing I realized was the smell. It was so off putting... not a sent that made one crave food or beverage. Upon further inspection I started noticing puddles...puddles of pee....obviously causing the smell and causing my appetite to disappear entirely. Soon after noticing the pee, I noticed someone going around "cleaning up" the situations. What I saw next only disturbed me further. The designated pee cleaner upper was armed with a bottle of water and a dirty mop. I watched as he'd approach the piddle, threw some water on it, then move it all around with the mop. Mind you, this is after a handful of dogs had already ran through the pee, and were then scooped up to join someone at their table. It quickly became clear that I was going to have to monitor my facial expressions throughout this coffee date.
Along with the pee and smell, there was the noise. I feel like little dogs are always disproportionately loud for their size. Maybe it's because it's their only real defense against things they don't like. Things like being held against their will or being smooshed against someone's breasts. Yet this was exactly what every Korean in PerPet was doing, they were holding these little dogs hostage. As soon as they'd snatch one off the ground, they'd attempt to cradle it like a baby, or throw it over their shoulder like they were burping an infant, or they'd just hold onto their collar and not let it go, blatantly ignoring the dog's cries for freedom. I don't know if everyone in their was a control freak, or if they just needed a friend, or if that constant yapping wasn't registering as a sign that the dogs were not enjoying the attention, but I do know that the noise in this place was deafening. So much so that I began wondering if people came here for coffee when they'd rather not converse with their company...
Between the noise, the smell and the overall anxious feel of the place, I was on the verge of a panic attack/migraine within 10 minutes of sitting down. My friend is from Korea and these places are a popular hang out, I didn't want to be disrespectful, but after 30 minutes I couldn't take it anymore and I asked if we could relocate. Animals are wonderful and I miss them very much, but i'll do without for the next year or so if it means I never have to go back to a place like that again.
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