Monday 7 July 2014

Katzentempel, the first cat café in Munich

I had always dreamt of visiting a cat café, which is a regular coffee shop where you can pet cats and the ambience is built for the well-being of the animals, with parcours and pillows. Cat cafés were born in Asia: the first one opened in Taiwan back in 1998, and then spread to Japan, where they are still very popular.  In the past few years, cat cafés are opening all over the world, including one in Turin, so when I read that there was one in Munich - where I was headed for a weekend - I decided  to pay a visit, and perhaps cuddle a German cat or two.


Mascotte in front of the cashier
The cats in these cafés are often rescue cats, but some cat cafés are dedicated to special breeds. It's commonly believed that petting an animal helps relieving the stress of the day, and this is why they are popular in Japan and Korea, where people notoriously work impossible hours and the pressure to excel is very high. Nowadays, caytcafés are a feature of hip cities. I bet Berlin has one, and London too.
 
Katzentempel, which means Cat Temple, was the first cat café to be opened in Germany. When I visited there were several cats: a tubby and some Siamese cats. They were mostly sleeping, what a life! The cats all have names, and the place is very clean: not one hair in sight!


A tubby sleeping at Katzentempel



Siamese cat in Katzentempel
The café has a special parcour designed for the cats: they can jump from platform to platform, thus walking around the café without touching the floor. Moreover, there are cushions and toys. You are not allowed to pick them up if they are sleeping, but you can cuddle them and of course welcome them in your lap if they come to you first. 
 
The cats' parcour in Katzentempel

 
Katzentempel is worth being mentioned also because it serves mouth-watering cakes. I had a slice of strawberry and chocolate cake, and it was heavenly. I wouldn't hesitate to stop at Katzentempel on my next visit to Munich! It's not the cheapest place on earth, but it's worth it. A slice of cake costs €4,50, and my glass of orange juice €2,70. 


A slice of strawberry and chocolate cake


Katzentempel is located in Türkenstrasse 29, Munich. It is open Tuesday to Friday from 11 to 20, Saturday 10 to 20, and Sunday 10 to 18.

11 comments:

  1. Oooh...I'm kind of afraid of cats. Well, not afraid, but I always feel uneasy around them because they're so sneaky and quiet. But this sounds like a cool place for cat lovers. And for non cat lovers like me, there's always the strawberry and chocolate cake which looks so good!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I didn't know there were people who felt awkward around cats, but yes, you always have strawberry and chocolate cake!

      Delete
  2. I had no idea these cat cafés were appearing outside of Asia - going to have to find one in the UK! Sounds like an unusual way to spend an afternoon.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Last time I heard they were opening one in London. Don't know if that worked out, though!

      Delete
  3. Nice cozy purring place! Also welcome to Vilnius www.cat-cafe.lt PURRR!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'll make sure to check it. I'd love to visit Vilnius...

      Delete
  4. I've never been to a place like this one. Cat c@fe? That sounds so odd, but judging it by the look of your strawberry and chocolate cake - this place's fantastic!

    ReplyDelete
  5. This cat cafe trend is getting popular day by day. I hope people open up to it in India too!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Why not? It's been proved that petting animals improve your morale!

      Delete
  6. Ahahah Amazing!!!! Germans are so forward!! I've never heard of cat cafès, it's so cool!!!

    ReplyDelete

01 09 10