After parking on a quiet street in the middle of the neighborhood, I walked to the door.  I’d been waiting for this moment for so long.  Finally, I was back in St. Louis, and I had a chance to visit Mauhaus Cat Cafe.  Oh, yeah, you read that right.  Coffee AND cats all in the same room, baby. And it was every bit as wonderful as you’d think.

Food and drink

I was greeted by a countertop with a huge chalkboard menu behind it and a bar top with a large glass window looking into the cats’ playroom. Before you play with the cats, be sure to reserve your spot to cut down wait time and sign a waiver.  With your reservation, you score a free beverage. 

I ordered my cinnamon latte (with in-house made syrup) and picked it up to see they’d sprinkled cinnamon on top in the silhouette of a cat.  And my sister Ally’s hot chocolate had a cat’s face with a bow created with foam and chocolate syrup.  Now that’s true latte art.  My latte was oh-so creamy and very cinnamony at the bottom thanks to the cinnamon cat sihouette.  (Did I really just write that sentence?!)

The cats

Ally and I entered the playroom separated by two doors, so the cats don’t escape.  Gentle music played while about 10 cats roamed the room at their leisure.   The room is filled with scratching posts, toys, chairs, tables where you can drink your coffee, cat beds and books about cats.

I was nervous that a place all about playing with cats may wear out and make the cats irritable after awhile.  However, I found just the opposite.  There were only about 20 people in the room, and there’s a limited number of people let in at one time (so make those reservations!).  The cats were calm and gentle; no cat ever hissed or tried to bite me.  And mind you, Ally and I went near the end of the day in the evening, which would be a logical time for cats to get, well, catty.

I really didn’t know what to expect when I made reservations, but I was pleasantly surprised.  It didn’t seem dirty; I wasn’t covered in cat hair when I left.  There were people of all ages from a white-haired old lady to a young girl who cried when she was told she had to leave because she still wanted to play with the cats.  The cats do like to move around quite a bit, but Homer let me pet him for a solid few minutes.

Cat cafe tips

A few tips before you head over to the cat cafe.  Be sure to wear comfy clothes.  These cats probably won’t just sit in your lap.  I laid on the ground to play with some of the cats, so be sure to wear clothes you can move and groove in.  (Read: if you opt for jeans, please wear a belt because someone at the cafe during my visit didn’t…) 

Also, make those reservations.  Several people came in as walk-ins, and the staff said it would be a two-hour wait.  Holy cow!  Make that reservation so you can head right on in.  I’ve also been very impressed with Mauhaus’ social media.  Other than looking at cute kitties, you can be up to date on the happenings of this cat cafe like new student discounts and reservation statuses.

If you’re looking for something other than your run-of-the-mill tourist attraction and you’re an animal lover, Mauhaus Cat Cafe is the place to be.  Its quaint location, calm atmosphere, gentle kitties and quality coffee are all worth purring over!  For more things to do in St. Louis, click here.

Bises,

Kristin

{Have you ever visited a cat cafe?  Tell me about it in the comments!}