Cat Town Café & Adoption Center

This place is a non-​profit and is doing a really nice service in helping to foster cats in need. The café area is small. Had an ice tea which you are allowed to bring in the cat lounge. Many of the cats were not so into interaction. Many were sleeping or didn’t want to be touched. One was very sweet and let you pet him but pretended to be sleeping when he was awake. It would be nice to have more couches or something to lounge on in the lounge so that the cats can sit or sleep next to you as you have a coffee or tea. Would have liked more interaction with the cats.

My second time visiting, this time with both my husband and mom, this past Saturday! We absolutely love the idea of a cat café where you can relax and interact with kitties, while sipping tea/​coffee. The facility is absolutely adorable with tiny little mansions and different structures made out of cardboard for them to lounge, sleep or climb on. There are string toys for you to play with them and a back area to watch the cats napping. The café itself it separated by a glass door and contains a café as well as cat memorabilia, clothing items, stickers and figurines for sale. There’s lovely cat art work up on the walls and a ton of humor everywhere you look.
We plan to come every weekend or other weekend, in hopes of finding a good match. As someone who’s been involved with various local animal rescue groups as a volunteer and foster, my heart is always with helping homeless and abused animals in anyway I can, even if that means feeding and caring for their needs before myself. I love what the non profit is doing by helping bring the neediest and perhaps not as socialized cats into an environment that encourages them to interact with humans and get further exposure.
Whether or not you are ready or able to adopt, you can always help by offering to become a foster or even making a one time donation to help support these wonderful rescue organizations! A bigger incentive is de-​stressing with a warm cup in your hand and a purring kitty in your lap! ;)
Best to make an appointment since there’s a limit of how many people can be in there and unless you want to see cats napping the whole time you’re there, try coming before 11am or after 5pm, when their more active!

Very unique coffee experience, that’s all about cats. I actually go there for the coffee because they roast bicycle coffee. Just a fair warning they don’t have an espresso machine but that’s okay! I have only had the medium roast pour over and it’s excellent. On a serious note this place does some serious good to help cats.

Absolutely love this place… considering that I am more of a dog person than cat.
My friend and I went early in the morning without reservations (reservations are $ 10 online). We beat a couple and were first in the door. I felt bad but we did drive over 50 miles to get here one hour before it opened in the morning.
There are tons of playful kittens and even a little machine to pop out cat treats for 25 cents.
Most cats sleep later in the day so the 10 – 11 was the perfect time to catch them mostly awake. The setting is amazing and you can order coffee snacks and cat themed items to take home.
We ended up donating some to the center since we didn’t pay the mandatory $ 10 for the reservation. You do need to hand sanitize before you walk in so that the cats are safe. You get one hour to be in there and man, it did not feel like enough time.
Parking was a bit hard to find but in front of the store on the street is good enough. Definitely would love to come back here again. Definitely support their establishment and recommend to those who love cats (and even those who are a little skeptical).

Cat Town Café was purr-​fect! I visited for my first time on a Saturday around 2 p.m. as a drop-​in visitor with one of my friends.
I was able to easily find metered parking close to the café on Broadway and noted that there are several car dealerships in the area. The costs are a $ 5 suggested donation for drop-​in visitors and $ 10 mandatory donation if you make a reservation in advance. They seem to get really busy, so if you don’t want to wait, a reservation is recommended.
The staff were very friendly and directed us to read the rules that were posted on the door before we visited with the cats. Some of the rules include not disturbing any of the cats while they are sleeping or picking them up. Pretty much you want the cats to come to you instead of forcing yourself on them.
Most of the cats were asleep while we were there, but it was still nice to hang out in the room with them and there is seating available where you can chill. There is also information available about cat behavior that you can read while you are in there which was pretty cool.
On top of visiting the cats, Cat Town has all kinds of awesome cat related stuff for sale! I ended up buying this really cute purple shirt that had a cat with the caption ‘Live in the Meow’. I also really enjoyed looking at all of the cat art on the walls that was for sale.
I had such a great first time visit and would definitely come back again!

