Bedford Cat Café — Restaurant in Great Britain

I came here a few days ago with my colleague and some people we support with learning disabilities. Upon arriving, what seemed to be the owner was very kind and welcoming and so was the barista James who was very kind to us. However towards the end of our session we felt very rushed and were treated very rudely. We were reminded we had 15 minutes left which we were mindful of. But towards the final few minutes, from what I've gathered to be the owners daughter, very rudely came up to us and told us we had a few minutes left with a sour look on her face. We explained that one of the people we support was in the toilet and me and my college were just finishing our cups of tea. She then proceded to give us a dirty look before walking over to the owner and presumably talking about us. As we were still finishing our teas we were once again told that we had to leave soon and had the next group crowd around our table in which I assume was an effort to peer pressure us into leaving faster. Once again we were supporting individuals with complex learning disabilities and it was not fair to rush us and showed no compassion to the individuals we supported. We were told that the place is busy during holidays and that's why they were being so strict on timings as they needed to clean and everything but what I fail to understand is why there is not a 15 minute window between each group to allow for cleaning and other matters. I went to pay on behalf of the people I support and was shocked at the outdated method of using the bus stop division method in which comparing the receipt to my calculations later on I discovered we were actually overcharged per person. In the moment we felt unwanted and just wanted to leave. While I paid my colleague went to use the toilet in which we were once again reminded we had to leave and felt like we were getting kicked out in which would've been a safeguarding concern if I had to leave without my colleague. Once leaving the owner tried to be nice to us again, hoping we don't leave a bad review. As a customer I felt very undervalued and was treated like dirt so I cannot begin to imagine what the people I support felt like. This is such a shame as these individuals have come to the cat cafe before and had amazing times but this day was a complete other experience. I do hope you take this into consideration and not rush to defend yourself like you have in...

The cats were very sweet. The lady taking orders with the black hair and the tattoos was lovely. Our daughter Was presented with a cat cafe book mark when she was seen opening birthday gifts but unfortunately that's where the positives end. The manager I believe, went between being very curt and almost militant in her "instructions" to eavesdropping into conversations between patrons and adding to the conversation where it wasn't welcomed. She is clearly very knowledgeable and passionate about the cats and their welfare but at times she made us feel very uncomfortable, we have owned rescue cats ourselves for a long time now and know how to interact with them. This was also after we had read the "manual" provided to us on the cats characters.

What really wasn't on was when she informed us very bluntly that we had 5 minutes until we had to leave when it was obviously our child was still eating. I did explain that despite putting in our desert order in plenty of time, there was a delay in it arriving, I guess because it was so busy. She argued with me that we would have to leave because it was end of our time slot? The food was overpriced and not nice at all. My "toastie" was just warmed bread, we received one brownie so hot, the plate burnt my child's finger and one stone cold. When my mother in law commented to say she didn't enjoy the gluten free bread (I did not either) she was quick to retaliate in saying the bread was good and it is what she used at home?!

The other owner, which I was informed was the managers daughter looked utterly bored just being there. Very little patron interaction and spent most of our visit glued to her phone.

We spent over £50 on food plus the "entrance fee" which seemed a lot for poor food and even poorer customer service for a timed period where the birthday girl was rushed to finish her birthday lunch dessert. I understand cats cost money to keep with food, vet bills and flea/worm treatment but it was simply not worth the money.

Unfortunately, we will not be returning. If you do decide to visit, the coffee isn't bad but don't bother with the food. And dont waste your time reading and explaining the rules to your children beforehand because you are not allowed to enter the premises until you've been...

Had a delightful visit and afternoon tea this past weekend and I would absolutely book again.

The location is very clean and there was no cat hair on the eating surfaces, chairs, or indeed any of the food. As 8 of the resident cats here are long haired, this in itself is no mean feat! I have just 1 long haired cat at home and I'm constantly finding little tumbleweeds of fur on everything so bravo to the team for their dedication to cleanliness.

The selection for our afternoon tea was really lovely and good value for money with a wide variety of cakes and sandwiches to share along with jam and cream scones and unlimited tea/coffee.

The day we visited it happened to be very hot and sunny, and it was a bit warm sitting at the front of the cafe by the window but this gave the best view of the cats who were mostly interested in snoozing in the warm sun. I think if we were to visit a little earlier in the day and when temperatures were a lower the cats would likely be a bit more open to cuddles and playtime so something to keep in mind if visiting with younger people who many not realise why or be disappointed by the cats needing a more relaxed approach.

That said, I had a wonderful time petting and watching the cats during our visit, and I equally enjoyed watching the joy on people's faces as they walked by the window and spotted the cats - people watching at it's best!

The staff were all really warm and friendly, and they made sure to check in on us regularly to make sure everything was to our liking while sharing information about the cats and generally chatting with us. I even discussed how best to look after a long haired cat's coat with the owner and her insight was very helpful. Additionally, the team handled situations where they needed to step in for the cat's comfort or safety amicably and educated younger visitors on how to interact and read a cat's body language.

Finally they also have a nice array of cat themed merchandise, with a number of items I hadn't seen before which was a nice touch. The product types and price points also offered a little something for everyone to remind them of their special visit.

Thank you to all at Bedford Cat Cafe and I hope to come back and...