Such a lovely place with an awesome mission (and the coffee is good as well). My daughter loves to hang out with the kitties and I have to use up all my willpower to not adopt all of them kitties. Go, visit thew cats and help them out to keep the place open. Drink your coffee there, don't be shy! read more

Cat Town - Animal Shelters Near Me - Oakland, California

A Disneyland for cat lovers and cats. A beautiful space with the best volunteers and workers one could imagine. Only warning is you might fall in love - I know I did. You are important. Yes, you the reader of this right now. You are important to the successful operation of this cat cafe. An important part of this cafe is to socialize the cats with visitors so they become more friendly. Friendly cats get adopted. I found a friendly cat. He came right to the door to sniff me. Then as I entered from one door he was guided to his little stool - very obedient - so well trained I was in awe. His more shy brother always in the background - he would protect him and check me out first to make sure I was ok. The little guy had only interest in my - none of his toys. I gently got closer with some affectionate love pats and scratches. It is a love story of him and his brother and what landed them here. I fell in love with how they were so bonded and took care of each other. My heart melted as they snuggled up together in their little box as I left. If you are curious they are two brothers by the name of some sweet frozen desserts. A cute bonded pair that I spent all my time with there. There are so many other great ones here. I was blown away with the variety of colors and good movie star looks they had. I will be back. read more

My best friend and I booked the yoga class with cats on a Tuesday evening. The last time I visited Cat Town was during the pandemic and all of the cats were taking a nap, so I didn't have any hopes of the cats being up and about for this yoga class. I was pleasantly surprised when we came in and at least 20+ cats were up and playing. The yoga teacher was very friendly and nice. She ended up teaching more of an advanced yoga class and it was a little hard for me to keep up with all of the new yoga poses. Unfortunately, it was one of those random hot days in Oakland where it was about 85 that day. Inside doing yoga and having the cooling system not fully on for the class, made it a bit uncomfortable. Other than that, it was a great experience. The cats were too funny with their own little personalities. I wanted to take them all home! read more

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I recently lost my cat after 15 years and have been considering adoption. I found this awesome place and decided to check it out. Cat Town's Mission "At Cat Town, our mission is cats. Together, we save the lives of at-risk cats, find them loving homes, and advocate for a future where every cat is valued." The site has a lot of good information about the program, It's history and adoption and foster processes. You can visit the cat Café for 50 minutes with a small entry fee by reserving a space online as well. Lindsey went over the do's and don'ts before taking us inside. The set up is really nice with plenty of toys, food/water bowls and litter boxes. There is a separate area with cats in studios. The color coded signs let you know if you can walk in and visit, if you need to ask a team member or if it's just not a good time for a visit. I enjoyed my time here and met some cute furry friends. Belle answered all of my questions and all staff was super pleasant, I'll be filling out an adoption inquiry soon. The way to enter Cat town is through the souvenir Café next-door. You can grab a coffee, tea or other beverage and a pastry to enjoy before entering the Cat play area or after as there are tables and chairs. read more

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I stopped in yesterday while waiting for my car to be smog checked. The people in Cat Town were wonderful. Although they had almost nothing to eat, my friend and I did split a bagel, which was one of the best I've had in a very long time. The lead woman behind the counter was incredibly helpful in so many ways. I can't thank her enough. read more

Cat Town - Animal Shelters Near Me - Oakland, California

This is America's first cat cafe and they're pretty proud of it, too. They take good care of cats with more specialized needs and keep their admittance rates of visitors low to keep the kitties calm. You enter through a coffee shop. Be sure to make reservations in advance, especially on weekends. Not in the nicest part of Oakland, so keep your wits about you. read more

