Cats from Amsterdam {Netherlands}

Welcome to Kopjes, the first cat café in Amsterdam! 

 'Kopjes' is a Dutch word meaning both 'cups' and 'head butts'. The perfect name for a cat café, right? 

Last Wednesday, I spent the afternoon in the company of their cats Maan, Tiny, Eleonore, Dilla, Rosie, Horus, and Donnie. Donnie had arrived at the cat café only one day before but was already feeling at home. No wonder, because Kopjes is a paradise for cats as there are plenty of climbing shelves, scratching posts, cat towers, cat beds, water fountains, catnip plants, and cat toys. It's definitely an upgrade for these former shelter cats. 

 But most of all: they love to cuddle. Don't be surprised if one of the cats choses you and remains by your side during your entire visit. 

 Cat café Kopjes has a large selection of desserts, lunch options, and hot/cold drinks. I opted for the rye bread with home-made hummus and a ginormous glass of coconut water. Really delicious. 

 How to behave in the cat café? 

Before you enter, you have to disinfect your hands with a sanitizer. The staff will then explain the rules of the cat café:

 * Don't pick up the cats; 

* If a cat is sleeping, don't wake him up; 

* Don't feed the cats; 

* Turn off the flash when you take pictures; 

* Supervize your children to make sure their behavior with the cats is not too rough. 

 Practical information: 

 You can visit Kopjes from Wednesday till Sunday from 10 am till 7 pm. Reserve a spot beforehand because there's only place for 20 cat lovers. 

 The entrance fee is 3 euros which gives access to the cat café for two hours. 

 Address: Marco Polostraat 211, Amsterdam. 

 Tip: Kopjes is far from the center of Amsterdam and can impossibly be reached by foot. You're advised to take tram 13 near the Central Station into the direction of Geuzenveld. It's more or less a fifteen minutes ride, but so worth it. Cat lovers with leave the place with a big smile.

More cat cafés:

 MangaKat (Belgium)

Le Chat Touille (Belgium)

Nekobayaka (Japan)

Cat Attic (South Korea)

Read my cat book Avalon: a Heartwarming True Cat Story