Frequently Asked Questions

What is a cat café? Started in Taiwan in 1998, cat cafes are coffee shops where you can enjoy a drink and something to eat in the company of cats.  As of 2018 there were 255 feline-centric cafes in 37 countries. They have become a trendy new style of eatery and a unique form of foster care.  In Canada the cats are separated from the food service and prep areas by a partition wall and double doors; you can take your drink and nibbles in with you to the cat lounge to enjoy on single use containers and cutlery.  You’ll notice that Catelowna is more “cat” than “cafe”, focusing on being a great place for cats with some food and drink available for humans.

Can I bring my cat? Unfortunately, no. But we know you’ll love meeting the cats we supply! Our goal is to help rescue cats, and we have a cat capacity…bringing your cat would take up a spot that could be used for a cat looking for their forever home.

Where will you get your cats from? We have partnered with Shuswap Paws, Prince George Humane Society, Running Wild Rescue and SOS Prairie Rescue to house an ever-changing crew of adorable, adoptable cats.  Our main aim is to alleviate the pressure on these overcrowded shelters and promote an ‘adopt don’t shop’ message to potential cat owners. Catelowna will be a unique style of foster home where guests can meet these resceu centre cats.

You do adoptions, so can I surrender my cat to you? We do not foster cats directly from cat owners. By taking your cat we would have to use a space for an already adoptable cat that has passed rescue centre assessments. If you need to surrender your cat, we recommend contacting our partnered rescue centres.

How can you mix cats and food? Is that even allowed?? I don’t want hair in my food? We worked closely with Interior Health to make sure we are conforming to their standards. The Cat lounge will be separated from the café and food service area by a partition wall and you will enter the lounge through a set of double doors. 

So, how many cats will you have? We will have between 20 to 30 adoptable cats at any one time.

Eww! Isn’t it going to smell with all those cats? Our cats get their very own staff member to constantly keep an eye on them.  We want to ensure the cats have the freshest, cleanest home to live in, and our doting staff will keep the place spotless. And, in general, cats don’t smell if you keep on top of their mess.

Isn’t a café a stressful setting for cats? And I thought a bunch of cats together spread disease? We know that cats aren’t typically social creatures, and they don’t seek the love of strangers but we are finding no stress related issue due to their surroundings at the cafe. We also know, they can be very adaptable creatures and cat cafes are a proven, successful avenue for helping cats find their forever home and to rehabilitate those that have either been feral or are very shy. While the cats are our guests we take their health and well-being very seriously, creating places for them to hide and jump up to that are out of reach for humans, along with a ‘sensitive’ room for when they want a complete break.  There are also rules to follow - no picking up the cats, no chasing, no roughhousing, no waking sleeping cats – and an attendant will consistently ensure these rules are followed. Our attendants will also let you know which cats are more accepting of love at the time of your visit. Every cat comes with a clean bill of health and our facility will be sanitized regularly. With these measures in place, potential stressors are mitigated. In addition, we monitor their mood and health daily, so that we can address any signs of stress or health issues.

Why would I want to go? There are many great reasons for visiting a cat cafe. If you live in a place where you can’t have pets, you might need a feline fix. Or you might just be ready to welcome a furry friend into your home. Maybe your hectic work schedule is stressing you out and you need a moment to relax in a calm, quiet atmosphere. We (well, the cats) can help you with all of these needs. In fact, the therapy of petting animals is well documented, and cat cafe provide excellent opportunities for “kitty therapy”. They’re also great places for visiting adoptable cats and seeing their personalities, making it more likely that you will find your perfect match so you can get more of this therapy at home. When you adopt, you open a spot in a shelter so they can continue to help the massive feral cat population. By facilitating adoption, entertaining people and encouraging tourism, cat cafes are a great destination for you, for cats and for the community.

How will it work? We’ll be busy when we first open, so reservations are recommended through our webite or by calling us before you visit. A 1-hour visit with the cats will require a fee payable at check-in. Please arrive 10 minutes before your reservation time, which will allow you to grab a drink and sign our waiver form without taking time away from your quality time with the kitties. Once you’ve signed in and paid the visit fee, we will escort you to the cat lounge, where you’ll enjoy your time relaxing and cuddling with new feline friends.

Why do you charge to visit?  Just like any other establishment, we have expenses, like rent and utilities. Plus, because we care for cats in a unique setting, we have to pay for staff, cat litter, cat food and stimuli. The admission fee helps us fulfil our mission of finding cats their forever homes. However, if there’s a surplus after we pay the bills, we will donate excess admission revenue to our rescue partners to help them with the work they do.

Can I bring my children? We love kids, but the cats might not. So, unfortunately, we cannot allow children under the age of 5 to visit with the cats. Children between 5 and 12 will be allowed if they’re accompanied by an adult (a maximum of 2 children per adult). Young children are more than welcome in the café.

Will you be wheelchair accessible? Yes, absolutely – both in the café and cat lounge area. There is an elevator at the back of the building that guests can reach through the rear entrance, off St.Pauls’ Street.

Can I make donations? Yes! That would be awesome, thank you. All donations will be transferred to our rescue partners.

Are there any of your questions not answered here?

Then contact us and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can.