What a great concept! I have a cat at home, but you can never get enough of cats! There is a cafe attached to Cat Town and you can bring your drinks and pastries in with you. I had a matcha latte which was okay, not spectacular. I wasn't really here for the drinks. We booked online and at the top of the hour, two volunteers met us at the door and walked us through their mission and rules. We were asked to use hand sanitizer before going in and also to sanitize between studios. There is one main area, an area for shy quiet cats, and a third area full of studios for cats with different needs. As a Native of Oakland, I appreciated all the little landmarks that they made into cat homes. It was a nice touch. It was around 2pm and nap time for a lot of the cats. They were all adorable, some were playful, some were more shy. We got a kick out of Dr. Breakfast's name. She was a pretty energetic kitty in her own studio. She loved her toys. We hung out with Nolan and Noelle for a bit, who we were told took more time to warm up to. So the volunteers requested we spent more time with them. The kittens were adorable. Would absolutely come back and hang out with the kitties. Well worth the money that goes to supporting these cats! read more

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We were looking for a place to have a cat café. This was recommended by someone in Davis , the place is really clean and odor less , there were a few cat selections in the 1st room and 2nd room has more ! read more

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Very caring and considerate staff. One showed my child what to do to get the cats to play with their toys. Very clean and well organized space for the cats. Delicious drinks and snacks. Bought lots of cat themed socks, bags, keychains, etc. Only wish there was more of a seating/waiting area in the cafe section. read more

Absolutely loved our visit to Cat Town! I've been to a few cat cafes and this might be my favorite one. The space itself and windows is nice and inviting and the volunteers know so much about the cats and they are well cared for. Enjoyed visiting the cats in the other rooms and appreciate all of the clear instructions. The price is very reasonable for about an hour visit too! I didn't try the cafe this time around but hope to stop by again in the future! read more

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My wife brought me here for my birthday because I love cats! I was excited to know that they also have a cafe. The entrance is the cafe, once checked in you will be given instructions of Do's & Don'ts and then you are able to go in and play or watch the cats. We did order coffee and a pastries before going into the car room. I did feel like we were a bit of a bother the cafe staff, but they probably get excited people in there on the daily. Once in the car room you get to see all the cute cats. Some are sleeping and some are ready to play. They have another room where you can walk in and check on more cars and be in a private room with them. All In all, it's a great place to come and support. We also bought a T-shirt! Apparently all the staff are volunteers and that is amazing. We hope to be back soon. read more

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Great experience! All the cats were super cute, and this was such a fun opportunity. Even though a lot of them were sleeping, we still got to play with them. Loved the rooms where we could play one on one with the cats! read more

Cat Town - Cat named Hummingbird who we got to play with - Animal Shelters Near Me - Oakland, California

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EVERY single volunteer at Cat Town is lovely, and it's clear they care about the wellbeing of the cats and the visitors. We pay to pet adoptable cats everywhere there is an opportunity, and Cat Town is tops when it comes to dedication, organization, and professionalism. The volunteers are helpful, kind, patient, and not condescending. If you're local to Cat Town (we are not), and you are wanting to invite a new member into your family, I think this is the best place to visit and adopt a cat. It's clear they know their cats, the cats' needs, and the cats' personalities. read more

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Cat Town was the best! My husband and I visited and had the most wonderful time petting, cuddling and playing with all the cats. The staff was delightful and so kind. I honestly could have stayed there all day chatting with them and playing with the cats. I especially fell in love Koala and wished I could have brought her home with me. read more

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A great experience. It was easy to sign up for a slot. There were more cats than humans. Volunteers/staff were always present and helpful. It was very clean, and the cats were healthy and loved, just shy and needing a little patient attention. We got to play with and watch the kitties be kitties, giving them some human socialization time and giving us some giggles. It was a relaxing way to spend an hour. read more

Wonderful organization, and a wonderful place to visit!!! Cat Town is basically cat heaven, with so many structures for the cats to climb, cozy nooks for them to snooze in, and plenty of feline company to help the shy guys come out of their shells. I love visiting the cat cafe so much that I became a volunteer so I could go more often! The staff is very friendly and super knowledgeable. I also adopted my two cats from here and they are the loves of my life read more

Cat Town - Cat Town cat Miku, posing for the camera! - Animal Shelters Near Me - Oakland, California

I would like to consider how the staff were very nice and welcoming, and had let us know that some cats were new to the place. The kittens were very playful and friendly as well, even being new to interacting with humans. It was nice to meet them all. read more

