Sip & Purr Cat Café — Restaurant in Milwaukee

I don't know how this place is now and I don't care... I will never forget how the owner completely took advantage of local artists, begging them to give their artwork to get to feature/sell when she was opening only to put all the work up and not bother to put the NAMES OF THE ARTISTS or the prices for over a week, or have people sign a contract, etc. She had the nerve to tell me I got so much exposure for the few days my art was up (that she begged me not to put a price on so she could essentially display it forever for free) despite never crediting me so nobody knew it was mine... thanks lady. She was mad I wrote an honest review about her place (4 stars at the time) and demanded I get my art back but only gave me two days and implied she'd get rid of it. She also claims I copied my artwork from Splash, where I used to work, and the painting I "copied" is literally a painting I designed, and was given permission to make a similar design. I have since heard from other artists and other people that know her that she is not kind to people that work with her either, what a surprise! She told me to take down my review and at the time I did, but I was sitting here looking at the painting I spent many hours on for her shop, and thinking about how disgusting it is someone who goes on about being a small business who is all about charity took advantage of so many local artists to make her look good in the beginning and I can't let that slide. Glad we all could help boost your shops image while we got no credit... yay for you!

Edit: Well that's not true at all and you know it! You told me to take my painting down because you were not happy with a 4 star review. After berating me in a multi paragraph email about my review, I responded telling you how ridiculous you were being. After that, then said you "found out" I copied my artwork from Splash. I let you know back then that I did not in fact copy it -- the painting you think I "copied" was MY OWN PAINTING, that I designed FOR Splash, and I was also given permission to create a similar design (though it was not the same) for your studio. I even told you this before I gave the painting to you, and you said it was fine at the time. But when you then later claimed I "stole" my own artwork and I let you know it was my own work, no response. Guess you just needed to have a better reason to take down someone's art than getting salty over a 4 star review?

I could write a LOT more about your horrible practices in this review. I've been told by multiple people how poorly you treat your employees, some of your disgusting business practices, etc.. but I'm only going to speak to my experience.

Edit 2: Still can't think of an excuse for why you never credited your artists during your opening week, huh?

I told you from the start "This is based on a painting I made for (my job), they gave me permission to make one that is similar" and you said "Sounds great!" It was literally my own painting you say I copied, AND I'm not sure if you even saw the original because it was not even the same. If I sell a painting of a cat to a business, and then make another painting of a similar cat but the pose, style, background, and composition is different, that's plagiarism? By your logic I am only allowed to make art about a subject matter one time before it's plagiarism. But anyway, continue lying to yourself and acting bitter... it only makes you look bad. Notice how most of the negative reviews are about YOU and how rude you are?

"Negative review".. it was 4 stars and I simply suggested maybe an age limit would be wise because some of the children had been running near the cats. Funny that you were so upset about this suggestion then but now you have a one child to one adult limit so I guess my comment wasn't out of...

We came to sip & purr cafe for the first time this week. We knew we wanted to rescue a cat and loved that we could actually meet the cats here before committing to adopt. We have 5 kids, so finding a cat who doesn’t mind the chaos and who fit in well with our family was very important to us. I first called to ask a question, and was very excited to find out there had been a cancelation that evening and we were able to reserve a time slot to visit. I love that they have the 1:1 adult to child ratio. Kids are unpredictable, as are cats. So I can see and appreciate the importance of making sure you are able to focus on your one child at a time. I wish I could remember her name, but the girl I talked to on the phone was so kind and helpful. She was very enthusiastic about this cat named “Mike” who she thought may be a good fit for us based on what I told her about our family. Well, our 10 year old was dead set on bringing Mike home before we even met him (clearly she should be in sales! Lol) There was a large variety of cats there, all different personalities. Staff was very helpful when we asked questions or wanted to learn more about each cat. They treated our child with respect which is always appreciated! They never seemed annoyed with our endless questions. Towards the end of our visit we met Junior, and once I was told he was a lap cat I was sold! We applied to adopt them that night and received a call the next morning. The owner, Katie, makes sure that any current animals you have are up to date on their vaccinations to eliminate any risk of sickness when being introduced to one another. You can tell she’s very passionate about the cats and making sure they are being adopted to a good home! I’m disappointed to see negative reviews, and so many of them are people complaining because they did not know the house rules up front. The rules are easy to see all over their website, especially the 1:1 ratio and also it clearly states and encourages making a reservation to ensure cat time. I understand customers being upset when they find this out and it’s too late - but sip and purrs website makes it very clear, and it isn’t fair to claim the staff had “attitudes” because you didn’t like the answer they gave you. ANYWAYS - thank you for everything you do. We are grateful for such amazing staff who were clearly very passionate about their mission. We are grateful for the rules. The number one priority is and will always be the safety and health of the cats, even if it means making rules you don’t like. Mike & Junior walked out of their cat carriers as if they had always lived with us. They are SO sweet & love the kids. Our hearts are so full they could burst. Thank you Sip & Purr for rescuing cats internationally and locally, because if it wasn’t for you we wouldn’t have the perfect pieces to complete our puzzle. We are...

I love Sip & Purr Cat Café! The amount of cats they’ve had adopted is remarkable, impressive, and heart-warming. Seriously, this place is inspiring. The best part, they have a great wine and cocktail selection, high-end coffee service, and bakery and snacks! (Which you can all bring into the cat lounge 👍🏼) I’ve been here multiple times, and the staff has always been gregarious and more than willing to educate and answer any questions you have on the cats! Coming to this café is such an easy way to support a charity—highly recommend! Remember to make a reservation online first to make sure to get a spot in the cat lounge.

I need to also give kudos to the staff that has to deal with parents who do not know how to adequately parent their own children. While visiting the café last, a mom and daughter had the same reservation spot as my girlfriend and I. From the moment they entered, the mother immediately left her child to wander around the room while she sat down on a chair to make phone calls. This put the woman who was supervising the cat lounge in a tough position. With mom chatting on the phone, the small child was picking up cat toy after cat toy and throwing them at the cats. After waiting to see if the mom would redirect the child’s behavior, the woman working at the café finally had no choice but to politely remind the mom of the house rules, which were read upon arrival and signed in a waiver. This went on for the ENTIRE hour. The young child was running, which the woman insisted on arguing the definition of what a run was (hint hint: your child shouldn’t be jumping around the cats either). Each time the woman working in the café had to remind the mom of how to treat cats, the mom undermined the worker, saying “she’s not used to unfriendly cats.” It was sad to hear this comment, since it was clear that the mother didn’t have any idea what the whole purpose of this café is. This child also attempted to run into an employee’s only area, move cat beds, stood on furniture, use aggressive petting motions, and feed the cats (not allowed—in the house rules). I was in utter shock about how this child was acting with out any interference from the parent. I felt stressed because of this parent, so I can only imagine how the cats felt. Furthermore, because of this mother not watching her child, the woman working in the lounge could not chat with the other people who had reservations, which was a little disappointing to not be able to learn more about the cats.

If you think this can be a petting zoo for your child while you’re able to get work done on the phone, please do not come here. These cats don’t need a Darla from Finding Nemo while trying to relax and find their...