You have cat to be kitten me! Play with felines and support a great cause? What a paw-​some concept!
Would definitely recommend locking in your hour by making a reservation– donation of $ 10. This place is popular enough that you’re unlikely to get a spot just by walk-​in.
I was there at 4 pm on a Saturday and there were about 10 cats that were awake and wanted to play. The place was kept clean with plenty of toys and beds for the cats. The volunteers that work here are all super friendly and helpful. In addition to cats, they also sell coffee, pastries, and cat themed gifts. I had the most purr-​fect afternoon with kittens, fur-​real!

First off I’ll start by saying that I 100% support what this establishment is about.
I came in here on a Wednesday evening with an open mind to try to adopt because I’ve been wanting a cat for ages and it seems like adopting was the way to go since there are so many cats in shelters that need good homes.
I ended up finding a cat a fell in love with! Unfortunately I didn’t have too much time left before closing so I spoke to a guy named Jay and we went over a few quick questions and I told him I was defiantly 100% interested in taking her home. What really ticked me is that I made it aware that I have a small dog, he’s 9 so a little old. But nonetheless he told me to come back before 3 the next day and he’d be there and we could discuss further action to take into adopting her.
I made the 30 minute drive the next day I however didn’t make it until a bit past 3 but Jay was still there (although he made it clear he had already clocked out) but he immediately shut me down on adopting because I had a dog. Now I understand that there are certain cats that won’t pair well with dogs but what I found extremely unprofessional is that he would waste my time telling me to return to just shut me down as soon as I walked in there the next day.
Because of this experience with him I unfortunately will not be returning here again, I rather go to a shelter where the workers seem to be more knowledgeable and professional. Sorry café cats…

It’s more like an adoption center (although it is) than a café. There are separated sections for café and cat petting. They only allow a certain amount of people to stay in the cat petting zone every hour. I love the decoration, which makes it impossible to resist the desire to purchase.
It’s nice to be around with cute cats, but not that fun for a whole hour.

Cat Town is a truly amazing organization– in the short time they’ve been up and running, they’ve helped hundreds Oakland’s most vulnerable cats find their forever homes. The space is beautiful, the coffee is delicious, and the staff and volunteers are friendly and knowledgeable.
For those who are planning on visiting the café (and those who’ve written negative reviews), I encourage you to do your research about Cat Town’s mission. The primary goal of Cat Town Café and Adoption center is to take cats who are struggling in the shelter environment, get them to a less stressful environment (the café or foster homes) so their true personalities can shine, and get them adopted to the perfect home. The health and comfort of the cats is key to this organization’s success. So please stop complaining about how it isn’t a «real“cat café or about how the hardworking and dedicated staff and volunteers wouldn’t let you wake up the cats or interact with them exactly how you would like. They are highly trained and there to ensure the cats aren’t overstimulated or stressed. Lots of people are in and out of there every day so I’m sure they get overwhelmed. I would… and I’m not a rescue cat.
So if Cat Town Café isn’t exactly the cat café of your dreams (comfy chairs, purring cuddly cats in your lap! Seriously… have you interacted with cats before???), at least realize what a fantastic non-​profit organization this is and think again about writing that negative review. After all, it is all about the cats!

For a cat and coffee lover, this is one of THE BEST things to hit the market since sliced bread. I absolutely love the concept of this place. A full blown cat zone with many cats just waiting for the perfect forever home, pastries, coffee, and cat merchandise for ppl just wanting to stop by to get a looksie at this unique place. And to top it all off, the employees here also are very friendly. They love to chat it up with their fellow cat lover community.
A couple things to keep in mind though.
— if you want in on the cat zone to spend time with their feline friends, reserve your spot online by making a donation. You help out some cats and you get an hour in the cat zone!
— cat zone drop in times run every hour. So if you come in at 4:15, expect to drop in the cat zone 45 minutes later.
— once you come in, you’ll never want to leave :)

What an awesome way to enjoy a coffee!
Make a reservation and come early, or else most of the cats will be sleeping. Great cause, and love the heavy cat theme throughout the place!

