"Caution for Stray Cats" Cafe... Owner Issues Apology Due to Malicious Comments

Goyang-si Cafe 'Gilgoyangi Warning' Notice
Cat Lovers' Negative Reviews... "It Encouraged Hatred"
Self-Employed: "Do We Have to Manage Animals Too?"

The cafe that posted a notice asking people not to feed stray cats apologized following criticism from cat lovers.

A cafe with a notice to be careful of stray cats.
Photo by Kim Ha-yeon, photographer, Instagram capture

Recently, stray cat photographer Kim Ha-yeon posted a photo of a notice attached to the glass window of a famous cafe in Goyang-si, Gyeonggi Province, on her SNS (social networking service).

The notice stated, "The young cats currently around the store are stray cats, which may be infected with germs or vulnerable to diseases, and sometimes cause harm when asking for food. Please be especially careful not to feed or touch them."

In response, Kim said, "Just because you don't like them doesn't mean you can neglect them. However, it is very regrettable to write unverified information as if it were a fact," adding, "Using terms like infection and harm to describe behaviors of young cats who are weak because they cannot eat well yet and are hungry, and having to post such negative information about cats on a notice is disheartening." The post has since been deleted amid controversy.

Afterward, the notice was shared online and sparked backlash from cat lovers. The cafe's review section was flooded with low ratings accompanied by comments such as "Don't spread hate without knowing," "This is an animal-hating cafe," and "There were good reviews thanks to the cats, so why couldn't you just say you didn't like them?"

In the review section of the cafe, cat lovers have been leaving a barrage of low ratings.
[Photo by KakaoMap capture]

In response, the cafe sent a lengthy message to Kim explaining the notice. The cafe stated, "Four cats were born a few months ago. At first, it was fine. Customers found them cute," and explained, "However, since there is a parking lot in front of the store, we sprayed a natural animal repellent because the cats were at risk of being hit by cars when they came out. After that, the cats moved toward the store entrance."

An apology letter personally sent by the cafe to photographer Kim Ha-yeon.
[Photo by Kim Ha-yeon]

Regarding the reason for posting the notice, they said, "Over time, there were frequent incidents where cats scratched people who gave them food or admired them," adding, "Customers complained, saying, 'Shouldn't the store manage the cats?' and many complaints were received."

They continued, "Some visitors to the store were harmed by the cats, so the notice was written as a caution, but the language used was somewhat strong. We sincerely apologize for the problematic choice of words."

Upon learning of this, self-employed individuals mostly expressed regret. Regarding the so-called 'cat moms' who care for stray cats, reactions included, "If you feel sorry for them, you should raise them yourself," "I don't understand why they do that in someone else's store," "The problem arises because they only feed them and don't take care of the aftermath," and "Do we now have to manage wild animals to run a cafe?"

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.