Cat Cafe St.Petersburg

Ok, why not try to combine two things I like ?……

Shortly after my arrival in St.Petersburg, I gave the obligatory stroll along Nevsky Prospect a defined endpoint, which I had planned to visit for a long time – a cat cafe!

The idea is not new and although it is a controversial concept, it appears that a lot of people seem to like it, considering the fast growing number of similar places all over the globe.

The cafe close to St.Isaac’s Cathedral was not easy to miss with its unique feline sculpture guarding the entrance

Once inside you find yourself in a stylish coffee place with a lot of feline themed decorative items – most of which are for sale – , but with no “real” cat in sight. The cat inspired Menue

doesn’t get you any further, until the eyes settles on the door of a rather large wardrobe……

And sure enough :

After parting with another 400 rubels, washing your hands and covering the soles of your shoes

the door of the wardrobe opens and you step inside the area that is giving the cafe its name, just that coffee is no longer allowed here….

A tribe of 18 cats of various sizes and breeds controls the area and the individual cats appear to be not too interested in their two legged visitors. Up to 15 people per hour can enjoy this feeling and are not allowed to pick any of the cats up. As humans are so common visitors, most cats ignore them and regard them mainly as moving obstacles and as twice daily provider of food ( which is not a great difference to my own cat…..)

Feeding time clearly is the highlight of the day for most cats.

Speaking to the supervisor/carer, I learn that although all cats appear pretty relaxed, the group is in constant change with some cats being adopted or leave the colony due to illness.

To avoid the introduction of germs all visitors have to cover their shoes and have to wash their hands before entering from the cafe. There is also a regular vet visit once weekly.

Visiting shortly before closing time in the evening had the advantage that only a few other visitors were there and that I could take my time, just sitting down and observing the feline interaction.

Cat cafes like this one are controversial, but I have to admit that I found it an entertaining and calming experience and I walked away with my loyalty card