Hong Kong’s home of hedgehogs Kuri Cafe follows the paws of dog and cat-themed venues, but warns prickly creatures are not play pals
- Coffee shop in Kowloon Bay houses 13 pygmy hedgehogs in separate section with no-touching policy
- Owners hope to educate potential pet owners on burden of looking after the spiky species
With a giant hedgehog statue welcoming customers at the door, Kuri Cafe is yet another animal-themed restaurant in Hong Kong – this time featuring the quill-covered species.
Touted as the city’s first hedgehog cafe, it is home to 13 palm-sized African pygmy hedgehogs aged from three months to two years, all adopted via an online pet forum by the cafe’s two owners.
“It’s quite hard for these cuties to become close to humans, because they are timid and easily frightened in nature,” says Ken Yuen Kin-wai, who is in his 30s. “I feel happy as long as they don’t curl up into a ball of quill when I try to interact with them.”
Yuen opened Kuri cafe in TBG Mall in Kowloon Bay with his business partner in January, selling coffee, ice cream and desserts, as well as hedgehog-themed toys and cutlery pieces.
The name “Kuri”, which he has also given to one of the hedgehogs, comes from the Japanese word for chestnut, which he chose because of its resemblance to the beige quills.
