Maison de Moggy – Edinburgh’s Cat Cafe

My kids have been pestering me for a while to visit the cat cafe here in Edinburgh. We don’t have any pets, so I can see the attraction for them. The cafe has a very strict age 10+ only policy, so now that my youngest is 11 we finally scheduled a visit.

‘Maison de Moggy’ is located at 17 West Port, in the Grassmarket area. It was Scotland’s first ever cat cafe, and is currently home to ten beautiful cats who were all raised by their owners from kittens. I was a bit apprehensive about animals being kept in a cafe for entertainment purposes, but these are all indoor cats and the cafe is basically their home. The cats don’t perform for anyone, they just come and go as they please. There are lots of places for them to climb and play, nooks and crannies to explore and snooze inside, and areas they can retreat to away from people when they want their peace. The cats all seemed perfectly happy and well cared for, so we had no complaints about their welfare.

There’s a little safety talk when you arrive for your time slot, where the rules are explained to you. They make it very clear you are not allowed to pick the cats up! You can go up to them and stroke them, there are lots of cat toys you can use to play with them, and they will let you know – i.e. walk away or climb somewhere out of reach – if they’re not in the mood.

There is a limited number of people allowed in the cafe per one-hour slot, and you get shown to a table that is yours for the duration (though you don’t need to stay at the table). Outdoor shoes are not allowed, so you can either store them with your other belongings – bags and coats – in the compartments within the seating benches, or you can wear covers over your outdoor shoes.

As it’s a cafe, you can of course also order food and drink (prepared in a cat free environment). There was a wide selection of hot and cold drinks, as well as some tempting-sounding cakes – which you are advised to guard with your life! I’d had a late breakfast, but my kids opted for carrot cake and an ultimate brownie. The latter was gluten free, so I had a wee tasty, and it was heavenly, freshly baked and still warm. My teen’s latte was adorned with some cat foam art, which was a nice touch.

When booking, you are warned that cats sleep for 16 hours a day and the cafe cannot guarantee how active they will be during your visit. We did see all ten of them, and I’d say about half of them were dozing most of the time and the other half were active to some degree.

Half-way through, one of the ‘cat nannies’ gave us an introduction to the ten cats that live in the cafe, and handed out cat treats to them, so we did see a bit of all of them then. The cats all have a profile hanging on the wall too, if you want to go and remind yourself who is who.

The time went really quickly. Ten minutes before the slot is over you get a heads-up, giving you time to pay for any food and drink orders, and they also have a wee shop section with Maison de Moggy souvenirs. I asked my kids if they felt it was worth the visit, even if there was maybe not as much ‘cat action’ as they had hoped for, and they said yes, definitely. They loved just being in a space with cats milling around, poor pet-deprived children that they are. I found it quite therapeutic too.

It was £15 per person, so £45 for the three of us plus the drinks and cake, so definitely a special treat rather than a regular thing. But I appreciate that not everyone will be able to afford that, even for a one-off treat. But if you love cats and can stretch to a visit, then all three of us felt we would recommend it. Though do keep in mind that everyone’s visit will be different, depending on how active the cats are.

As I mentioned at the start, entry is strictly for age 10+ and children age 10-14 need 1:1 adult supervision. Since my eldest is already 15, we didn’t need a second adult with us, which is one of the reasons we had waited until now to go, as my husband is highly allergic to cats and would not have been able to come.

Since numbers are limited, it is highly recommended to book online in advance. Bookings are for a one-hour slot. You can find all relevant details – including the cafe rules – on the Maison de Moggy website.