Cat Cafe Melbourne — Restaurant in Melbourne

I had a wonderful experience at the Melbourne Cat Cafe. We went on a Monday at 3:00 pm and we were the only ones there for the first 30 minutes. The cost was $10 for one hour and you must book ahead of time online, especially for weekends as the spots fill up. There are 15 cats living in the spacious upstairs rooms. They are really well taken care of and it is apparent that their livelihood is first priority. They have a ton of toys and scratching posts; there is also a lot of furniture for them to nap on and for guests to sit with them. It is limited to 15 guests at a time, so it is not enough people to really distress the cats. If the cats are tired or bothered they have a separate room to go off to if they need privacy. The staff gave us space, but made the rounds quite often to serve us coffee or answer any questions. There are also several security cameras around that the staff is monitoring downstairs in case anyone is harassing the cats.

I went to one other cat cafe in Montreal Canada and it was a totally different experience. That one was serving food and many more people were inside at a time. It was more like a cafe setting and experience. I loved both models but this one really allowed you to spend one on one time with the cats. I really bonded with Waldo, he was my favorite. He rolled right onto his back and let me scratch his belly. He is fairly young and super soft.

In response to others criticisms, due to some local regulations this is what they are able to offer with regards to a cafe and it works out fantastic imo. Maybe they don't have an extensive menu, but I grabbed a coffee and really had a wonderful time with the cats. The store front downstairs sells quality items and it was fun to browse through all the unique cat things.

Solid 5 stars! Reasonably priced and a fantastic experience, in fact I'll be going back...

The cats here are absolutely adorable, and the staff are very friendly. They give you treats to feed the cats, so you’re almost guaranteed to have a few come up to you, which was lovely. The coffee was decent as well, which was a nice touch.

Unfortunately, the overall experience was disappointing. It didn’t feel like a café at all — it felt more like a cramped, dimly lit petting zoo. What seemed to be the main room was small, stale, and overcrowded with people, making it awkward to move around without bumping into others. It wasn’t the relaxed or cosy environment we were hoping for.

The worst part, though, was the overwhelming smell. I’ve raised cats myself, and I can tell you the totally manageable stench of cat litter was genuinely shocking — so strong it made my eyes water. Poor ventilation was painfully obvious. To be clear, the venue is large enough — the larger upstairs area was completely empty — but almost all the cats (and people) were crowded downstairs. Strangely, the empty upstairs smelled even worse. So it's not a space issue — it's a serious cleanliness and airflow problem, I think?

The check-in process was uncomfortable. They ask you to arrive 15 minutes early (which I did), but the tiny, overcrowded entry area made it suffocating. I ended up waiting for the crowd of people to get 'checked in', and ended up in there a few minutes late despite arriving early, but honestly, I left about 20 minutes into the session because the smell was unbearable.

Cute cats and friendly staff aside, the environment was so uncomfortable that I wouldn't...

Went to Cat Cafe Melbourne with my girlfriend and greatly appreciated the experience. Prices (I think) are very fair for the experience and what comes with it (there are different booking packages with different pricing). You can buy extra treats separate from your booking (prices $3-$5). My girlfriend and I booked for a one hour 12pm session (when the cafe opens) and immediately the cats were swarming anyone with food, however at the start, their only interest is food, so if you're looking to have cats snuggle you, I'd recommend booking after 12pm so the cats have settled down. The environment is very cozy, lots of furniture and entertainment for the cats, aswell as people, there are 2 levels, the second floor is typically more quiet if you're looking for a more peaceful experience due to other people that booked the same session. Other reviews I've seen have complained about strong scents of cat pee, calling the place unhygienic but that isnt at all the case, yes some of the furniture has a clear smell of cat urine, but how could they avoid that with the amount of cats they have? This cafe visibly takes very good care of their cats, all the cats look very healthy in terms of size and attitude, they are very comfortable with human presence, though not always willing to interact (just cat behaviour) and if they feel up to interacting, they will find a very comfy spot on your lap. This place was exactly what I hoped for and I highly recommend this to anyone who...