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What a gem with the most genuine, personable staff and volunteers. Made a same-day reservation online (very easy, pricing very reasonable, about $12/ person). They try to keep the groups at ~10 people/ group to manage foot traffic. Fifty min was a great amount of time, and the staff facilitated helping my kids (7 yrs and 10 years cat-obsessed girls) play with the cats, gently pet kittens, and explain cat behavior with such compassion. Really clean, fun interiors, cat toys to use, and of course, beautiful cats. Street meter parking wasn't too hard in the middle of the day on a Saturday (although it's a holiday weekend), the adjacent coffee is a bonus. They get new cats every week, we'll be back! read more

The cats are well take care of and the staff is wonderful, kind, and knowledgeable. The cats are as cute as a bug's ear!

I love what they are doing at Cat Town. It seems very unique, but so simple! Every town should fallow their model. It's such a wonderful environment to visit with cats that are available for adoption. Very warm and caring. Wonderful place for cats to adjust on their way to new homes. Jody K. read more

I love this place and have been there multiple times. All staff are super friendly. Most bad reviews are saying cats here are not as interactive. This is a place for ppl to interact with shy cats and hopefully find a permanent home for them, or people who genuinely love cats but are unable to adopt. If you are looking for playing with cats as if they are your/ your kids' toys then this is definitely not the right place. read more

I started going here right after it opened. I ended up volunteering, which gives you a sense of how impressed I was. great people, lovely cats worth saving. read more

Wow, this place was just the best! I highly recommend taking a trip to visit the kitties at Cat Town. We went on a Saturday afternoon and it was meow-tastic. We spent most of the time playing and petting residents Thunder and Broccoli, two sweet boisterous male cats. If you are reading this, they are available for adoption at this time! We've been to a few different cat cafés but Cat Town is truly unique. Most of their staff are volunteers. They make a big effort to lower local euthanasia by hosting the "difficult to adopt" cats--the shy, the sick, and the older cats that are just as deserving as a loving home as the kittens. As the proud pawrent of a shy rescue cat that would have ended up at Cat Town if we had not adopted her first, I am so grateful for the work they do for our community. The setup of Cat Town is ideal. There's a big room full of braver, more people-friendly cats that you can interact with easily (the color-coded "green" cats by their traffic light classification system). Then there's a second room with lots of smaller walled off enclosures. These are for the "yellow" and "red" cats that are still acclimating . These small rooms have 1-2 cats per room that are available for adoption. Most of the cats in these rooms you can interact play with and pet (occasionally with assistance from staff), but a couple are newer residents still adjusting to Cat Town life. These "red" cats have limited visits at this time to keep both visitors and cats safe and happy, but they are still available to look at for adoption. This is where we had a blast with Thunder and Broccoli, who are just the sweetest boys! With Cat Town's priority for kitty comfort, they do have a few ground rules for interacting with the cats (don't wake them from sleep, don't chase them, etc). This is nothing a cat lover would ever have a problem with but this may not be the best place to for young kids that are still learning their way around animals. Tickets for admission were a really good price. The café drinks were also a good price, and quite delicious. As a cat lover I am very much looking forward to my next visit! read more

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Easy to schedule a visit online, at a very fair price. The volunteers are kind and informative. We went at 4:00pm and the cats were super chill. Some are in their own cozy areas for medical or socializing reasons. In the main area my husband and I got many sniffs and a little bit of interest in toys, and got to snuggle a particularly friendly cat. Mainly we enjoyed the peace after a long day. Clearly a loving place for cats. Can't recommend highly enough. read more

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I had the best time playing with all the cats! I have two of my own but playing with other cats made me want to adopt another one. The coffee we got was really good too and I love how it supports the cats. Will definitely be coming back. read more

Cats are cute and they do a great job making sure it isn't too crowded. You can bring your coffee into the space with cats. The volunteers are all amazing! read more

