Happy Cat Cafe — Restaurant in Montreal

Long wait in a waiting room with only three places to sit. It was about 1 p.m. midweek Mid August and crowded. I thought it was way too noisy for the cats to be comfortable.

6 or 7 cats total per the pictures on the wall, most hiding or on perches out of reach. Kids chased them nonstop and they were constantly either going under furniture or up on a perch to get away. It stressed ME out just to watch. It actually made me not want to pet the cats because I could see how stressed they were. The owner says she doesn't know how to stop it, but I never saw anyone even try say anything to the families about controlling their children. They would rather the cats be molested then to possibly offend a paying customer. The owner replies that she's very concerned about her cats, but I saw no indication of that. You can think it, but if you don't actually put anything into action, you are condoning the activities.

One 12/13 yr old pursued them for the entire 45 minutes I was dining. Whether the cats were on high platforms or running under the furniture, he was always behind them trying to pet them as they tried desperately to get away. It didn't seem to matter what the cats wanted, that boy was relentless. (This would be a good time to teach that boy that No means No. Just because you want something doesn't mean your wants outweigh the needs of the other.)

As I was cashing out, the boy was there again forcing himself on two cats that had moved to the cashier area with the hopes that there would be some protection. There wasn't. I turned to the cashier and said (when the boy wasn't looking) "That boy has been chasing those cats since I got here." I was insincerely told "Thank you for letting us know". I knew nothing would be done. They don't appear to care about the cats' welfare enough to ask the parents to supervise their child.

The owner replies that I don't know what I'm talking about. So she doesn't want me to believe my own eyes or my own ears?! It's replies like that, that I always take pictures.

If you really like cats, don't financially reward this Cafe with your business until they find a way that both the people and the cats can be happy.

As for the food, my grilled cheese with veggies was good. $16. Latte $5. Taxes and tip $29.

Don't go if you really like cats because it feels like they have forgotten why they opened the cafe. Unless their intention was just to use them as props to...

My husband and I went with our 18 month old son to try the new Chat L’Heureux on Ontario in the Village. We love the location on Duluth and were excited to see the new café in our neighborhood. Unfortunately, half way through our meal, the waitress requested that we ask our son to walk in the restaurant instead of run as she said it scared the cats. He was not hurting any cats in any way and he was very gentle when he touched them. We have a cat at home so he is familiar with how to behave around cats. When I told her that it would be hard to get a baby to comply with being asked to only walk, the waitress responded that we should accompany our child, which we were already doing. To my knowledge, no patrons complained about our son. I assume the waitress does not have experience with young children, otherwise she might know that her request was not feasible. I’m not sure what we were expected to do— restrain our child against his will so that he cried and disrupted the patrons and the cats?! I can’t see how that was a better option. We were not offered a high chair, which might have helped him to sit still for the duration of the meal. We are really disappointed with our experience because we had planned to come to the café regularly. Now it seems to us that patrons with small children are not welcome at Café Chat L’Heureux. If you have a small child, be warned and consider going somewhere else.

**Following the response from the business, I would like to thank the owner for responding. Unfortunately, it is clear to me that young children are not really welcome at the café. The response mentions that 90% of the time, our child was well surveyed. Once again, I stress that we made sure our child did not harm any cats in any way and in the respondent’s post they are not able to say that any cats were harmed. As any parent of a young child knows, getting a perfect (100%) parenting score is not realistic and I therefore will have to recommend to my friends with small children who live in the area that they avoid this café. PARENTS BE WARNED— unless you and your children can behave “perfectly,”...

Went yesterday in the early afternoon with my 3 and 4 year old. The vibe was definitely quiet, calm and collective. Several customers were even studying. My girls were excited, happy and unfamiliar with being around cats. I instructed them using the advice and rules spotted at the entrance, like not waking up sleeping cats. The waitress instructed them not to run so I reinforced that as well. Sometimes with small children you feel out of place because they're obviously louder and more curious but like in a library, the cafe has rules we have to respect and reinforce. I felt embarrassed initially having to repeat the need to use our "inside voices" but I didn't feel like we didn't belong. I still felt welcomed but I think that has a lot to do with the fact that my kids were also doing their best to adhere to my instructions like tippy toeing when approaching cats or "walking fast" instead of running. They're at an age where they can better understand the needs of other people and creatures.

We went in the day rather than afternoon to avoid potential busy times (waiting for a seat with toddlers is not fun) and we didn't overdo our stay. We took the time needed to eat, which was very good, but we didn't waste time either. Near the end end, my kids used my phone to relax and sit calmly. If you need more help then that, this isn't the right setting. Unlike an actual library, I wouldn't say this is an everyday, all day kind of spot for small children (it is a cafe afterall) but it was a great experience, which is what you're paying for, and my kids really enjoyed.

So that parents may feel less embarrassed when spoken to, I would suggest being handed a card with advice and rules "when accompanied by small children". I know guidelines are posted at the entrance but I didn't stay standing to read them. Otherwise, I was not offended but I did feel initially bad because I didn't know that the cats could get scared. Once we knew though, even the kids were on board with trying their best to listen 😊 Thank you for...