Last Updated on August 15, 2019 by travelingwithsunscreen
We like cats, and we like cafes. By now, we’ve been to cat cafes in five different countries, on four different continents. And we’ve found the best one. In the world. This is true! The best cat cafe in the world is El Catfesito in Medellin, Colombia. And here’s why.
Most cat cafes aren’t great
Sadly. Spoken as people who love cats and cafes. We always go in with such high hopes, and they are always DASHED.
We visited a cat cafe in Paris. Cafe was fine, but where were the cats? Hiding, is where, as cats are wont to do. Didn’t see a single solitary cat the whole time.
We visited a cat cafe in Montreal. There were cats, but there were also swarms of children harassing the poor cats, and electronic cat toys buzzing and whirring, and the whole thing was very stressful.
We visited a cat cafe in Mexico City. It was more like a restaurant than a cafe, and the wait for a table was well over an hour! Goodness!
The cat cafes in Japan are the originals, of course, and they’re totally great, especially those filled with kittens! But they’re not really cafes in the traditional sense, more just like cat playgrounds that let you in and will serve you a soft drink or something if you want. So they’re missing that other key component – coffee.
But this one is different
El Catfesito, in Medellin, has exactly zero of these problems. It’s a regular cafe, serving tasty cappuccinos and the like. And it’s filled with cats, some of the friendliest cats we’ve ever seen. And, NO ONE ELSE GOES THERE!
Everywhere else in the world, cat cafes are this trendy popular thing, with waiting lists and special Buzzfeed pages. Not in Colombia! When we told our Colombian Spanish teachers about this beautiful establishment, they seemed confused about the very concept.
In fact, to suit the skeptical Colombian population, this cafe is not just a cat cafe. It is divided into a cat-section and a cat-free section. We visited several several times during our two-week stay in Medellin (duh, who wouldn’t), and we noticed that almost everyone else who visits sits in the cat-free section (WHAT!) Which leaves the cat room open and empty! All the more cats for us!
And, man, these cats! These are some of the friendliest gosh-darned cats on the planet. While at most cat cafes the cats try to avoid the patrons at all costs, at this cat cafe they come barreling at you, each hoping that he or she will be the lucky kitty who gets to curl up in your lap. They try to drink your water. They try to drink your coffee. Some may be bothered by this, but not us! It’s SO CUTE!!!
And, since there is not another customer in sight, you can hang out as long as you want! Drinking coffee, reading books, petting cats. DREAMS COME TRUE!
Have you visited a cat cafe that rivals the one in Medellin? We doubt it, but if you think you have, tell us about it in the comments!
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