We look forward to serving you at London's Original Cat Cafe! As you can expect, we are not your typical cafe or coffee shop, so here are a few things to help you plan your visit and answer any questions you may have.
How do I book?
How does it work?
Why is there an entry fee?
Can I touch the cats?
Can I play with the cats?
Can I cuddle the cats?
Can I bring treats/toys for the cats?
Do you have a kitten room/are there kittens?
Are children welcome?
Are large groups allowed?
Can I bring my own cat?
Can I bring my support dog?
Can I order food and drink?
HOW DO I BOOK?
Click the button below to make a booking!
HOW DOES IT WORK?
Our cafe is home to our resident rescue cats (and sometimes, kittens!). As such, the cats will be roaming freely around the entire cafe! You will be able to enjoy your tea, coffee or cake in the direct company of our cats.
Our cafe has plenty of spaces for our cats to go- including high shelves, cat trees, and hidden areas in the cafe for their privacy and personal space, so don't be surprised if you don't see all of our cats at once.
After being checked in and briefed on our house rules, you will be taken to your allocated table inside the cafe. This table will have been randomly allocated to you by our bookings system during the booking process.
We do, however, we encourage guests to walk around and explore the cafe. You do not have to stay sitting the whole time! We have two floors, which the cats can move between whenever they please, so you are of course entitled to do the same.
There will be a Cat Carer on shift who will be looking after the cats during your visit. The Cat Carer will be there to introduce the cats to you, tell you their names, what they like, and how they like to play. If you would like to play with the cats, it's always best to ask the Cat Carer for tips, as all of our cats have preferences. The Cat Carer will be available to chat to, and will be happy to answer any questions you have about the cats.
You also will be able to order food and drink if you wish. If you have placed a booking type that already includes food and drink, this will be brought to you.
WHY IS THERE AN ENTRY FEE?
As our cafe is home to numerous rescue cats (and sometimes kittens) (get to know them here!), their welfare is our top priority. As you can imagine, having cats comes at a cost, and we pay for everything ourselves!
By charging an entry fee, this means that we can provide our cats with the best quality food, toys, beds, amenities, medication, and preventative care possible whilst they live with us before they are rehomed.
This fee also helps enable us to have specialised staffing (cat carers) trained in animal care and welfare, who are responsible for looking after our cats throughout the day.
Charging an entry fee also allows us to operate on a reduced capacity throughout the day, for the comfort of not only our cats, but for guests, too. This means that we can admit a lower number of guests, whilst still being able to keep our doors open.
CAN I TOUCH/STROKE/PET THE CATS?
We have a few house rules which we ask every guest to abide by for the comfort of our cats. You will be briefed on these by a member of staff before being taken to your table.
Most importantly, we ask guests not to pick the cats up/restrain them in any way, or to stroke/disturb cats who are sleeping, eating/drinking, or grooming themselves.
However, you will of course be able to approach the cats and say hello, stroke them if they are willing, and play with the cats during your visit!
All of our cats have different personalities, and enjoy different kinds of interaction. They also all have different moods and temperaments, which can change throughout the day. Please listen to our Cat Carer for advice on how to say hello to each of our cats.
If one of our cats doesn't want to be touched, that's okay. Don't take it personally! It may just be the wrong time, or they may not be in the mood at that specific moment. They may want to play, instead- simply ask our Cat Carer for advice.
We are firm believers that our cats deserve dignity, and we respect their right to choose. Our cats are living, breathing animals with varying moods, so we kindly ask guests to also respect that interaction with every cat will not always be a guarantee.
Please also respect that our cats also deserve peaceful rest. Cats can sleep up to 18 hours a day (!) so it will be likely that there will be a few cats sleeping during your visit! We kindly asks guests to leave these cats undisturbed.
CAN I PLAY WITH THE CATS?
You can use any of the toys in the café to play with the cats! Not every toy will work for every cat, though! We admit that our cats are incredibly spoiled. Some of our cats will only play with their favourite toy!
Our cat care team know all of our cats’ favourite toys, so please do ask the Cat Carer on shift how to play with the cats, and what specific toys they like.
Our cats may not always want to play, so if this is the case, our cat care team are more than happy to advise on how best to interact with them.
CAN I CUDDLE THE CATS?
You can pet our cats and play with them, but we don't allow guests to pick them up and hold them.
It's important that the cats can choose where to go and if they are frequently held against their will, they will avoid people. Because of this policy, we have guests enjoying lap cats and even piggybacks with the cats. This kind of fun only happens if the cats feel safe.
CAN I BRING TREATS OR TOYS FOR THE CATS?
No thank you! Our cats have a strictly managed diet, and we have to be strict about what they eat. If you have food or treats that you'd like to gift, we recommend contacting your local cat shelter as their need is greater than ours and their cats awaiting adoption deserve a treat far more than our spoiled clowder!
DO YOU HAVE A KITTEN ROOM/KITTEN CAFE/KITTENS?
Occasionally, yes, we do have kittens! However, no, we do not have a 'kitten room'. Our kittens are in the same room as our adult cats. We have found that keeping our cats with kittens, and vice versa, benefits every rescue moggy in our care as the adult cats help to socialise the little ones and teach them what's what, and the kittens are highly active, so our adult cats rest during their bouts of playtime. This means that we strike a lovely balance. We also love that in every clowder we have housed, a nurturting tom like our Daz will emerge and look after the kittens during their integration into the cafe.
In short, all of our cats and kittens are in the same cafe space, all at the same price.
ARE CHILDREN WELCOME?
We only admit children ages 12 and older. Please do not bring any guests under the age of 12.
We cannot make any exceptions to this rule.
Guests aged 12-17 must come with a chaperone over 18. There must be one adult present for every 3 guests under the age of 18.
ARE LARGE GROUPS ALLOWED?
If you are looking to book for more than 6 people, please email bookings@ladydinahs.co.uk for more information. Bookings for large groups will subject to seat availability throughout the day.
Please, do not place multiple bookings to bypass the rule, as we may refuse entry.
CAN I BRING MY OWN CAT?
No thank you! Your cat and our cats might not get on, so it's really best not to. To our knowledge, bring-your-own-cat cafes don't exist.
CAN I BRING MY SUPPORT DOG?
From the point of view of law and equality yes, but cats will give a support dog a wide berth and this is not something we can control. You will likely have a better experience if you bring a human helper.
CAN I ORDER FOOD AND DRINK?
You can order food and drink from our menu when you are inside the cafe, or you can choose a food and drink inclusive package during the booking process. However, if you choose a package and then want more on arrival, that's fine too!
We have self-ordering QR codes on every table, as well as paper menus for ordering with a member of our team.
Have Other Questions?
If you have any other questions that are not answered here or anywhere else on our website, please feel free to drop us an email at info@ladydinahs.co.uk.