A Sanctuary Cafe

There are 3 separate aspects of this cat cafe (cat lounge, cafe, bookstore) and each requires a separate review. * cat lounge: The core service of this business. I visited at 11:30am, which is not normally an active hour for cats. TL;DR: a lot of thoughts and efforts have been devoted for the wellbeing of the cats and guests, however an over-restrictive guest contact policy has severely limited positive interactions between the cats and guests and has made the cats grown weary of visitors. The cat lounge is an absolutely wonderful place for the cats. Lots of sun-bathing spots, place to rest and hide if grown weary of people, and a variety of stimulating items and environments (high passes, blanket fort, BirdTV) to serve the cats' needs. The lounge is staffed and supervised almost constantly to address any issues should something happen. The place is accommodating to visitors. I was very surprised on how clean and odorless the place was, especially considering the number of cats within. I cannot smell any cat odor, nor can I discover any clumps of loose fur or cat litter anywhere around the place. The staff states that the place is deep-cleaned every morning, and I struggle to find any other explanation that can keep this place much cleaner than an average household with just 1 cat. Staff is very friendly, helpful, and informative. The lounge is a bit small and cramped, and throughout my stay I have to watch myself not getting in other people's way. I think the lack of space stresses the cat a little bit as well, as I find some of the cats staring at other cats for a long time (a somewhat aggressive posture between cats, usually over purrsonal space). I do not observe any other aggressive posturing between cats, though. However, the most disappointing aspect I found about my visit was the attitude of the cats toward visitors. Cats are clean and healthy, albeit a bit sedated. Possibly due to my time of visit, but I believe there is more to that, as I found cats that are silently observing the entire time, and much of the freshly awoken cats won't engage with guests, toys, or any of the other stimuli either (except for a young ginger, who I believe is either Benji or Simon). I attempted to approach the cats with slow blinks and offer my hand for them to smell as a greeting, but much of the cats simply ignored me and won't even twitch their nose to smell me. I observed a guest who pet a cat without cat's approval (possibly out of frustration of the non-engagement as well?), and after a short while the cat erupted with a yell and swiped at the guest. I believe that this indicates the cats have grown tired of the non-stop stream of people and their attempts to engage, and they view us the visitors as nothing but nuisances that frequent their habitat. In the current state, I would not book the cat lounge again, because I was only able to pet a cat for a very limited amount of time, and that the cats do not welcome my presence. I have no prior experience with a cat cafe so I cannot offer much insight beyond my visit. However, I would suggest that the management seek suggestions from people who has experienced other cat cafe. In addition, after taking the cat's daily food intake into account, I suggest that the management provide a ration of cat treats to each guest to offer to the cats. Food is the most important motivator and it would reinforce a positive sentiment toward guest strangers. * cafe: The cafe is decent with a standard offering of drinks and pastry. I ordered an iced matcha latte, a croissant, and a tiramisu, and everything is satisfactory.There is limited seating inside the cafe, plan for a carry out. * bookstore: The bookstore features a curated selection of books on all topics, ranging from cats, to Emily Dickinson, to cats, to Bostonian history, to cats, to cosmology, to cats. The ratio between the font-sizes of authors to titles is generally delightfully low. I picked up the End of Everything (Astrophysically Speaking) by K. Mack, Play with Your Cat by M. Delgato, and You Like it Darker by S. King.

Went with a friend expecting it to be a good time because we’ve been to other cat cafe’s before and it was always a good experience. We paid $87 for 2 reservations (which is crazy) . The place itself is very cute but extremely small so if theres more than 3 people it seems very overcrowded and uncomfortable (it is Boston so not extremely unexpected). Obviously there is guidelines to follow regarding interactions with the cats but it honestly felt like you couldnt do much, you cant pick them up, wake them up, you cant pet them unless they come up to you etc. while the cats themselves were extremely adorable none of them really cared to interact with you and they all seemed overstimulated from all of the incoming people. Staff were constantly watching over you which got a little awkward and uncomfortable but honestly reasonable due to needing to make sure people are following protocol but still very strange. Idk i think for the prices you pay its not worth it there are much better cat cafe’s you can visit for cheaper prices, bigger space, and way friendlier cats.

The price of a ticket is definitely crazy for the experience. The cafe was very cute and the cats look very well kept. (A little confused on why all the cats ears were cut? Maybe from a rescue or something was just confused) The cats didn’t seem to care about any of the people unless it was a staff member, and if a cat came up to you or near you it seemed like a staff member would come take the cats attention away from you onto them. It felt like a supervised visit and didn’t make me feel comfortable to really interact with the cats unless it was with a 3 foot long cat toy. None of the cats really wanted anything to do with anyone so I basically just sat in a room with an employee watching me. The guidelines are a little much but understandable, just wish it felt more inviting to bond with a kitty and be myself with them. The staff were very nice just felt a little overbearing. I’ve been to many other cat cafes and never had an experience like this one. Cute kitties though

A lovely cat cafe, a bit pricey for the entry but you see where the money goes. The cats have lots of places to explore, play, as well as hide and rest. It was my GFs birthday and as a celebration they gave everyone there treats which brought all the cats upon us at once which was a sight to behold. Everyone working is incredibly nice and happy to help from check in to leaving!

