The Cat Lounge - CLOSED

Overview

It’s the purrrfect situation, Auckland’s first cat-cafe has opened, my cat had its own Facebook page, and Concrete Playground required a review. Dream job.

As with any novelty-feature restaurant or dining option there comes a rush of excitement, interest and questions. Would you be able to dine surrounded by pussies? Would it be a short lived pop-up? Should I actually eat there? Would it be pawsome? Does it smell weird? How many cats do I get to play with?

Chill on the cat-itude dear readers, we have these answers.  Here’s what you need to know….

Having opened its doors in mid-November 2015 and partially funded by both Friskies and a Kickstarter campaign, The Cat Lounge is Auckland’s first cat cafe. Located in non-central Glenfield (near Wairau Park on the North Shore), it features a split section cafe and sealed cat lounge - with a two-door system to prevent feline escapees. For food and hygiene reasons, the kitchen/cafe area is separated, however you can take your beverages and snacks to consume with the kitties should you wish.

Bookings are strongly suggested due to the maximum number of people allowed in the lounge at one time, and unsurprisingly, they have been busy - so get yourself a session in advance.

$10 provides you an hour of pure bliss in a clean, swish looking Cat Lounge decked out with plenty of furniture, toys (for you to use), climbing apparatus, couches, astroturf, beanbags and enclosed open air spaces for your new found friends to frolic. You will be joined by 11 cats of various ages - kittens to adults - from a variety of breeds, all of whom are provided by the awesome charity Lonely Miaow.

They are cats - some friendly, some crazy, some reluctant to acknowledge your very existence - so nothing different from at home really.

So, how does it stack up? The cafe/kitchen is that, it sells food, it is fine. Coffee was ORB and acceptable. You didn’t come here for either. More importantly the Cat Lounge is great. Scent free, it is a safe haven of soft spaces, comfortably appointed for humans and small carnivorous mammals, with a plethora of toys to tame the mixture of unique, slightly odd furry characters that inhabit it. Iggy, a one-eyed, long haired, 6.4kg polar bear of a creature is a particular highlight, but there’s a small, soft bundle of fur for everyone at this establishment - if you’ll only but take the time to give them a cuddle or dance around with a piece of string.

If you are a cat lover and don’t have access to one at home (apartment living sucks) this could be a regular occurrence. If you aren’t, you gotta be kitten me, why did you read this? Seriously though, it’s a great novelty visit with friends. Go now, embrace the fur, it’s meow-nificent.