River Kitty Cafe — Restaurant in Peoria

I love the concept of cat cafés as seen in Japan, Taiwan, and other places around the world and I’m happy to see more of them popping up in the U.S. One of the employees informed me that they opened up in March 2024, so their business is still relatively new.

The employee preparing drinks and handling reservations was very kind and was happy to talk about the cats that are up for adoption. The overall atmosphere of the café is warm and cozy with a surprisingly wide variety of beverages.

With that said, I did notice a couple of things that I think could use some improvement. I think the minimum age for entry should be at least 10 as opposed to 7. I observed many children (and teens) handling kittens past their comfort zone with many of the kittens crying to be let go. I think there should be an employee in the room with guests at all times to ensure that none of the cats are being overstimulated or mishandled by children. I’m not sure if there is anyone keeping track of the length of time guests are spending in the room, but it can start to feel a little crowded once more people enter.

Secondly, while I do appreciate that there is a cat tree in the corner for the cats to retreat, I think a separate room for the cats to leave the guest area would be a better idea. It seems that many children were pulling cats from the cat tree despite the them wanting to have some alone time.

I really do love this place and think it’s wonderful that Peoria is helping these kitties find loving forever homes. I just wanted to contribute some of my thoughts and feedback which may or may not be implemented in the future.

Overall, River Kitty Café is a nice establishment and I look forward to returning when we are...

Needed some coffee and just happened to be near River Kitty cafe so decided to stop in for the first time. Upon walking in, I noticed that it was a bit small, not many tables for sitting if you didn't want to be in the room with the cats. If I remember correctly, there was only two tables, and then there were bar stools where you could sit and watch the cats through the glass. I noticed there was about nine people or so in the room where the cats were and they were just sitting around and enjoying the company. The cats were very comfortable and some were taking a nap, but you can tell that they enjoy the visits. I feel that it was a little bit odd of a layout for example it was a coffee shop and it seemed like the area for the coffee was very small. I also think that adding some warm tones of paint like maybe tan walls and one burgundy accent wall, that would really make the space more inviting and comfortable. The room was divided with a closed door where the cats stayed, but quite understandably there would have to be a door that way the cats wouldn't run out when the door opened. It was $6 for a half an hour and $12 for 1 hour to sit with the cats. The young man at the counter was very polite and took my order for my latte. The coffee was good but the syrup pretty much stayed settled at the bottom of the cup. However, it got the job done, and I got the energy that I needed to get through the afternoon. If I'm in the area I'll probably stop back by and grab...

I heard about River Kitty Cafe on the news. I went with my cat loving friend. When you enter they ask what drink you want after they have confirmed you have a reservation. It's a nice concept. Im not a coffee drinker, but they do supply tea. I didn't expect to have one on one time w the cats, but I didn't expect to be inside a small room with 9-10 other people either. There are plenty of cat toys in the room to get the cats attention. The staff was extremely nice and friendly. Gave plenty of info when asked. If it were a bigger place, I would probably love it better. My reasoning is, as with any cafe, you want to socialize with friends and conversate. There is no way to have a pvt convo in this place as every1 who enters the room can be heard by every1 in the room. In a cafe setting convos are part of the environment. If this place ever expands, and I hope they do, I would also like to see a section where the kids are separate from some of the adults. Overall, I think it's a place that definitely needs to be supported. They also provide adoptions for the cats,...