Coffee — Bicycle
Kitties — Cute
Pastries — Poptarts, Bagels, Cookies
Café– small and cluttered
Adoption Center– tranquil and relaxing
Pour over was my poison of choice which you are allowed to take into the adoption half of the shop. Sign in, leave a donation as a walk in and get your visitor sticker. Open first door, close it behind you, open second door and close it behind. This is to make sure none of the precious kittens escape. Once inside your are greeted by a very patient and relaxed employee who gives you a brief description of the facilities and rules. Don’t wake the sleeping kitties!
There are toys, plenty of seating and an array of beautiful, playful felines. It was so therapeutic to sit with them and enjoy their company. Most of them were sleeping or hiding when I visited so I stuck with the little black cat who was getting over a cold.
I will definitely return to cat town, the pour over was lovely and spending time with the cats was more enjoyable than I thought it would be.

This is a great place to visit if you’re thinking about adopting a cat. If you’re thinking of a relaxing place where you can have afternoon tea and play with cats… probably not as good of an idea.
The café part where you can buy coffee and snacks are separate from the cat area because of health regulations, so you would have to finish your drink/​snack before going into the other room to see the cats.
You need to make a reservation online. I would not recommend dropping in. When I came a few months ago, I went with 5 other friends. We had to book 2 weeks in advance since the weekends were popular, and they only let in 10 people per one hour time slot.
TIP: Try to get a morning/​earlier time slot if possible. Cats, by nature, sleep around 18 – 20 hours a day. The café is open from 11am to 6pm, do the math. My time slot was from 5pm-​6pm. When we were in there, all the cats were pooped out. ²⁄₃ of them were sleeping in the back, where you’re not supposed to disturb them. The other ¹⁄₃ were napping inside the cat city towers. It’s a bit awkward waiting around for your turn to walk up to the cat towers (since the opening is so small) to pet the napping cats, since none of them were in the mood to play. For the majority of the hour, everyone was just kind of sitting around and talking to each other, not much interaction with the napping cats. I’m sure if I have came at an earlier time, they would have all been a lot more active.
I’ll admit, I was expecting something closer along the lines of a Japanese cat café, so I was a little bit disappointed.

Great mission. Great concept. The pastries are so so and I had a can of soda so I can’t comment on their coffee, but you don’t come here for the food, you come here for the cats! A lot of them like sleeping during the day, and you shouldn’t wake them. You can visit the sleeping ones in the back and play with the ones who are awake in the front. If you bond with one you can take one home. The adoptions mean the cats in the café are always changing, which I think is great for not only the visitors but the cats themselves since they get a real home. When I move to a larger place, I am definitely coming back here to meet the cats and consider adoption.
Make reservations online as a limited number of people can enter the cat zone every hour.

Cat town and café is an amazing place. I was in the area getting routine work on the bat mobile when I stumbled upon this place. Walking by I saw this cool little city in the window so me being the curious cat I am I walked around to the entrance. Once in you hear nice jazz playing. the staff is super friendly very inviting. I ended up getting a cookie which is so yummy but they sell all kinds of goodies including coffee. If you would like to visit the cats you need to tell the cashier so they can set you up with a time. I didn’t have the time to play with the kitties but next time for sure. Donations are always welcome since they’re a non profit volunteer based organization. So if if you’re reading this and are in the area definitely stop in.

I don’t even know how to sum up my experience here, but the staffs sheer benevolence, compassion and compassion for their customers and cats alike is just so inspiring and contagious.
Me and my partner randomly strolled into the Cat Town Café on a sweltering Wednesday afternoon, just expecting to stroke a few fluffy cats. However, we fell in love with two little 6 month old cats with two eye infections, who were subsequently abandoned and thrown out on the side of the road. So they were automatically irresistible for us to take home.
Long story short, this place is an absolute gem, just be prepared to leave with a cat because you won’t have enough willpower to resist helping one of these little beauties!

