"It feels like holding jelly." In Minsk, you can now visit animals who truly love people
These animals can sleep 20 hours a day. But when they wake up, everyone around needs to be prepared: the fluffy ones are bursting with energy. By the way, they lack an innate fear of humans, so they can play and romp together for hours. All this is about polecats. At the beginning of summer, an anti-cafe with the ironic name "Polecat Day" opened in Minsk, where you can get to know these amusing animals better, writes "Onliner".
"They desperately need people's attention"
First, let's refresh our memory on what an anti-cafe is (perhaps one of those phenomena that might make you shed a nostalgic tear for the 2010s). Here, guests pay not for food and drinks, but for the time spent. We'll tell you more about the payment scheme specifically at "Polecat Day" a little later.
The location is near the Academy of Sciences. The place opened at the beginning of June on the same day as "Squirrel" - an anti-cafe with squirrels and flying squirrels. Like "Hedgehog Cafe" (which we wrote about three years ago), it is part of the same chain. The franchise itself came from St. Petersburg, although there is no polecat cafe there yet. But you can visit, for example, mini-pigs, opossums, capybaras, or chipmunks.
While there are more than enough jokes about the love for capybaras on the internet - many even call them their totem animal - polecats' moment of fame has so far passed them by. And that's a pity. Because it is they, apparently, who are best suited for such active interaction with people.
Let's finally get acquainted with the main characters of the report. More precisely, heroines — for now, only girls live here. There are 5 of them in total. Boys will join them a little later. It is believed that girls are much more active. But when boys appear in the group, they calm their neighbors down a bit. All animals will be sterilized when they grow up a little.
"The oldest one is called Gaechka, she is about 7 months old. She is an albino, easily recognizable by her red eyes. We also have two very similar sisters - Amazonka and Alaska. In the next room live Toffee and Ru, who is darker.
Our polecats have completely different personalities. Ru and Toffee are the most mischievous, they love to play, and can even teach others various tricks. The two younger sisters, Alaska and Amazonka, on the contrary, are the calmest. They prefer to lie on laps and be petted, they love gentle contact and are ready to "chill out" for hours.
Gaechka is something in between: she can be mischievous and also enjoy lying on laps. Besides, Gaechka really loves to lick everyone around," the staff lovingly share.
Although polecats are nocturnal animals, their routine adapts to their owners over time. Now they sleep at night and start showing activity in the morning. The schedule somewhat resembles a kindergarten: an afternoon nap is mandatory.
Gaechka
"Polecats really love people and get very sad if there are few visitors in the room. If they get too bored, we go to play with them ourselves, because they start demanding attention. These are very social animals, specifically oriented towards communicating with humans, unlike, say, rats, who communicate more with each other. They desperately need people's attention."
It turned out that polecats recognize those who care for them perfectly. As the staff members say, they always run to them immediately. And if someone upsets them, they immediately climb into their arms and "complain."
"Overall, they are very friendly and love all visitors - there hasn't been a single case of a polecat disliking or attacking anyone. In my experience, these are some of the most benevolent and cheerful animals; they are always content with everything."
The polecats' diet consists of dry food containing chicken, turkey, or other beneficial ingredients. Once a week, they are given a raw egg and fish oil. No cockroaches, mice, or other "scary" treats — only a balanced diet.
Polecats don't eat very much, less than ordinary domestic cats. By the way, males usually grow much larger than females.
"It feels like holding jelly"
And who generally comes most often for a rendezvous with polecats?
"Different people come to us: parents with children, young couples, groups of friends. I can't pinpoint a specific age or type of relationship among guests - it's all varied. Regarding children: we do not allow children younger than 4 years old into the animal room, and children up to 14 years old can only be there accompanied by an adult. If someone breaks the rules and doesn't react to warnings, we remove such visitors from the room - this is done for the safety of both guests and the polecats themselves. Children, due to an excess of emotions, can behave differently, but we try to control the situation."
The polecats themselves, when playful, might lightly bite a finger, but, as the administrators say, they are all vaccinated — it's safe. However, to avoid this, it's better to use toys — tassels and balls. By the way, there are also recommendations regarding clothing. It's better not to come in baggy jeans or skirts — polecats might try to make a burrow for themselves in them.
The journalists visited the cafe during the day on a weekday. The establishment is never empty for a minute. Girlfriends, couples, and parents with children all come. You can book a "session" in advance or try to get in spontaneously. But only a limited number of people can be in the room with the polecats at the same time. So everything will depend on luck; you might have to wait.
Adults need to buy an entrance ticket for 14 rubles, for children under 14 years old, admission is free. Plus, there's a per-minute fee - 0.55 rubles per minute, but the minimum visit time is 30 minutes. That means for adults, the cost starts from 30.5 rubles, and for children, from 16.5 rubles. Even if you stay in the room for 5 minutes, you still have to pay for half an hour - those are the rules. But if you stay longer than half an hour, you will have to pay for each subsequent minute additionally.
There is also an "all-inclusive" tariff, where the visit time is unlimited, you can participate in a lottery and get a 15% discount on souvenirs. The cost of such a package is 44 rubles.
As for the entrance ticket, you only need to buy it once. Then you can use it again, including at other anti-cafes - with hedgehogs and squirrels, and also transfer it to acquaintances; it is not personalized.
Although the administrators explain the payment scheme to everyone, questions remain. In front of the journalists, a woman complained that she and her child had stayed inside for 5 minutes, so why should they pay for half an hour? And anyway, the polecats were not active, but wanted to sleep.
However, for other visitors, the system causes no objections. Everyone the journalists managed to talk to was genuinely delighted with this acquaintance.
