Catfe — Restaurant in Vancouver

Catfé is a cozy place for people to spend time with well-cared-for, adorable cats. It’s evident that the employees really care for the kitties and look after the space. I have been a proud supporter since around 2019, and despite the passing of years, the café has remained as the lovely place it has been for so long now- I truly hope it has many years ahead of it :)

For visits, reservations are strongly recommended as although they accept walk-ins, once the maximum amount of people have reserved/gone in, you will likely have to come back another day or be moved down an hour- so make sure you reserve online if you can! Once there, an employee (cat whisperer) will give a quick rundown of rules, and then you will be let in the cat area at your designated hour. Outside, you can order drinks, small snacks, or purchase other goodies (stickers, pins, cat toys, etc)- if you order drinks, they’ll be brought to you when you’re in the cat area! Going into the cat space requires a ticket of around $16.75/person (price with tax), but the outside space is free to go into and look around.

Cats here have a whole range of personalities! Depending on when you go, the cats might be a little sleepy, but usually there’s always at least one cat who’s down to hop around and chase toys. The cat space has baskets to put your belongings in, features many cat trees and little hiding spots, and has toys you can use to play with the cats! Some cats can be a little shy, and don’t mind being looked at but may not want a lot of touch- just make sure to heed the employee’s guidance on respecting the animals :) On a wall, information about each cat is featured, with adoption fees if you’re looking to adopt!! There’s also a separated, smaller room for cats who have not adjusted to the main area yet, or simply need a private space- make sure to give some love to those cats too.

When it gets busy, sometimes it can feel a little crowded, and it can be difficult to get some one on one time with a cat- so if you desire a more private experience, the little isolated room is a great option, along with simply booking on non-busy days and hours.

Do not expect to be able to pick up the cats, or do anything forceful. That type of behaviour is heavily discouraged, so if you bring kids.. just make sure they don’t provoke any scratching or biting! Take it slow with the cats and don’t expect them to be all over you.

All in all, Catfé, along with their sister branch the Bunny Café, and Catoro (an unassociated but also great cat café in another part of Vancouver), are amazing spots to support, and great for relaxed...

What to say about say about the kitty cafe? The cafe itself has a great atmosphere and lots of wonderful kitties. This business does a great service by allowing people to adopt the cats that are temporarily in their care. The staff is wonderful and I enjoyed the experience.

The downside, a major one at that, is the price. It is rediculously expensive. $28 for a coffee and a muffin. Not literally of course, that price included the cover charge for two people, which is 10$ each and about $8 for a coffee and muffin for one person. It was kind of disheartening.

There is a little bowl of buttons at the till, I was going to grab one and the girl said "they're by donation.". I let her know I don't carry change and she laughed nervously and said I had to put actual money in the cup, I mean I just gave you $30 for a cup of coffee, you can at least give me this button, and to boot their silly machine had the nerve to ask for an additional tip. No thank you.

Don't get me wrong the place is beautiful, the cats are great, the staff is wonderful and all the cats are up for adoption. But in all reality, it's not worth the money. You could visibly see the disappointment in the other guests faces and I heard more than one couple say it was "kind of a waste of money.".

I'd be interested to see how their profit margins are distributed and if any of that amount is donated to some type of animal welfare association like the SPCA. I would feel a little better about the price of the cover charge if a portion, at least, was being donated to an animal shelter.

Unless you have an excess of disposable income, there is absolutely no reasonable excuse I can find to come to the cafe. The novelty wears off a few moments after you walk in and you realize you paid $30 to look out the window. Honestly... It's not something you would do more than once. Or even once for that matter. Not...

When you arrive it's a bit unclear how things go, but they do explain everything individually after you wait in line and get to the front. A sign or two might help however.

The place itself is quite nicely appointed. Obviously everything is cat themed and over the top cute in some spots because that's exactly what you expect at a cat place.

The residents are lazy, as all cats are. Absolutely adorable, friendly, playful and cuddly in between naps. A few toys are laid out for people to use in playing with the cats, and signage is very clear on what's permitted and what isn't to help keep the cats comfortable in their home. They definitely seemed to know the place well, jumping all around the shelves and surfaces with ease. None of the cats looked nervous or scared, and the people who were there seemed very respectful of those who were napping.

I loved how serene the environment was - no yelling, no one making loud phone calls, no loud music - just the sound of giggles from people playing with the cats, and some light background Cafe music.

The drinks menu is decent, but the food selection is very limited. They would do well posting their menu online so you can plan ahead on what to order, otherwise it's easy to bring too many expectations when you arrive - this is mostly a cat sanctuary, with a Cafe on the side. Not a Cafe with some cats.

The location is pretty decent, with free parking. The admission cost is a bit steep but you can see how much they put into taking care of the residents and keeping the facility in great shape so it honestly feels worth it. With covid admission is limited, which only makes it a better experience as there are more cats than people inside.

An interesting experience and definitely worth a visit...