The Downtown Cat — Local services in Grand Junction

this is a review for the new cat cafe, and is not reflective of the downtown cat's boarding nor grooming services disclaimer:

I want to start by stating that it is my sincerest hope that this review doesn't hurt business for the cafe, but rather, offers the cafe some ideas for improvement. I truly see so much beautiful potential in this space & I desperately want it to flourish. I really wanted to love the cat cafe, and was thrilled to come for a visit. unfortunately, I found myself majorly disheartened, and concerned that business for the cafe won't last long. we have had a cat cafe in gj in the past, and I'm worried this one will meet the same fate if changes aren't made. that being said. here is my feedback, criticism, and some possible solutions:

•I wholeheartedly feel that the cat cafe should be rebranded as a cat lounge. the cafe idea is great in concept, but in reality- or at least in this cafe's reality- I feel that it just isn't working.

the cat's litter boxes are in the same room as the cafe, and though they are robot boxes, they still have an odor. I can't imagine eating anything in the cafe- as the smell makes for a completely unappetizing & potentially nausea inducing environment.

I feel like the cafe label is unfitting giving its offerings too. there are minimal food & beverage options, and almost all of them are more of something you'd buy in a gas station rather than a cafe. on top of this, you don't order in the cafe itself. but rather, in the lobby. I feel that this "cafe" label will discourage business, because if people go here looking for a nice lunch surrounded by kitties, they will be disappointed.

•there is a $9 per person admission fee- which does not include any food/drink items.

to me, this again messes with the "cafe" concept, and gives the initiative more of a vip lounge vibe. (as cafes should never have an admission fee, imo).

while I understand that the admission fee helps with the cats' care, I think in the long run, it will hurt them more than helping them.

$9 per person may not seem like much, but when you have a big family or friend group, it adds up fast. and when the admission fee costs that much, the likelihood of someone just turning away and not entering rises tremendously. the more people that turn away, the less eyes that will be on the kitties, and the lower the potential for them to be adopted. this fee also makes it less likely for the business to accumulate return costumers, and for people to recommend checking it out. consequentially, when cats end up staying longer, they continue to cost $ for the business that they wouldn't have if the cat got adopted sooner.

in my opinion, there are much better ways to fund this effort. merch for sale, tip jars, raffles/banquets/contests, etc. and if the admission fee is unavoidable, by re-establishing it as a lounge, the fee would make more since, and the cafe could even offer discounted punch cards for regular visitors.

in summary, my ideas for improvement:

•rebrand cafe as lounge (& potentially offer vip punch card) •remove admission fee if cafe structure remains & substitute other funding methods •move litter boxes outside of cafe a/o find another method of odor control •offer genuine cafe foods a/o clarify advertising so that people aren't mislead by the "cafe" label.

I truly hope these thoughts are helpful! & should the cafe decide to implement any of them- I'm more than happy to help!

thank you! _ reply, 10/05/2025

•this is MY page; I'm NOT stealing anyone's identity. If the accusation that I'm "using someone else's page to pose as an industry authority" was made bc there is a "local guide" label on my profile- I want to clarify that google gives that label automatically based on the # of reviews you've made, it's not a label I chose.

•legal compliance & guest experience are NOT the same. the C.C was clearly set up for guests to order in one room and eat w/ the cats in another. other guests are welcome to visit & determine for themselves how they feel about that setup.

character...

If you have a cat that gets scared by the sounds of dogs barking, this isn’t the place for you. I asked specifically if my cat would be around any dogs or be able to hear them barking. The front desk person assured me she would be in a “quiet and calm room”. I could hear dogs barking from outside of the building as soon as I pulled up. The vet came out to talk to me while she was eating which felt unprofessional. I had called ahead and explained that my cat was hard to manage and aggressive. The vet asked me questions about my cat and it was clear that none of the information that I gave the secretary about my cat being aggressive was passed on. The front desk person who (as far as I know) wasn’t a vet, decided to reach into my cats cage from above and attempt to “pet” her. She was already hissing by the time I brought her in the door so this felt very weird, unprofessional, unnecessary, and all it did was make my cat even more scared and agitated. They brought her back out after a few minutes of her hissing and spitting at them. The vet didn’t come out herself and instead sent out a girl that seemed like she hadn’t worked there very long at all. She pretty much told me there was nothing they could do and gave me the names of two other places I could try, one that had already refused to shave my cat after having her there for multiple hours. I asked if she knew the address or phone number of the other place and she just said no and told me she hoped my cat does okay.... I would say my visit was underwhelming to say the least and very...

About the Cat Cafe: this is a great place to go whether you want a kitty fix or want to meet some cars up for adoption. There is an entrance cost ($9), which presumably helps cover the cost of caring for the kitties until they find their forever home. Think of it more as an adoption interaction than a cafe, and you won't be disappointed. Cats are the main reason you would come here, although you can also get a cup of coffee, some packaged snacks, or other drinks. Be prepared for a cat smell. When we visited, there were 19 cats in the space. They had plenty of places to explore, interact, and retreat if they needed to. I really enjoyed meeting the cats and...