A place for REAL Cat lovers. Cat Town's mission is to adopt out cats that would otherwise have great difficulty finding a home from shelters. Many of the cats here have chronic illnesses, disabilities, are wallflowers, or elderly. Many are cats that have been given up on so many times. This is why they are picky with who they adopt out to, and I love that. I know Cat Town prioritizes the cats above all else. The $10 is a donation for the cats' care, so I didn't mind paying it. The group I went in with was pretty big, it did take a bit to get one-on-one time with the cats. Given that cats are usually not super social, I didn't care none came up to me in the playroom. The pastry I had at the coffee shop was fine, my brother ordered an americano that he said was also okay. I fostered through Cat Town, and even though it look a while, the cat they placed with me was such a perfect match! She ended up so perfect she became a foster fail lol. Anyways, if your love for animals is beyond just "they r so cute to look at!!" And you want a PERFECT and thought out match, Then you will also have a great experience working with Cat Town. If you want to foster cats, definitely work with them!!!! read more

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Employees are pretty friendly but the policies are pretty strict. The time limit was really restricting and I dont think the price was worth it. And as a huge cat lover, I hate to say it but I'm giving such a low rating specifically cause ALL the cats sorta suck. They chose the most antisocial, shy cats to be at a cat cafe but none of them wanted to interact and were very skiddish. I understand most of them if not all are special needs but I'm not sure if a cat cafe is the best environment for them. Clearly they don't want humans to touch them? I just can't believe we paid money to just observe some cats in our vicinity and left with barely touching them. We had more luck in the private rooms but they were equally shy. The workers said we have to stay there at least an hour for the cats to get even a little more comfortable but that doesnt make any sense. Why would I stay an hour waiting for a single shy cat when the time limit would be up anyways by the time it comes out of its hiding spot? I tried with all the cats and no luck. All in all, it was a weird and quite depressing experience. read more

After losing my heart-cat 5 years ago, I am ready to consider a new companion. Cat Town's staff was friendly and informative. It's obvious from the cats I met they are well cared for. I didn't feel pressured to take a furry friend on my first visit unlike some shelters. And, while I didn't find the right match, I will return and hopefully will meet a new friend. Thanks for your warmth and compassion! read more

Great place for kitty time! You can help out these cats by playing and interacting with them in a positive and safe manner. My child chose to come here and play with kitties for their birthday and we all enjoyed our session. The staff is gentle with the cats and very knowledgeable. The cafe next door has quick options and you can take your food/drink inside with the cats. There are smaller rooms for cat duos who can be visited for a more calmer, intimate space for the cats. We all agreed we would definitely go back! read more

Cat Town - This cat is sleeping atop the Tribune cat tower. Don't disturb the sleeping cats! - Animal Shelters Near Me - Oakland, California

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Really great place to meet and hang with cats. I enjoyed being in the different individual cat studios. All of the cats were friendly, but quite a few were sleeping. Volunteers were all nice and knowledgeable about each particular cat. There were "yellow" cats who were not as sociable or were more shy, but they were overall very open to pets and being around humans. The "red" cats were off-limits due to behavior or health (ringworm/quarantine) issues, but you can still see them through the windows. read more

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Five big shining stars! My friend and I came with our kids and were not disappointed. The volunteers were kind and yet firm about how the cats were treated, which I appreciate. It's very easy to book time on their website (you get a 50-minute slot, which is a good amount of time to hang out with the kitties on offer) and damn if Baz didn't want to adopt them all. Great advocacy, great place, great coffee from Souvenir. read more

had a great experience doing cat yoga here with my partner! the cats were so cute and friendly & the yoga experience was a great way to destress after a long work day. it felt like a super comfortable environment to get to know the personality of the cats they had for adoption -- i totally fell in love with this sweet black kitty. plus for only $35 the class was super reasonable and accessible. i'd def consider coming back and adopting from these folks as they take great care of the cats. read more

