Last updated: September 21, 2023
It’s July 2019, and unfortunately, my trip through Western Canada is slowly coming to an end. But there’s one spot left on my list: The Regal Cat Café in Calgary, Alberta.
I first learnt about this place after their big opening in June 2017, but didn’t have a chance to visit until now.
So, as a cat lover, I’m super excited to check it out!
Introduction to the Regal Cat Café
The Regal Cat Café is the first and only cat café in Calgary. There are three rooms open to the public: The café area, Kitty Kingdom room, and a small preparation room between the two. Usually, up to 12 adoptable cats share the second room, waiting for visitors to relax, cuddle or play with, and maybe even become their new roommate!
The Regal Cat Café is owned by the MEOW Foundation, a local cat rescue organization, where all kitties come from. They’ve worked with them since Day One.
Before a cat can move to the Regal Cat Café, he/she has to be spayed or neutered, micro-chipped, up to date with vaccines, and in good health. Also, MEOW Foundation’s staff ensures that he/she enjoys socializing with other cats and humans, to make things as easy as possible, and the majority of cats is at least five months old.
In July 2023, the Regal Cat Café achieved a major milestone since its opening in 2017: More than 1,000 cats have found a loving home!
When I enter the Regal Cat Café, the scent of freshly brewed coffee and yummy pastries from the café area wafts up my nose right away. But first, I have to meet the kitties! Some of them are already checking me out through the big glass wall, that separates this room from their Kitty Kingdom.
After reading through the Kitty Visit Rules, washing my hands, and admiring the kitty drawings on the wall (all inside the preparation room), I’m ready to go!
The Kitty Kingdom
Wow, stepping inside the Kitty Kingdom feels like a whole other world! Immediately, a few friendly cats are walking towards me to say hello! Others are napping in one of the chairs or inside the coffee tables that are all over the room, playing with a visitor, or hiding somewhere. Many cats are less active in the afternoon, so it’s understandable that not all of them feel like hanging out with humans right now!
Today, nine kitties are sharing the Kitty Kingdom. The majority has cool fishy names, like Guppy, Tuna, Mahi Mahi, and Avery Shark! Most of them have black and white fur, but there are a couple of orange tabbies, and one grey and white tabby cat. Although it’s summer, there are only five other visitors in the room, and a kind staff member is checking on everything briefly as well.
After a while, the cats decide to go to someone else or have a bite (or a nap!). So I have a chance to look at the rest of the room’s features. There’s a large shelf with lots of napping and climbing spots for the kitties, but also a sitting area at the bottom with a few funny books.
Next, I read through each cat’s profile on the wall, which includes their name, gender, age, markings, the adoption date, and a brief description of their personality and background story. The youngest member of the gang is eight months old, and two of these lovely kitties are moving into their new forever home in a few weeks.
Suddenly, a few more cats are making their way towards me. The one who likes attention the most makes me laugh by crawling into a little box, then looking out at me! There’s also a large window to the street, for the kitties to watch the world go by.
Unfortunately, my half hour at the Kitty Kingdom is almost over, so I check out the kitty-themed games, that are sitting on one of the coffee tables. The ones most appealing to me are “Kitties in a blender” and “Cat Lady”, lol!
The Café & Gift Shop area
After all this kitty fun, I’m taking a break inside the café area. The Regal Cat Café is proud to offer a large selection of hot and cold drinks, like locally roasted coffee and tea specialties, juices, pop, and water.
Try one of their unique, mostly locally-baked treats as well, such as kitty-themed macarons, tarts, cookies, cupcakes, and muffins! Vegan and allergy-friendly (gluten, egg, dairy and nut-free) items are available, too. I’m having a Chai Tea Latte and a brownie that are to die for!
Then I walk to the gift shop next to the café area. Here, cat lovers can find pretty much everything their heart desires: T-shirts and pillows, greeting cards, key chains, mugs, tote bags, buttons, and enamel pins, but also loose tea, coffee beans, and kitty paintings. Most of these goodies are handmade or painted by local artists.
Top pictures: Small selection of drinks and pastries (all photo credit of the Regal Cat Café), and gift shop area.
