Chaayos apologises after backlash over staff relocating cat from Mumbai outlet

The apology from Chaayos came after Purnima Hoon Motwani, who lives near the Bandra outlet in Mumbai, shared a video on Instagram alleging that two employees, Tanu and Dorgy, had taken the cat away.Chaayos apologises after backlash over staff relocating cat from Mumbai outlet (Photos: Purnima Hoon Motwani/Instagram) New Delhi,Nov 3, 2026 16:59 ISTIndian cafe chain Chaayos has issued an apology on social media after facing backlash over its staff relocating a community cat from outside its outlet on Turner Road in Mumbai's Bandra West.The apology came after Purnima Hoon Motwani, who lives near the outlet, shared a video on Instagram alleging that two employees, Tanu and Dorgy, had taken the cat away. The video included CCTV footage that appeared to show the employees carrying the animal.Motwani said the cat was “healthy, sterilised, vaccinated and friendly.” Elaborating on the incident, she explained that her friend Denzil, who owns a garage nearby, had earlier intervened when he saw the employees carrying the cat away and brought it back outside the outlet.However, the cat went missing again on Sunday morning, prompting Motwani to approach the outlet's staff for help. She alleged that the manager, staff and area manager refused to cooperate despite her warning that she would file an FIR. “I want to know where this cat is, and I want to make sure it’s safe,” Motwani said in the video, appealing to anyone with information to contact her.In the caption of her post, she claimed that the outlet's area manager had acknowledged the cat was relocated and that Chaayos' head office had told her the animal was being kept at another location. “You cannot build a brand around hospitality and turn your back on compassion,” she said, demanding that the company help locate the cat, cooperate with the search and take responsibility for its employees' actions.As her video went viral, Chaayos faced backlash online as several users criticised the cafe chain for relocating the community cat and demanded accountability from its staff.Many threatened to “boycott” Chaayos, while others said they had visited the particular outlet specifically to see the cat.Chaayos issued the apology soon after, acknowledging that an “untrained” employee had relocated the cat and took responsibility for the incident.In its statement, Chaayos said its cafes were part of neighbourhoods and that community animals had become familiar faces around its outlets.“Recently, a cat who had been around our cafe was relocated by an untrained member of our team. This should never have happened. We take responsibility for the actions of our team, and we’re genuinely sorry,” the company said.Chaayos added that a 20-member team had come together the previous night to locate the cat and expressed relief that it had been found safe.The company said the cat was now being cared for by someone who had stepped forward to give it a home.Chaayos also announced that it would strengthen training and protocols across its cafes to ensure staff respond to community animals with care and compassion.- Ends