Black cat cafe works its magic

The 41-year-old, who is also a director of the association, said he opened the black cat cafe to dispel the myth that such felines are "inauspicious" and "creepy", as depicted in some movies and TV dramas.

Over the past 17 years, a lot of people have come to Du to adopt cats, but many said they didn't want black cats. "Actually, in traditional Chinese culture, black cats can exorcise evil spirits and bring luck. They should be mascots," he said.

So are black cats as reserved and mysterious as folk tales suggest? Well, perhaps not.

Hearing two young women open the door, some six passionate "cafe workers" waited and greeted them. When the visitors sat down, one cat rubbed against the bottoms of one woman's pants, while another climbed onto her knee. Some of the cats simply fell asleep against the guests' legs.

Du said every visitor can vote for his or her favorite cat. The one with the most votes every month is awarded an extra can of food. Explaining their strong sense of service, Du said the cats were selected for their tame, outgoing temperaments, and they have been trained to adapt to a social environment with many other cats and strangers.

"Besides, they know most of the guests will bring food for them," he said.