Today we are taking a look at one of the hidden gems of Edinburgh! When mentioning this city most people will probably think of Edinburgh Castle and many of the other sight seeing locations, but who would have thought that there is also a perfect relaxing retreat for cat lovers?! That’s right, Edinburgh is home to one of the best designed cat cafes of Europe – if I may say so myself!
The owner, Laura, travelled across Japan and visited many of the “original” cat cafes in order to help her design a unique and cat friendly environment that stays close to their Asian counter-parts.
Of course, the quirky design of walkways, houses and even little beds on the walls are not just there to make us visitors feel like we have entered a Japanese fairytale but also to provide space for the cats to get some rest and hiding spaces away from visitors. It’s almost like the cats live in their own world away from the visitors thanks to the three-dimensional design of this place.
The bridge connects the wall labyrinth to a pillar in the middle of the building. This pillar is actually hollow inside and provides extra hiding space for the cats. This is just one of the many places the cats can find to climb up to and hide in.
The wall labyrinth perfectly enriches the environment for the resident cats. Jacques is the resident Norwegian Forest cat and reminded me a bit of the lion in Narnia!
In total, Maison de Moggy has 10 resident cats that are very well looked after by the owner and staff. The atmosphere is welcoming and it feels more like you are visiting someone’s home to meet up with friends that you haven’t seen in a while! The perfect retreat after a long day of sight seeing or maybe to relax after a stressful work meeting?
One of my personal favourites in the cafe was Sebastian aka Sebastian de la Creme who is a British short hair. Of course all of them were adorable and very friendly! Unlike many of the cat cafes I’ve been to the cats in Maison de Moggy actually enjoy interacting with the visitors and the many toys around the place will sure help you to enjoy some playtime with them.
The cat cafe is located in the Grass Market area of Edinburgh placing it just between the Haymarket and Edinburgh Waverly station, approximately 15 minutes walk from either of the two stations.
The address is 17-19 West Port, Edinburgh, EH1 2JA and the cat cafe and is open daily from 10.45 – 18.30, however it is closed for a short lunch break between 14.15 and 15.00. Slots are 1 hour long and while walk-ins are possible it is recommended to book your slot online via their booking site.
The entrance fee is £7 which may seem high but as you are not pushed into ordering any food or beverages during your visit ensures that the cats receive all the care they deserve. For those that would like some food their prices are not bad at all and they have a selection of hot and cold beverages as well as cakes and cupcakes including gluten free options.
Author bio: Marc-Andre Runcie-Unger is originally from Germany and relocated to London in 2007 for university. What was meant to be temporary soon became permanent as he met his partner, married and stayed for good. He loves cats and traveling around the world. During his travels he always attempts find the local “catty” places to take photos and share his experiences with friends, work colleagues and of course the readers of his Blog Katzenworld. Marc has two cats of his own, Oliver (a cheeky Tuxedo) and Nubia (a noisy black cat), or should we say they own him?