Fun Events and Classes at the Regal Cat Café
The Regal Cat Café often hosts cool events and classes, such as Kitty Paint Parties with all supplies, instructions, and a kitty visit included. Their Cats & Yoga nights, Cat Photography class (for kids from 10-14 years), Paper Art Parties, and 3D Cat Portrait making class sound like lots of fun, too!
Besides, customers can book private events, like birthday parties or team events, visits in the kitty lounge, or a private version of some of the events above. You can find more details on these fun events here.
Kitty Adoption Procedure
Every second Wednesday evening of the month (except for holidays), the Regal Cat Café hosts their Adoption Night. Afterwards, a bunch of new adorable kitties arrive at the café.
If you’d like to adopt one or more, you should submit an application as soon as possible, as it’s first come, first serve. More information about the adoption process and a description of every cat currently living at the café can be found here.
Admission Prices and Hours
The Regal Cat Café has only limited walk-in spots available each day, so it’s highly recommended to reserve a spot through their website. For 30 minutes of kitty time, the cost is C$ 10.00 per person.
Children 10 and under have to be accompanied by an adult. Tweens and teens from 11 to 17 years can enter by themselves, but a parent or guardian has to sign a waiver before their visit.
Food and drinks from the café can be taken into the Kitty Kingdom, as long as there’s a lid on it, and they are not left unattended. Up to 10 visitors can be in the kitty lounge at the same time, and the Kitty Visit Rules need to be followed at all times.
Their FAQ page is very helpful, especially if it’s your first visit to the Regal Cat Café. The entire place is also fully wheelchair accessible.
Here are the Regal Cat Café’s hours:
Monday-Sunday: 8 am to 8 pm
Please note that the Kitty Lounge doesn’t open until 10:30 am.
Directions to the Regal Cat Café
From downtown Calgary, take the red C-Train line towards Crowfoot, and exit at Sunnyside station. From there, it’s just a few minutes of a walk to the Regal Cat Café.
It’s also a short bike ride (ca. 15 minutes) or walk (about 30 minutes) from downtown Calgary. If you’re driving, paid parking is available in the Kensington building parking garage, as well as street and lot parking.
Address: 303 – 10 Street Northwest, Calgary AB, T2N 1V8, Canada
Phone: +1 403-455-2287 (CATS)
Email: reservations@regalcatcafe.com
My Opinion on the Regal Cat Café
I have no doubt that the kitties at the Regal Cat Café are enjoying their temporary home at the Regal Cat Café very much! There are lots of hiding and napping spots, great food, fun toys to play with, and the room is very clean. Plus, they get to cuddle with their cat buddies and people every day!
But if a cat doesn’t feel like having company, he/she is welcome to hide and come out later. It’s obvious that the cats’ well being is the staff’s highest priority. Even more, it seems that the cats are encouraged to feel like royalty, which is awesome, as I’m sure some of them had horrible past experiences.
Besides, I love the warm and calming colours used for decorating the place. I think the mix of colours contributes to a relaxing and cozy atmosphere for both humans and cats, and the accessories in the kitty lounge are super cute! Also, I like that they stand for the “Adopt, don’t shop” motto.
While cats are awesome, it’s important to ensure the customers’ health and safety as well. That’s why the kitties are never allowed inside the café area. Many people can’t have cats because of allergies, landlord restrictions, other pets, or a lack of time, so this café is perfect for getting your kitty fix!
It’s also a great place for visitors to Calgary, who want to take a break from a long day of exploring. Last but not least, hanging out with cats is supposed to be great for your mental health, so it’s a fulfilling and calming change to everyday life!
Here’s a video about this cool place, credit of the Regal Cat Café:
So if “Cats, Cuddles, and Coffee” sound PURRfect to you, stop by the Regal Cat Café during your next visit to Calgary! 😀
If you’re visiting Alberta and love skiing or snowboarding, check out this post as well:
A Ski Weekend in Jasper, Alberta
Writing and traveling have been my passions for 25+ years, so I launched this travel blog in May 2020. I love writing travel guides about amazing destinations and I'm passionate about music tourism and animal-friendly and sustainable travel.
So far, I've been to 19 countries on four continents, and Japan and Iceland were my favourites!
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