Montreal's nightlife has been conquered by Japanese cat girl raves, a new phenomenon where adult partygoers wear furry cat ears and listen to happy hardcore at speeds normally associated with industrial machinery. "Six months ago, we had forty people meowing in a basement," says promoter Philippe Tremblay. "Now we're filling warehouses with 250 emotionally unstable felines."
The events feature Japanese decorations, mountains of candy and DJs playing cheerful music at more than 180 beats per minute. Guests are encouraged to invent cat names, communicate through exaggerated hand gestures and shout "nya" whenever the music stops. "I attended as Vanessa and left as Princess Whiskerblast," says 27-year-old accountant Vanessa Roy. "I finally understand who I am, and apparently who I am needs glow sticks and fourteen hours of sleep after every rave."
Unlike most Montreal parties, the cat girl raves enforce a strict dress code. Admission normally costs 20$, but anyone arriving without cat ears must pay five times the regular price. "The ears prove that you respect the culture," explains door manager Marc Beaulieu. "If you show up with ordinary human ears, you're not just underdressed. You're insulting Japan, cats and happy hardcore simultaneously. That kind of hatred costs 100$."
The rule has already changed how people prepare for a night out. Convenience stores near several venues have started keeping cheap cat-ear headbands behind the counter, while regular attendees bring spare pairs for friends who forget theirs. "At most themed parties, half the room ignores the theme," says attendee Camille Beaulieu. "Here, everyone puts on the ears because nobody wants to turn a 20$ night into a 100$ night."
Dr. Chantal Minou of the Montreal Institute for Feline Nightlife Studies believes the parties are successful because modern adults secretly want to abandon human society. "People are tired of jobs, rent and meaningful conversation," she says. "Cat girls have no mortgages. They dance, demand attention and knock beverages off tables without apologizing. It is the most honest lifestyle Montreal has produced in decades."
Promoters say several more cat girl events are planned for the winter and insist the dress code will remain even if the novelty begins to fade. They have also installed a stand outside the venue that sells last-minute cat ears for 80$, allowing unprepared guests to save 20$ before reaching the entrance. Philippe denies that the stand is an obvious attempt to profit from forgetful ravers. "We're helping people make the financially responsible decision to spend 80$ on something that normally costs six," he says. "The only people who receive free ears are the DJs because they can't be trusted to remember anything that isn't attached to a USB stick."
