On the Amsterdam Cat-fé

I recently went to The Netherlands and got to spend a Sunday afternoon exploring. I’ve been to Amsterdam before, but I had a very specific mission that Sunday: to visit a cat cafe. I am no stranger to cat cafes. When I used to visit Budapest, Hungary regularly, I went to several cat cafes. In fact, six years to the day prior, I was in a cat cafe in Budapest!

One thing that I’ve always appreciated about cat cafes is that they put their long-term residents first. They always outline explicitly what the rules are to keep the resident cats happy, safe, and healthy. Many cat cafes also work with local rescues to adopt out cats! (This one does not adopt out the cats, but their residents came from local shelters.)

Kattencafé Kopjes in Amsterdam did not disappoint! When I walked in, the employee (who I soon figured out was the owner) directed me to disinfect my hands before touching any cats. She then went over the house rules to keep the cats safe and comfortable during my visit. I was then directed to the area of the cats!

They kept the number of customers limited as to not overwhelm the kitties. In fact, I was strongly urged to book a reservation ahead of time to guarantee entry and I’m so glad I did. Seating was somewhat limited, but cozy and still plenty of room for the cats to have their run of the space.

The food was also great! They have multiple vegetarian options so I had plenty of choices. I went with homemade truffle egg salad and banana bread with figs, dates, and pecans. They also had coffees, juices, and tons of breakfast options.

And now for the main event: the cats. They have eight beautiful cats! There was a small gang of orange cats, a couple black and white cats (including a sweet kitty with one eye), and an older black kitty, who reminded me of my Midnight. The kitties clearly owned the place and were able to roam around cat trees, kitty wall shelves, and had plenty of soft places to land and lay.

What I really appreciated about Kattencafé Kopjes was their love for all kitties. The older black kitty had recently undergone surgery and the staff really cautioned customers to let him be so he could heal and avoid any illness. He seemed perfectly happy strutting around and interacting with his other kitty friends. The one-eyed kitty seemed relaxed and happy to approach customers for pets. I could tell that the staff really put the cats first and I could not be more aligned with that.

The ambience was exactly what I was looking for. It was laidback, relaxed, and allowed the cats to come and go as they pleased. It didn’t feel forced and it allowed for interaction, but also gave the cats a safe place to retreat if they felt overwhelmed. Wall decor was all cat and perfectly fit the vibe of the cafe. It was what I expected and exactly what I needed on a Sunday afternoon.

If you’re ever in Amsterdam and have the urge to try something new, I would highly recommend checking it out. It was such a cool experience and it was a chance to see something that isn’t as easily accessible in my part of the U.S. The staff was wonderful and the cats were great!