Catfé Montclair — Restaurant in Montclair

I didn't even get to enjoy this probably lovely establishment due to piss poor customer service (pardon my language).

WHAT KIND OF SUPPOSED BUSINESS ESTABLISHMENT HAS ABSOLUTELY NO PHONE NUMBER WHATSOEVER? Why do I, the paying customer, have to search to the ends of the earth online just for a working phone number for a business, if legitimate, should already provide? Is this some kind of joke? When life happens and God forbid, you're a few minutes late, experience a minor inconvenience, or you need to communicate with someone there, then there's no way to reach this place quickly. I sent three to five emails to two shotty emails alerting to my lateness and issues with finding the place, and of course, there was no repsonse to either of them. Because thinking email is somehow a better, effective means of communication for a business compared to just having a phone number to call is absolutely asinine.

Moreover, getting to what happened on the actual visit: My good friend and I left for the place around 3:40pm. Now, we were admittedly late for our visit, due to two things beyond our control happening: 1) Our Uber dropped us off at a completely wrong location in Montclair (despite me providing the correct address to them), which resulted in me having to fork over more money just to get another Uber to take us to the right location. 2) As I stated earlier, this supposed business for whatever ridiculous reason, has no phone number to reach it by. So, as if the situation my friend and I was in wasn't frustrating enough, I also had no means of reaching out to Catfe' to explain to them what was happening so that they were aware. I sent four emails to the two emails I saw online to absolutely no repsonse. We ended up arriving at the address around 4:20pm due to the transportation tomfoolery.

Thank God for my friend because she was able to spot the super tiny sign for Catfe' and I was able to spot the door where we had to enter (which was for some reason not where the sign was advertised). When we went up the stairs and saw the entrance, we were surprised and bewildered to see that the door was locked. I understand that they want a peaceful atmosphere and mindful environment for the cats, but where was the customer service? We waited a good while for someone to open the door (and yes, more time was wasted practically making it 4:30pm at this point) and finally someone answered. A small framed, light skinned gentleman with dark curly hair and a soft-spoken but slightly condescending speaking tone.

I frantically explained to him our situation to which he expressed open apathy and disinterest to, quickly said that we couldn't do our appointment, and then had the gall to say this: "You can pay again for another session later today." Sorry, but, what on Earth? Why would you tell something like this to a NEW customer who has wasted money THREE times the same day, was unable to even attend a session that was PAID and reserved for ahead of time, AND was denied a refund and a chance to speak with the owner (who was conveniently "away somewhere" as was claimed to me). I wanted half of this person's bloated ego because businesses have to be awfully confident to even assume people would want to re-visit their place a second time after being practically shooed away and denied any kind of solution to their problem. Oh, and of course, no apologies from this gentleman or the business for not responding to my many emails explaining my situation and NOT having a company phone. I guess THAT'S also somehow the customer's fault, right? Despite this massive letdown of an experience, my friend and I were thankfully still able to carry on having a decent day at other, more customer-friendly and respectful...

At first, their website said reservations aren’t required but recommended. So on a rainy Sunday we tried to visit but they were all filled and we were denied because we didn’t have a reservation. We were bummed, but then made a reservation for a future date. They book a few weekends in advance; this place is so popular!! They do 30 min and 1 hour intervals, and also offer yoga and sound bath sessions.

Going back, there’s a sign on the door that says reservations are required. I assume they weren’t expecting such popularity since opening up, but with the lack of cat cafés around here it’s expected.

The woman who seemed to be in charge was so friendly and sweet. They have hot coffee and tea for free and cold beverages for $3. They also have a tiny gift shop area in the lobby with some other cat merchandise. You have to take your shoes off but they keep it super clean.

The cats are super friendly and loving! Some play, some sleep, some perch and watch the human guests. You can tell these cats are cared for properly. There is a wall with their photos, names, and ages and they’re all up for adoption and sourced from Homeless Tails.

The woman who greeted me explained the easy adoption process and was very informative. Apply online, then an interview via zoom will be set up and go from there. They come completely vetted with paperwork. The volunteer in there obviously cared about the cats and even though it was his first day he made his best effort to remember each names and ages. Most of the cats are young no older than 3 years but there is an 11 year old female black cat who wasn’t out and about to say hello unfortunately.

EDIT: I went ahead and submitted an application to adopt one of the cats. After about a week of discussing via email, I finally got an interview scheduled a week later. The café failed to inform me that the cat I clearly expressed interest in was part of a bonded pair. Other cats are labeled as bonded pairs on their wall of photos. This cat wasn’t, and the woman I was speaking with did not say it was bonded with another cat. The woman there even said that this cat was a good fit for my situation I described. This came as a shock to me as I wasn’t given proper information. I would’ve submitted my application for another cat if I had known this, since I was interested in another. I even told the person who interviewed me that I was interested in another cat if this one wasn’t a good fit. After the interview I had to wait an additional 4 days for the organization where the cats come from to have a meeting. Ultimately I was declined with no further explanation. Adopt from your local shelter and save yourself the long trouble- it’s easier anyways. Extremely disappointing…

At the end they let us give some treats to the kitties and didn’t rush us out. They let us say our goodbyes to our new furry friends and eased the next group in. I recommend going here on a rainy day (or even a...

For clarification definition of cat cafe: place to pet and play with cats (Not a cafe with food and drinks and cats in it)

They do offer some complimentary drinks (like Keurig coffee and hot water for tea and hot cocoa) and some for purchase, but if you're looking for a fancy coffee drink, this is not what you're looking for.

Cats are rescues and adoptable. ones that have bonded have to be adopted together. Operation seems very humane.

They do a good job with an intro. The space is small but the air filter works very well. It doesn't smell like a litterbox and after an hour, I (someone with cat allergies) only had a small sniffle which is impressive considering there were 13 cats.

Cats that might be less receptive are clearly marked. Other cats are friendly. They do a good job with rules but don't give much advice for people who haven't spent much time with cats.

They may be over stimulated and are still cats (lightly skittish) so they might gently nip or swat at you if they are not interested in pets.

Arriving: it's on the second floor and you have to continue to traverse some hallways but the door is clearly labeled. Don't get discouraged, just keep going

Tips for people who are not familiar with cats:

1. Don't try to pet a cat that is playing, they'll be wound up and on alert
2. Let the cat sniff you first
3. Petting near the head/ears is normally a better bet, the lower body can be highly stimulating and result in the cat being quickly overstimulated.
4. Move toys with feathers vigorously makes it more interesting for the cat....