A visit to the cat cafe

Posted by Elizabeth. Today we went to the cat café in Amsterdam. For those of you not in the know, cat cafes are popping up everywhere. They started in Taiwan and quickly moved to Tokyo where they became a popular phenomena. Then, like most everything else that starts in Tokyo, the rest of the world caught on and now there's a cat café in just about every major city. We've missed Luke and Violet so much while we've been travelling that we thought a little cat cuddling was in order.

Kattencafé Kopjes opened just six weeks ago and it already has seven cats in residence. They're all from the cat asylum (aka shelter) and have found permanent homes in the café. Contrary to popular belief they are not up for adoption.

Almost all cat cafes are very popular so you have to make a reservation. We were able to get in at 10 this morning along with 14 other people. After sanitizing our hands in the entry we entered a light-filled, bright and airy cat paradise. And it made a lovely café for humans too. Couches and comfy chairs and a few bistro tables shared the space with dozens of cat toys, cat climbing gyms, cat houses, cat beds and cat scratching toys. Even I, who am very picky about sharing space with furry animals, was impressed with the aesthetic of the space. It had a very crisp, clean Holland vibe.

We ordered cappuccinos and iced tea along with croissants and sandwiches and settled in to play with the feline residents. While there's a little vying for the cat's attention with the other guests, mostly it was about shaking cat toys and petting little furry bodies that want to try the tasty cakes. All of the cats are very social and seem to feel right at home with their human visitors.


We had such a fun time at Kattencafé Kopjes that we're planning a visit to Le Café des Chats in Paris next week and to Lady Dinah's in London. Evidently the London café offers cat yoga. I'll let you know what that is when we get there.