Oh my goodness, this was a dream come true because I absolutely love cats. I’ve heard about this place for quite some time now and I was finally able to come here since I was in the area. I was so so happy and so so excited to come here.
Upon arrival, you’ll see their little café where you could purchase snacks, pastries, coffee and drinks. You can bring those into the cat zone as long as it’s from their café. There is also a donation box for you to donate to the shelter, which I highly recommend! My friends and I came here at around 4:45pm and since the cat zone was full, we checked in for the 5pm session.
When it was our turn, I was in awe. The cat zone was such a lovely place. I loved what they did to the walls, the paintings, the «playhouses,» and the sleeping areas. It’s such a care-​free for the cats and for us humans! The cats were very friendly. We got to talk to one of the volunteers and she was so nice! She was very knowledgable about this place and very friendly to the kitties.
Overall, I highly recommend this place! Please come out and support a local shelter. Whether or not you want to adopt or donate, come play with the kitties because they need lots of love!

Oh my lord, pinch me. A CAT CAFE. So glad this opened up in Oakland and just such a brilliant way to find homes for these little guys. They also sell enough cat pictures, paintings, mugs, etc. to create a shrine at home, if you should so please.
This café is divided into two separate spaces, one for ordering coffee and pastries (and paintings, stickers, and shirts). The other houses the kitties and is full of seating, surfaces, and cat trees so you can co-​exist in a comfortable space. Keep in mind the max amount of visitors is 15, so get there early, prepare to wait, or fork up the $ 10 to reserve a spot beforehand. It may seem steep to pay just to drink coffee in a room full of cats but you’re contributing to this wonderful place and it’s all for the cats’ benefits. I know some days it’s crawling with a multitude of kitties and others it’s fairly empty with a cat or two hanging around.
They also serve Bicycle Coffee here! Overall, my personal fantasy come to life.

I have never came in contact with cats before Cat Town and since the environment here felt so safe and calm, I wasn’t worried at all!
My friends and I were lucky enough score a date on the weekend for 8 people ($ 10 donation/​person) and it was well worth it!
We entered in through the gift shop area. They had coffee and cute treats! EVERTYHING WAS CAT THEMED! It was super adorable! From cat mugs to cat macarons, we wanted to get everything. They also had a very cute sticker coin machine where my friends and I went CRAZY over. We probably spent around $ 20 total (they cost 50cents a piece!). In the surprise column, it contain random stickers and goodies. My friend got a free drink coupon and got a hot tea :)
Our appointment was at 2PM, and all the kitties were taking their afternoon nap. Only 2 cats were awake and playful. It didn’t matter though! The kitties were still super cute and they told us we could gently pet them. It did feel a little stuffy inside the cat room and I had to step out from time to time.
Overall, a great place to pet and adopt kitties! I probably won’t be visiting again since I think I am a little bit allergic, but I recommend it to all the cat lovers! It is a very chill place and my cat lover friends enjoyed it a lot!
P. S. Weird tip, but make a visit to the bathroom! They have cute cat memorabilia in there: p
Lot’s of free street parking!

