Last year whilst in Amsterdam I heard of something called De Poozenboat which means cat boat in Dutch. Sadly it wasn't open on the Sunday when I found out about it so I didn't get to see it, but basically it is a boat full of cats. Ok, they are rescue cats waiting for adoption so it's not quite as mad as it sounds, but I mention this as before I went back to Amsterdam I was Googling it and discovered something even better...
A Cat Cafe! Or Kattencafe in Dutch.
The Kattencafe Kopje (Kopje translates as the Dutch word for when a cat bumps its head against you) is a cafe that is home to 8 felines. Each of them is a rescue cat and was brought there by the owner Lenny after she saw the concept in Japan.
Cat cafes are nothing new, having originated in Taiwan and grown in popularity around the world. However cats are extremely popular in Amsterdam and so it seems rather fitting to have one there.
If you want to come to Kattencafe Kopje you'll need to book a time slot as it's not a huge space and they of course need to control the amount of people around the cats. However I had no trouble in finding a time on my chosen day. There is a €3 entrance fee and then you can buy drinks, sandwiches and cakes.
A word of warning, there is no cash, only card payments, as the lady in the cafe explained that someone tried to break in before to steal the till money which then could lead to the cats being hurt or escaping. Luckily no cats were hurt. So they don't accept any cash to deter break ins.
Once you sanitise your hands, your in, and its time to meet the cats.
The cats roam around the cafe space freely, and theres enough equipment and toys to keep them entertained forever (as well as me!).
The cats are very playful and will naturally come up to you, but the two rules you must follow are no picking them up/ grabbing and no feeding them.
So no breaking of chunks of cake for them.
Although when the red velvet cake is that good, you won't want to share. Seriously, its really good!
It's funny actually as I was convinced cats weren't for me before I went. I think it was because my uncle who I lived with for a few months had a couple of cats who I didn't like and it tainted my whole view.
Coming to the cat cafe actually made me realise that they aren't so bad after all!
Honestly I think I squealed a dozen times whilst there. It's just so darn cute. The whole set up is so sweet and with a vintage feel. I felt like a big kid.
It also turns out that I'm a natural cat lady, just look at them flocking to me!
I left the cafe absolutely beaming. It was probably the highlight of my time in Amsterdam and I highly recommend it. I could instantly see the cats were really well looked after, and the two ladies in charge clearly adored them and answered loads of my questions about them, so don't worry if you have worries about their treatment.
To reserve your slot, head to their website - you'll have a pawsome time!
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