The Cat Cafe

Coffee and cat lovers' paradise offers feline fun and a chance for guests to provide a fur-ever home

Start feline fine at this coffee and cat lovers’ paradise, serving up hot drinks and snacks along with playtime purrs in downtown San Diego. Guests make a reservation online for a one-hour visit with cuddly, heartwarming kitties who hang out in a bright room filled with fluffy beds, toys, cat trees, tunnels, and scratching posts. Admission includes a food or drink item.

Inside the cat room, a host provides a brief introduction about The Cat Café’s history, successful adoptions, the adoption process itself, as well as group guidelines on interacting with the dozen or so four-legged furballs. The kitties are pointed out by name, along with their personality traits. Seating for humans is along the walls. Rules are simple:

• For their own safety, kitties can’t be picked up
• Cameras are welcome; no flash use, however
• Guests must use their indoor voice; no loud noises
• Answering phone calls is not advised; leave the cat room if necessary

Guests are then free to greet, pet and play with their new roommates or sit and gaze in their direction. Watch them romp, watch them snooze in the sun, watch them hop on laps and make biscuits! If they allow, give them chin scratches and they may reciprocate with a grooming lick or kitty kiss. After 60 minutes, most patrons agree the experience is joyful and therapeutic. Guests bond with their new furry friends, forget about problems for a while, and see the real Zen masters at work. Those interested in adopting are welcome to approach a staff member, and get the process started. The cats come from The Rescue House, a nonprofit dedicated to helping homeless kitties find loving homes.

Colorful and welcoming, the coffee shop itself is adorned with artwork featuring — what else — cats! Courteous baristas serve award-winning San Diego coffees and teas from roaster Cafe Virtuoso; cookies from The Cravory, pastries from Bread & Cie; and sandwiches and snack packs from Sunshine & Orange.

The Cat Café is at 302 Island Avenue, close to the Convention Center, Petco Park, and the Gaslamp Quarter. Hours are 9 a.m.-4 p.m. daily. Reservations are highly recommended. Walk-in guests are accommodated on a first-come, first-served basis if space is available. Children under 6 are not permitted. For a paws-itively delightful adventure, call (619) 786-2289, or book an appointment “meow” at catcafesd.com.