Hello, Kitty
A cat café is just like a regular café. But with cats. Take a seat, order a drink and enjoy it in the relaxing company of the resident felines. The cat café phenomenon is thought to have originated in Taiwan in the late 1990s before spreading to Japan. The Japanese obsession with anything kawaii (adorable or cute)—and the impossibility of keeping pets in tiny apartments while working 5-9—made it a big hit. From there, the cat café spread to the rest of the world, arriving in Spain relatively recently. Barcelona now has no less than four, but with one important difference: Here, all the cats are up for adoption.
Cat House
Carrer de la Fusina, 6
You can’t help feline (!) a little envious of any cat that gets to spend its days lolling about in this beautiful space in the Borne: A modern, bright, airy room full of toys, soft furnishings, scratching posts, portraits of the former residents (now adopted) and a comfy tree-come-cat-basket.
Cat House was established by Suara Foundation, which itself grew out of veterinary surgeon Aida’s work neutering and vaccinating stray cats in Gavà Mar. Cat House fosters a limited number of adult cats from that colony or local shelters that are sociable enough to share the space with others and have a chance at charming a human family.
Visits cost €6 for 30 minutes and include a drink—although Cat House isn’t a café as such—and you can pay extra to extend (trust me, you’ll want to). You can also support Suara Foundation by donating, becoming a member or buying something from Suara Store. Located on the ground floor, it stocks a range of super-cool cat-themed clothing, decoration and accessories, including upcycled, organic and fairly-traded fabrics, which make perfect gifts for the cat nut in your life.
Suara also runs yoga and mindfulness sessions in the Cat House (who more mindful than a moggy?), talks on cats, animal behavior, ecology, vegan food, etc. in the shop and collaborates with schools and other organizations.
Instagram: @suarafoundation Facebook: @suarafoundation
Cats Home BCN & CatSHOP
Carrer del Consell de Cent, 589
Located in the newly revamped Glories, Cats Home BCN & CatSHOP was set up by Associació de Defensa i Rescat Animal (ADiRA). The space is equipped with comfy chairs, books and a pleasant, green outdoor area and visitors are welcome to stay and work, study or just hang out with the cats. ADiRA takes in cats found on the streets, from local and national shelters or people who can’t care for them. They occasionally have kittens but focus on timid adult cats that find it difficult to find a home and can benefit from socializing, which improves their chances of being adopted.
A one-hour visit costs €3 and includes a drink. You can also make a donation or buy something from the shop which has a range of new and second-hand clothing, bags, jewelry and accessories, including pieces by local artists and craftspeople.
ADiRA also offers a cat sitting service and organizes activities like Pilates or Reiki with cats, pop up exhibitions, swap meets, vegan food tastings, talks and educational activities for children or people with learning difficulties, etc.
Facebook: @catshomebcn
El Gatuari
Carrer de Sant Lluís, 14
El Gatuari is a non-profit cat café in Gràcia set up by Enric Sintes and Meritxell Jaén to help those rescue cats that struggle to find their forever home. They take shelter cats that are sociable but “invisible” for one reason or another. For example, older cats, cats with a medical condition or disability or simply ones whose color or physical characteristics cause them to be passed over or rejected.
Visits start at €6 per hour with a minimum duration of 30 minutes. Children, retired people, the unwaged and members get a discount.
El Gatuari also runs talks and courses on animal welfare and care etc., offers a professional cat-sitting service and has a small shop in front selling feline-related items.
Instagram: @gatuari Facebook: @elGatuari Twitter: @elGatuari
Espai de Gats
Carrer de Terol, 29-33 bajos
Espai de Gats, in Gràcia, was started by Eva González and Tereza Reindlova, both of whom had experience collaborating with cat shelters and associations. Aware of the cat café phenomenon in Asia and inspired by Madrid’s La Gatoteca, they decided to open a café to promote adoption in Barcelona.
Espai de Gats takes in cats from the CAACB and other local shelters that are capable of living with the other resident felines and human visitors, mainly adults that have spent a long time in foster homes or shelters. Since opening in 2016, it’s helped over 100 cats find a home.
Visits are priced on a sliding scale, depending on whether you add a drink or snack, and start from €2.50 for 30 minutes, then €1 for every additional 15 minutes. This is perhaps the most café-like space of all and has free Wi-Fi, books and a small range of cat-care accessories, jewelry and mugs. Espai de Gats also hosts workshops and courses on animal behavior, health, wellbeing, rights, communication, responsible ownership and more. It doesn’t offer a cat sitting service itself, but some of the staff do.
Instagram: @espaidegats Facebook: @espaidegats
Helpful Tips
Advance reservations are recommended for all cafés as visitor numbers are limited (cats like a chill vibe). Remember you’re in the cats’ home, respect their personal space and always supervise kids. If you fall in love with one, the adoption procedure usually involves checks to make sure you’re a suitable candidate and get the right cat for your lifestyle. Cats should come vaccinated, sterilized, microchipped and with a clean bill of health.
Kate Williams is a freelance writer, editor, translator and Director of The Writer Stuff. She left her native England for Barcelona in 2003 and never looked, or went, back. When she isn’t writing or discovering all the cool stuff going on in the city, she enjoys hiking in the Catalan countryside, kayaking on the Costa Brava, and volunteers at a local animal sanctuary. You can read more by Kate here.