Cat cafes originated in Taiwan, with one opening in Taipei in 1998. One Japanese tourist took the idea to Japan and opened its doors in 2004. Because many apartments in Japan forbid pet ownership, the popularity of the cafes has been attributed to a desire to interact with cats to help relieve the stress of a busy urban life. Since then, cat cafes have spread throughout the world. The Cat Cafe opened in January 2015, and became the fifth one of its kind in the United States.