"Only positive emotions remained! They are so pleasant. We had never seen live polecats before. But it turned out they are just super sweet!"
"It feels like holding jelly! Very funny," two friends shared their emotions.
Other young people came to the polecats for a whole day. In between communicating with the animals, they play board games. This option is also available here. As is the opportunity to drink tea or coffee – all included.
By the way, it turned out that visiting the anti-cafe is a way to sublimate the sadness of parting with one's own cat, which remained at home with the parents.
"Of course, you want to catch them during play. But when they come and lie on your lap... Oh. It's incredibly cute."
"They see poorly, don't feel heights, but have a keen sense of smell"
Before the "session" begins, visitors receive detailed instructions. Hand sanitizing is mandatory for everyone to remove extraneous odors. Polecats naturally have poor eyesight - they see everything blurry and hardly distinguish colors, but they have excellent senses of smell and hearing. They detect far more scents than we do: creams, perfumes, food, tobacco - all of this can alert them.
"You can't make noise in the room - clap, stomp, shout - so as not to scare the animals. We have various toys for games. It's better not to play with your hands, otherwise, polecats might mistake fingers for a toy and bite - usually not painful, but unpleasant. For children, if they are scared, we provide gloves."
"You need to pick up a polecat correctly: support it under its front paws (under its chest) with one hand, and under its hind paws with the other, so it feels supported on all its paws. It's essential to squat down or sit on a mat, because polecats don't perceive height - even when sleeping, they can suddenly fall and injure themselves. Never pick them up by the scruff of the neck - it will hurt them, and do not lift them by their paws or tail - you could dislocate a joint. Also, always watch your step: polecats love to walk around people's feet, they are very agile," the administrators explain.
Currently, two rooms where the polecats live are open; another will be added later. The animals live in them permanently, including staying overnight, so it's quite warm inside. Moving from one space to another is only allowed when accompanied by staff members, who will ensure the animals do not run out.
Initially, the plan was to house weasels here as well. But it turned out that they don't really like contact with unfamiliar people.
The anti-cafe manager, Alexandra, was asked how they ensure the comfort of the polecats themselves. Love for people is, of course, good, but everyone needs time to "introvert."
"We don't train them, we don't force them to do anything - they behave naturally. Separate rooms are equipped for them; we don't keep them in cages. Additionally, all animals regularly undergo veterinary check-ups, and we constantly monitor their behavior.
In our country, polecats are not as common as pets, so many people see them for the first time. Children are very happy because polecats are affectionate; they can sleep in your arms or play actively.
Of course, animal welfare advocates carefully monitor such establishments. Dmitry, a representative of the polecat protection society, has already visited us. He reviewed the conditions, gave recommendations for care, and we listened to them (for example, we bought more toys on his advice). Overall, our format satisfied him, and we received a positive assessment.
"You can come to an understanding with polecats"
The journalists decided to speak with Dmitry Brazinsky himself - the chairman of the "Furitus" polecat enthusiasts society. By the way, he himself has kept polecats at home for 15 years.
Gradually, this led to a deep study of the topic. As the interviewee admits, he has extensive experience communicating with petting zoos - and it hasn't always been positive.
"People generally know very little about the proper keeping of polecats. One breeder, at an early stage, advised feeding polecats exclusively boiled eggs and boiled chicken, which is strictly forbidden. It turns out that even a specialist did not have adequate information, let alone ordinary visitors to such anti-cafes."
The "Furitus" society itself is a charitable organization: its members take in polecats, nurse them back to health, find them homes where the animals will be loved, and provide future owners with useful information. As Dmitry says, the main goal is for people to know that living with polecats is possible.
"What's most captivating is the social nature of these animals. They always sense a person's mood, and each has its own character - they're like a full-fledged family member. You can come to an understanding with a polecat: for example, show that biting hurts, and it will understand and adjust its behavior. Although communication through bites is natural for them, it can be regulated."
Dmitry was also asked about "Polecat Day." He admits that he initially visited the anti-cafe as a regular visitor, without introducing himself. When he revealed his incognito, the management was only too happy to receive recommendations. Everything Dmitry advised was taken into account - such a quick response, according to him, he hadn't encountered anywhere else.
"They consulted with a veterinarian literally the next day, performed all vaccinations, and re-checked the animals' condition. It's good that the polecats are not brought out to people; instead, people enter their territory - this reduces stress.
Polecats are social, but if an animal is sleeping, it's best not to touch it (the cafe knows this, there are special sleeping areas). Since they are herd animals, someone is always awake and ready for interaction. They sleep a lot, but the duration of activity depends on temperament and diet. Literally, you can find both choleric and phlegmatic types among them.
Polecats don't necessarily need to play outdoors - an apartment is sufficient for them; the main thing is attention. When a pet wakes up and sees a human, it needs interaction: even just shaking a hand in front of it is already happiness. The most favorite toy for an active polecat is a plastic bottle; it can roll it around for a long time and be absolutely happy."
Syrskyi: The operation of one of the repeaters was recorded again in Belarus. They will not turn them on again, they will realize that it is not necessary 32
Syrskyi: The operation of one of the repeaters was recorded again in Belarus. They will not turn them on again, they will realize that it is not necessary
The founder of Ukraine's largest drone manufacturer, Fire Point, was asked about the level of Belarusian air defense. His answer was surprising. 131131
The founder of Ukraine's largest drone manufacturer, Fire Point, was asked about the level of Belarusian air defense. His answer was surprising. 131
"Karotkevich's name is a tool in dirty hands, a club in political fights." What propaganda responded regarding the neglected home of the classic's family 2626
Comments