The Differences Between European And America Cat Cafés

In addition to being a fun place to hang out and get coffee, the Cat Town Café in Oakland, California, is a dedicated nonprofit adoption center. All of the cats are available for adoption, and to date over 600 animals have been placed into permanent homes.

Unlike at their Californian counterpart, the cats at Café des Chats are permanent residents. Some have been living at the café for years, and as you can see have a bit of a laissez-faire attitude.

As permanent residents, the concept of visitors is nothing new, or exciting to the seasoned cats of Café des Chats. Occasionally one might jump on a table or nearby chair, but don't expect anyone to chase a fake mouse toy.

The food at Café des Chats is downright amazing. There's bread and butter, then a full plate of food, followed by insane desserts. Plus it's a seated meal. The staff brings the food to your table while the resident cats do as they please.

The employees make a good meal, and take the table service seriously, but they aren't all that friendly. For instance, they'll let you stand out in the rain for a good five minutes past your reservation time if they aren't ready to open. True story.

Both the volunteers in the cat zone and the baristas at Cat Town Café are friendly and engaging. They offer up plenty of information about the cats and definitely help make the visit an enjoyable experience.

The bathrooms are pretty standard Parisian water closets.

Coffee and snacks sell for only a couple of bucks and you'll need to make a $10 donation if you want to enter the cat zone. Additional donations are always welcome, but a visit to Cat Town Café definitely won't break the bank.