Author: Craig_33

Catfe is Vancouver’s original cat café, having opened its doors for the first time in late 2015. Like other cat cafes, the mission of Catfe is simple: 1) To serve as a temporary shelter for adoptable cats until they find their forever home; 2) To...help facilitate the adoption process by allowing visitors to interact with the cats in a social setting, thus getting to know and connect with the felines; 3) To serve as a casual spot for cat lovers to enjoy a cup of coffee (or tea) in the presence of purr-fect furry friends. What’s not to love? Catfe is housed on the second level of International Village; thus, it’s in a fairly central location and can attract a high level of traffic. I think this is good for the cats because it increases the likelihood that they’ll be adopted in fairly short order (and don’t worry about traffic getting to heavy in the lounge area; the Catfe staff limits this to 16 persons). Indeed, the evidence seems to be fairly clear with respect to the effectiveness of the cat café model. Since it opened just under 5 years ago, Catfe has been able to adopt out just over 800 cats! That’s a win-win for everybody involved. As a cat-lover, Catfe had been on my radar ever since it opened. Unfortunately, every time I looked into visiting, there was no space available; or, if there were a few open spots, it conflicted with my schedule. I tried – without success – to patronize Catfe on and off between 2015 and 2018. Those failed attempts made my first visit here all the more meaningful. I’d finally made it – great success! Catfe is divided into two separate, yet interrelated, sections: A café side and a cat lounge side. The café side is fairly compact, but it does feature some pretty slick meowchandise, a lot of which sports the dandy Catfe logo. I just had to pick up a shirt! Besides merchandise, the café does feature a modest selection of drinks (coffee, tea, craft soda, juices), cookies and other small pastries. They also advertised a couple of warm scone options, but these were “sold out.” In short, the food selection is very limited but, let’s be honest, nobody comes here for the food – it’s all about the cats! Speaking of cats, once you pay your admission at the café side ($8 for one hour), you are led into the cat lounge area. The staff will go over the house rules while you sanitize/wash your hands. After that, it’s playtime! I like the overall atmosphere of the cat lounge. It’s large and spacious. There are plenty of cat toys strewn about to keep the kitties engaged and occupied: Feathers, cat pipes, little mice, balls and scratch-pads. There are also a couple of large tables for patrons to sit and enjoy the cats. The kitties are about as diverse as the people who come here. Some are active and hyper while still others want to be quiet and left alone. As I sat and watched people engage with the felines, I couldn’t help but feel a wee bit touched when I observed someone quietly approach a rather “testy” kitty and have it warm up to them. Perhaps that was an adoption in the making? I wouldn’t be surprised! The one hour of cat time flew by. Overall, I enjoyed my Catfe experience. The premises are well-maintained; the cats are lovingly taken care of; and the staff courteous and helpful, always looking out for their furry friends. As of this writing, Vancouver is home to 2 cat cafes: Catfe and Catoro. Both are pretty exceptional and I commend them for all that they do; however, I tend to tip my hat more towards Catfe for a couple of reasons: 1) It’s easier to get to; and, 2) The space for the kitties to enjoy is larger and, because of the floor-to-ceiling windows, they get plenty of natural sunlight. That said, I’d still encourage you to visit both.