Kitty Cafe Leeds

I recently visited the Kitty Cafe in Leeds for a family birthday.  This was our 3rd visit over the last year and a half and we have always had a great experience.  The Kitty Cafe is situated in Leeds city centre and is an easy walk from the train and bus stations.  If you come by car then I would recommend the park and rides at Elland Road or Temple Green which are very reasonably priced (and much cheaper than parking in the city centre) and only take 10 - 15 minutes by bus once you have parked up.

First of all, if you are not fond of cats then obviously this place is not for you.  If you are a cat person like me then I would definitely recommend this experience to put on your to do list next time you visit Leeds.  Be aware that it's a good idea to book in advance, to make sure that you are not disappointed and also that there is a £6 welfare charge per person (£4 for kids) before you even sit down to eat.  I am happy to pay the welfare charge as it goes towards the cat welfare and rescue which is one of the main reasons for the cafe (some of the cats and kittens in the cafe are available for adoption).  I think it's wise of them to charge what is effectively a welfare charge as it helps to offset those people who would just go into the cafe and nurse one drink the whole time that they are there (not that there is anything wrong with that).

Jonny

You get a 1 hour slot and upon entry you sign in and read the rules (don't worry there aren't loads, but they are there to ensure that the cats are treated with respect since this is their 'home' and you are just visiting).  You then pay the £6 per person charge and are taken to your seat.  The cafe is set up so that there are a lot of nooks and crannies where cosy sofas and chairs are set up around tables which gives each party some space to play with the cats.  

It's always wise to pick up a toy (the fishing rod ones are the best) so that you can hopefully encourage some of the playful cats and kittens to spend some time with you.  Please don't expect them to come and sit on your knee and pay you lots of attention, they are cats after all and they can be a little snooty and stand offish at times, I always find the best way to encourage them over is to wiggle and wave one of the toys and definitely not try and grab them when they come anywhere near you.

Pudding

The waitresses are all really friendly and they were quick to take our order.  We took advantage of the meal deal which costs £11.95 and includes a drink, a food item (panini, jacket potato, salad or wrap) and a slice of cake.  Lets face it we are here for the kittys not the food, but I have always enjoyed the food, the portions are generous and well presented and very tasty.  You do get lots of attention from some of the cats when the food comes, so you need to be careful that you don't end up with a cat faceplanting into your food (there are protective covers for the food to keep curious kittys away from it.  At one point we had a cute little ginger kitten called Stan (his brother is called Lee) who practically climbed all over us when the food arrived (I have 3 cats of my own, so this sort of behaviour is ok with me), but a gentle push is all he needed to keep him a bay).

We had plenty of attention from the cats as there were loads around, but it's worth noting that there are lots of places the cats can disappear to if they don't feel like playing with people. We were sat in a far corner, so didn't have loads of people coming our way trying to get the cats attention,  We felt that we had plenty of space and had plenty of cats popping over to play.

Overall we had a great experience as usual and I am sure that we will be back next time there is a birthday to celebrate.  Below is a picture of the fab climbing frame with fountain which I can't let me cats see or they would want one.

Leigh

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