As a self-​proclaimed animal lover, I was overjoyed to hear that there would be an East Bay café that provided cuddly little critters to accompany you while you sip a caffeinated beverage.
I am definitely more of a dog person than a cat person, but I love pets of all types (except perhaps the slightly intimidating tarantula). I would definitely not be a customer at a spider café, that’s for sure!
I made an online reservation, which requires a $ 10 non-​refundable donation to help sustain the lives of their fine felines. They sent an e-​mail confirming my rezzie, and another reminder the day before. A very smooth and easy process that provided me with absolutely no stress at all. Flawless.
I stopped by the café for a coffee and a treat. They serve Bicycle Coffee (nice!) and lots of sweets. I opted for the very festive apple walnut mini Pop Tart with red and green icing drizzled on top. Cute and delicious! I believe they are made by LoveCrafted Vegan Baking, a very stellar dessert company based out of Oakland. Their coffee is done by method of pour-​over, so it does take a few minutes to brew, but it was very smooth and delicious.
We were able to enter the cat zone at approximately 12:05, and the time flew by. We wanted another hour with those fuzzy little critters. A lot of them were kind of tuckered out and took naps in chairs, on windowsills, or perched atop large scratching posts. I loved the hand-​painted mural with images of famous internet cats (Grumpy Cat! Lil Bub!), as well as the skyscraper buildings that the cats could climb up. What a happy and friendly environment.
The volunteers were all pretty nice and let us explore the cat’s environment freely. Warning: the room on the right with the litter boxes is not meant for visitors, as the cats go in there when they need time away or they feel overstimulated.
One of the owners of Cat Town was in the room with us, and he seems like the coolest dude. He has been updating their Facebook and Instagram with 30 Cat Shirts in 30 Days, which is just the most adorable thing ever. I affectionately refer to him as Cat Man, and I applaud what he and his business partner are doing. This is more than just an animal shelter or rescue center… this is a beautiful glass house of wonder and excitement, even if you aren’t the biggest cat fan.
An amazing 6 cats were rescued today alone (!), bringing their count up to 42 adoptions total. That is so incredible and brings me much joy. It is so heart-​warming to see so many animal lovers gathered in one place. I highly recommend visiting, especially if you may be on the market for a new furry best friend. :)

If you’re like me and you are unhealthily obsessed with cats — but don’t have the time or space to keep one — you’ll definitely enjoy a trip to Cat Town Café. After my visit, I wanted to adopt every single cat in the room!
Before you stop by, please realize that this place is NOT like a Japanese cat café. Because of stricter health regulations in the U.S., they’re not allowed to serve food in the same area as the cats’ playroom. However, as long as you keep this in mind, you’ll have an amazing time here.
When you first enter the building, you enter the café area, where they have a very limited selection of coffee drinks, as well as some baked goods (some of them are vegan-​friendly!) like scones and bagels. During my visit, they didn’t have a toaster, so I had to eat my bagel at room temperature… They might have gotten one in the meantime, though. If you’re interested in coming here, you’re likely coming for the cats, so just make sure not to set your food expectations too high.
There is a buffer room between the café and the playroom (probably to keep the cats from escaping), and you most likely need a reservation to enter the playroom. During my stay, some of the walk-​ins remained in the café area to observe the cats’ playtime through the windows.
My friends and I visited at the perfect time. Our reservation was for 11am, and almost all of the 6 – 7 cats were up and running around. It’s so fun to use the feather/​mouse cat toys (the mouse one was particularly popular during our visit!). Towards the end of our stay (around noon), some of the cats started getting tired… So keep that in mind when you’re making your reservation!
One of my favorite aspects of Cat Town Café is that you’re surrounded by other people who love cats just as much as you do. Everyone, including the staff (of course), is very understanding of the cats’ space and it’s obviously a place where kitties can get some fun and playful interaction with people and other cats. It’s also partnered with the Cat Town adoption center, which means all the cats are homeless (and adoptable!). The playroom is furnished with cat beds and obstacles all around, with cat-​themed murals on the walls (including Nyancat, Cheshire Cat, and the cat bus from Totoro) — it’s truly kitty paradise.
NOTE: They claim that they take walk-​ins, but the café is so popular right now that if you don’t make a reservation (they’re only $ 10 online, and they’re for a good cause!), you’ll be in for a pretty long wait.

Don’t come here if what you have in mind is a cat café in Japan.
Cat Town Café is more like cat adoption center with a coffee counter on the side. I find the name misleading but I should have done more research before hand. However, even as an adoption center the execution could surely have gone gone better. There’s a small café where you can purchase coffee and simple food, and there’s a room where you can play with cats — 8 people at a time. You can pay $ 10 to make a reservation online to play with some cats for an hour, or you could wait there for last minute openings (which rarely happens). The whole atmosphere wasn’t relaxing at all.
When I went, there were only 5 cats and 3 of them were napping. Hoards of people were waiting outside of the cat zone for a long time only to be told that there’s no opening for drop-​ins
You should come here if you are considering adopting a cat though. But if you just want to hang out in a coffee shop with a bunch of cats, this isn’t the place for you.