Zoey the golden retriever loves chicken and cheese. He stands on his hind legs and helps himself to a plate of his favourite snack. His human friends are at the table, tucking into a plate of their favourite cheesy garlic bread. Scooby looks on from the neighbouring table. He has grandly ordered a lamb cutlet and tuna crunch for himself. Five minutes later, his bowls are wiped clean. Full and content, the greedy little mongrel signals to his buddies, a chubby black Labrador and Zoey, and together they start an inane game of running around and rolling. This is just another day in Twisty Tails, a pet and human cafe started by Rekha Dandey, G Vikkram and S Guruprakash.
“Animal-assisted therapy is something that interested me. I wanted to start a place where people could come play with puppies and de-stress. After four years of building on that idea, we finally started Twisty Tails in January this year,” says Dandey, who has 13 puppies of her own. They are all at the cafe, eagerly entertaining diners and their pets. These include Havanese, mix of Havanese and bichon frise, and shih tzus.
The café has three sections: puppy love (where Dandey’s pets chill), dog café (where humans and their furry friends can enjoy a meal together), and restocafe (where pets are not allowed).
There are two separate menus for pets and their owners. There are separate kitchens and washing areas to maintain hygiene. “Chicken puff and ice cream are a huge hit among the doggies. The seasonal ice cream contains watermelon, tender coconut and mint,” says Dandey, adding, “The menu was rather elaborate at first. Then we saw what most dogs liked and retained those.” Big dogs eat everything. The small dogs are fussy eaters, she says. “But one of my pets, Yummy, eats whatever it can find,” she says pointing to a little ball of fur that’s busily sniffing the grass and surreptitiously trying to eat some mud. When she sees us looking at her, she lets go of the grass and walks away with the grace of a dignified old lady. The café is a great place for a few laughs that the antics of the four-legged brigade provides.
- Vishnu Prasath, the consultant for the pet menu, says:
- The ingredients and recipes were formulated after several years of trials with over 150 dogs.
- The menu features four main courses, four starters and three desserts.
- An adult dog requires food that’s 1.5% of its body weight. This has to be formulated with 65% meat and muscle meat, 10% animal fat and vegetable fat, 5% cartilage bones and 20% carbs and vegetables.
Since Chennai lacks pet friendly places, this is a great place for pets to socialise with other pets. On weekends, the premises is teeming with owners and their little companions, right from pit bulls and cocker spaniels to Lhasa Apsos and poodles.
This concept also works well for people who want pets, but can’t keep one due to rules by apartment associations, monetary issues or lack of help at home. They can come play with the residents of Twisty Tails. “I’ve also seen clients who visit us to get over their fear of dogs,” she says. And over time, they find themselves a new best friend here.
