It's not only the U.S.

Other countries have weird practices. Japan, for example, has 'cat cafes', which are places at which you can have a cup of tea, pat - and maybe even bond with - a cat. As with similar places in this country, there are rules : " wear your cat-access pass around your neck at all times; no one under 5th grade may enter; cats too young to be held have scarves around their necks; do not hold or stroke a cat if it resists you; never wake a napping cat; bringing cat nip or cat food to the cafe is strictly forbidden."

My friends, Howard and Hedy, must be rolling over in their graves as they missed the opportunity to be star of the cat cafe.