{"id":1,"date":"2025-08-06T21:10:00","date_gmt":"2025-08-06T20:10:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/zexiang-liu\/?p=1"},"modified":"2025-08-17T23:37:23","modified_gmt":"2025-08-17T22:37:23","slug":"uk-pet-economy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/zexiang-liu\/2025\/08\/06\/uk-pet-economy\/","title":{"rendered":"Pet Caf\u00e9 Under Pressure: Balancing Rescue and Rising Costs"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull is-content-justification-center\" style=\"margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\" style=\"padding-top:30px;padding-right:30px;padding-bottom:30px;padding-left:30px\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:50%\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-query is-layout-flow wp-block-query-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"has-text-align-left has-medium-font-size\"><strong>At a time when many small businesses struggle to balance passion with financial pressure, one Newcastle pet caf\u00e9 stands out for its dedication to animal welfare and community spirit.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Pet Caf\u00e9 Under Pressure: Balancing Rescue and Rising Costs\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/quBqpYco2WQ?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-small-font-size\"><em>Also available on <a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/quBqpYco2WQ\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/quBqpYco2WQ\"><mark style=\"color:#d61a1a\" class=\"has-inline-color\">YouTube<\/mark><\/a>:<a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/UOKQuvFePT0\"> https:\/\/youtu.be\/quBqpYco2WQ<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/zexiang-liu\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/24223\/2025\/07\/19657bf7a4554fe160a87424db5af94-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-53\" srcset=\"https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/zexiang-liu\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/24223\/2025\/07\/19657bf7a4554fe160a87424db5af94-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/zexiang-liu\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/24223\/2025\/07\/19657bf7a4554fe160a87424db5af94-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/zexiang-liu\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/24223\/2025\/07\/19657bf7a4554fe160a87424db5af94-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/zexiang-liu\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/24223\/2025\/07\/19657bf7a4554fe160a87424db5af94-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/zexiang-liu\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/24223\/2025\/07\/19657bf7a4554fe160a87424db5af94-1170x1560.jpg 1170w, https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/zexiang-liu\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/24223\/2025\/07\/19657bf7a4554fe160a87424db5af94-scaled.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em><kbd>A resident cat enjoys a quiet moment in a cosy corner of the Newcastle-basd pet caf\u00e9, where all cats are available for adoption.Photo: Zexiang Liu<\/kbd>.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:50%\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<p>Newcastle pet caf\u00e9 owner <strong>Tasmin Hirst<\/strong> says rising costs and limited awareness of sustainable pet food are adding pressure to the business. While the caf\u00e9 attracts visitors seeking animal companionship, concerns remain over whether such spaces truly benefit the cats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u201cPeople love spending time here with the cats, but not everyone understands the extra costs of proper nutrition and care,\u201d said Hirst.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Animal welfare groups, including the RSPCA and Cats Protection, have called for a phased closure of cat caf\u00e9s, citing stress and welfare risks for the animals. The UK now has over 30 licensed cat caf\u00e9s, nearly half opened in the last year. Newcastle currently has two, both of which have opened since 2021, reflecting the nationwide boom. Critics argue the growing trend prioritises customer experience over feline needs, while supporters say it offers rescued cats a chance for adoption.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" data-id=\"61\" src=\"https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/zexiang-liu\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/24223\/2025\/07\/8cf83221101ceb1b843ff097378195a-3-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-61\" srcset=\"https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/zexiang-liu\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/24223\/2025\/07\/8cf83221101ceb1b843ff097378195a-3-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/zexiang-liu\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/24223\/2025\/07\/8cf83221101ceb1b843ff097378195a-3-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/zexiang-liu\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/24223\/2025\/07\/8cf83221101ceb1b843ff097378195a-3-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/zexiang-liu\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/24223\/2025\/07\/8cf83221101ceb1b843ff097378195a-3-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/zexiang-liu\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/24223\/2025\/07\/8cf83221101ceb1b843ff097378195a-3-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/zexiang-liu\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/24223\/2025\/07\/8cf83221101ceb1b843ff097378195a-3-1170x877.jpg 1170w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Profiles of cats available for adoption, with details of their age, personality, and adoption milestones. Photo: Zexiang Liu.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" data-id=\"60\" src=\"https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/zexiang-liu\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/24223\/2025\/07\/11fb98c6aaf3faad1469e2ccffa4d47-1-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-60\" srcset=\"https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/zexiang-liu\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/24223\/2025\/07\/11fb98c6aaf3faad1469e2ccffa4d47-1-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/zexiang-liu\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/24223\/2025\/07\/11fb98c6aaf3faad1469e2ccffa4d47-1-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/zexiang-liu\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/24223\/2025\/07\/11fb98c6aaf3faad1469e2ccffa4d47-1-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/zexiang-liu\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/24223\/2025\/07\/11fb98c6aaf3faad1469e2ccffa4d47-1-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/zexiang-liu\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/24223\/2025\/07\/11fb98c6aaf3faad1469e2ccffa4d47-1-1170x1560.jpg 1170w, https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/zexiang-liu\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/24223\/2025\/07\/11fb98c6aaf3faad1469e2ccffa4d47-1-scaled.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A box filled with colourful toys and grooming tools, ready to keep the caf\u00e9\u2019s resident cats entertained. Photo: Zexiang Liu.<br><br><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" data-id=\"62\" src=\"https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/zexiang-liu\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/24223\/2025\/07\/c5df35909fee9892163fdcd8af1ed0b-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-62\" srcset=\"https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/zexiang-liu\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/24223\/2025\/07\/c5df35909fee9892163fdcd8af1ed0b-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/zexiang-liu\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/24223\/2025\/07\/c5df35909fee9892163fdcd8af1ed0b-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/zexiang-liu\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/24223\/2025\/07\/c5df35909fee9892163fdcd8af1ed0b-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/zexiang-liu\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/24223\/2025\/07\/c5df35909fee9892163fdcd8af1ed0b-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/zexiang-liu\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/24223\/2025\/07\/c5df35909fee9892163fdcd8af1ed0b-scaled.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Profiles of adoptable cats at the caf\u00e9, each with details about their age, personality, and history. Photo: Zexiang Liu.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20)\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignwide is-vertical is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-8cf370e7 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<div style=\"height:0px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer wp-container-content-4a1b9b5a\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20)\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><font><\/font><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\">DISCLAIMER:<a href=\"https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/disclaimer\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/disclaimer\/\">https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/disclaimer\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Newcastle pet caf\u00e9 owner Tasmin Hirst says rising costs and limited awareness of sustainable pet food are adding pressure to <a class=\" read-more  \" href=\"https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/zexiang-liu\/2025\/08\/06\/uk-pet-economy\/\">read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":323,"featured_media":89,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wds_primary_category":3,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-pet-econonmy"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/zexiang-liu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/zexiang-liu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/zexiang-liu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/zexiang-liu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/323"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/zexiang-liu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/zexiang-liu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/zexiang-liu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/89"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/zexiang-liu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/zexiang-liu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/zexiang-liu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}