Ottawa’s first cat cafe, Feline Cafe opens this week in Hintonburg. Initially funded as a Kickstarter, Joseé Cyr opened Feline Cafe with the goal to find stray cats new homes. All the cats come from the Ottawa Stray Cat Rescue, so you have the option to adopt a cat and bring him or her home.
While there currently is the Siberian Cat Cafe in Gatineau and The Purrfect Café which operates every second Thursday it is outstanding to have a permanent cat cafe in Ottawa.
Feline Cafe is divided into two sections, one for enjoying coffee and food, and the other to play with the cats. The cafe offers a variety of drinks including coffee and a variety of baked goods.
The vegetarian and vegan-friendly cafe only offers soy, almond milk, and other dairy-free milk alternatives. I opted for an almond milk latte which and cat sugar cookie which is made at Strawberry Blond (a nearby Vegan Bakery).
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The relaxing cafe is perfect to way to relieve anxiety and stress or to play with cats if you are unable to own a cat of your own. The cafe has on average 6 cats at a time, but depending on the personality of cats it could be possible that not many of the cats are out if they are too nervous to enter the public area.
I’ve visited twice now, and both times have fallen in love with friendly cats there. When the cafe is less busy is the ideal time to visit as the cats are often more willing to come out and play.
Photo courtesy of Feline Cafe
Photo courtesy of Feline Cafe
Photo courtesy of Feline Cafe
For a cat lover like myself, I absolute enjoyed my time playing with the cats. I was also impressed with the large play structures and toys that fill the cafe making it a fun space for the cats to enjoy. Each time I met Joseé her passion for her business and helping stray cats was inspiring, and it is apparent how successful her business already has become with the Feline Cafe having a high adoption rate of the cats. Indeed by the second time I visited all but two cats had been adopted just days after opening.
Visit The Feline Cafe