Cat Town - Animal Shelters Near Me - Oakland, California

Great place with a great mission. Came here a few times when they first opened, even came for cat yoga! Now that my cats have passed away it is an excellent place to go to get the cat fix until my husband is ready to have more cats. The café in the front sells all kinds of cat trinkets, snacks, and drinks. When you arrive with your appointment, there is a volunteer who goes over the instructions. You sanitize your hand, and then go in to the cat play area. Cats that are ready to socialize are in the main room. They recommend that you go in the early hours if you want them to be awake! The last time I went at 10 AM and there were a bunch of kittens who were running around nonstop. It was great! Plenty of toys for them to play with. This time I went with a group of eight of us cat lovers, and the cats are a little bit more subdued, so it just depends on the batch of cats encounter. There were also cats in the quiet room sleeping in the cubby holes. These other cats that do not want to be disturbed, but are still social and can come out if they want to. You can also request to go in the back room where the cats that have still yet to be socialized are in individual rooms. Depending on the color of their door tags, some of them you can just admire through the glass because they are not ready for interaction yet, some you can ask the volunteer to let you into their rooms, and others have green tag so you can go in after you have sanitized your hands again. Today, one of my friends had an injury and couldn't sit on the ground so I volunteer brought her a stool into one of the rooms. There are also couches and tables that you can hang out at while you admire the cats from afar or wait for them to come to you. You can also sign up to volunteer in their different roles, from customer service to cleaning or at their new kitten center at pet Food express on Broadway. It is paid street parking in the area. Plenty of parking on the weekend while there is no hospital work, but there are meters. I am also on their social media pages and it's always heartwarming to see the cats I get adopted and read their stories. While you're inside of the cat area, there's also a wall full of their pictures of the cats that are available and the ones that have recently been adopted. Appointments can be made online on the hour and you get 50 minutes of time. The volunteers wrap it up when time is coming to an end so the next group can come in. At this time it is $12 a person, and for a great cause This time we arrived at 9:45, because the email you receive upon confirming and a reminder email tells you to arrive 15 minutes early. However, although the signs were out that they were open, the door was locked until a few minutes before hand. The coffee was also not ready for the 10 o'clock crowd. There is a unisex restroom past the front counter, but you need to take the key that is hanging at the counter attached to a litter box scooper to unlock the door. read more

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This place is so therapeutic. You get an hour, on the hour to hang out with the cats. The main room has the cats hanging around. You can play or sit with them, but you have to wait until they come to you. There's a studio with kittens and different levels of handling such as "ask for assistance". The volunteers were really nice and helpful and seem to love and are knowledgeable about cats. There's a small cafe where the entrance is, as well as wait for your session. No more than 10 people are allowed per session. So plan ahead. read more

Cat Town - Animal Shelters Near Me - Oakland, California

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A wonderful place to get in some kitty time for only $12/person. They have several areas for a variety of cats that need homes. You can play with the cats, pet them, and watch them sleep. The volunteers are friendly and knowledgeable. It's a worth weird idea to visit, see cats, and help where you can. It's also nice that the RAWR Coffee Bar is next door, where you can grab a coffee, beverage, or snack before your visit. You can bring your drink and food with your when visiting the cats. read more

So many sweet characters to meet. They clearly take amazing care of these cats, I wish I could adopt one

Thank you Genevieve who and the rest of the Cat Town team for being so welcoming and patient with our large group (2 adults and 4 kids). We were able to interact with most of the cats there. We came for a specific cat but found this cutie that love being the center of attention with the 4 girls. Thank you again Cat Town read more

Cat Town - Just took this little cutie home - Animal Shelters Near Me - Oakland, California

They were very kind and accommodating during our visit. The booking process online was easy to get through and they were happy to answer any questions we had about the cats! We were able to really bond with a few in just our 50 minutes and even got to just hang out with the ones that didn't like to be touched (as pictured). It was definitely worth it, I definitely recommend for any cat lovers in the Oakland area. read more

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Such a fun space to spend time with cats. The volunteers are very knowledgable and passionate about what they do. It's a huge interior with more of a community space with cats together plus another room with cats in separate rooms. You can go into the rooms and pet the cats individually or in the bigger space. Such a great experience, and there's a cafe right next store and you can bring your drink in. Highly recommend supporting this place and their mission. It's $12 for 50 minutes read more

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