We had a great time visiting this unique combination cafe/bookstore/sanctuary. The owner, Brittany, is wonderful, and what she has here is really special. It’s a wonderful way to spend an afternoon: Petting cats, enjoying a latte, and perusing books. We’ll definitely be coming back.

when looking for cat cafes, my most important criteria is whether the cats are treated well. this cafe does an amazing job with that. from the moment you set up your reservation, you can tell how much this establishment loves their cats. it is on the pricier side, but i imagine it’s to cover the costs of caring for the cats and beacon hill rent. you do get a complimentary beverage though. if you are celebrating a birthday or anniversary, you get a treats bag to give to the cats, which was nice. this cafe adopts cats from kill shelters in the south and hoarding situations. the staff knows each cat well and will advise you how to interact with them in the best way. the cats are adorable and have a wide range of personalities. all are ensured to be socialized comfortably in a way to not distress the kitties. as all cats do, they like to sleep during the day. if you would like to visit when they are more active, i would suggest visiting later in the day and during a weekday, when it is less busy. all in all, a wonderful experience. it’s great to see cats adopted and treated so well. the pastries and drinks were delicious.

My partner took me here for Valentine's Day (February 13th because the 14th was booked out ) and it was probably one of the best local experiences I've had in Boston 💕. Even though I have lived here my whole life, this is the first time I've actually stayed around Beacon Hill for a while and got to experience the neighborhood friendliness in addition to the welcoming staff. The café is just a 8 minute walk from the Charles/MGH station off of the Red Line and in the heart of Boston. With me and my +1's $10 credit combined, I got a chocolate croissant and a iced lavender latte, which was surprisingly tasty. The croissant was very fluffy and buttery and the lavender syrup in the latte wasn't overpowering the aroma of the coffee itself (I was too busy taking pictures of cats to include a picture 😅). It goes to show the café focuses on their cat and café experience. Also, since I have circumstances in which I am not allowed to have cats of my own, it was a very therapeutic experience to go somewhere where I could treat 16 cats like my own for one hour (as you can see with a couple of cat selfies). Not to mention, the hour flies by very fast 😩. Now have more cats, you get the opportunity to both see them sleeping and interacting with them which was awesome for me to experience. The café does require you to sign some waivers prior to your appointment, but these cats don't seem likely to scratch you at all IMO. Thank you Sanctuary Café for granting my dreams to play with cats.11/10 would come here again for my birthday if I can 🎉.

I don't know what all the negative reviews are about because I had the best time ever. The croissants and hibiscus tea are to die for and the cats are adorable. They even have you sanitize your hands and put on shoe covers before you come in to keep the area clean. The staff are kind and attentive and they also have safe spaces for the cats. It is completely worth the price and I recommend anyone who likes cats and pastries come here.

My partner took me here for Valentine's Day (February 13th because the 14th was booked out ) and it was probably one of the best local experiences I've had in Boston . Even though I have lived here my whole life, this is the first time I've actually stayed around Beacon Hill for a while and got to experience the neighborhood friendliness in addition to the welcoming staff. The café is just a 8 minute walk from the Charles/MGH station off of the Red Line and in the heart of Boston. With me and my +1's $10 credit combined, I got a chocolate croissant and a iced lavender latte, which was surprisingly tasty. The croissant was very fluffy and buttery and the lavender syrup in the latte wasn't overpowering the aroma of the coffee itself (I was too busy taking pictures of cats to include a picture ). It goes to show the café focuses on their cat and café experience. Also, since I have circumstances in which I am not allowed to have cats of my own, it was a very therapeutic experience to go somewhere where I could treat 16 cats like my own for one hour (as you can see with a couple of cat selfies). Not to mention, the hour flies by very fast . Now have more cats, you get the opportunity to both see them sleeping and interacting with them which was awesome for me to experience. The café does require you to sign some waivers prior to your appointment, but these cats don't seem likely to scratch you at all. Thank you Sanctuary Café for granting my dreams to play with cats.11/10 would come here again for my birthday if I can .

Can you imagine how much they charge to pet cats and a drink? $20 tops? $25? No. FORTY DOLLARS. The area is cramped, it smells odd, and it's an utter rip off to pet cats in an area that basically avoid you. The $40 "complimentary tea" we got should be borderline illegal for being a scam. They tossed a tag bag into a cup.

I've only been to one other cat cafe, so I was quite excited for this to open and to give it a try! We got a complimentary drink, which was nice; I got a jasmine tea, which I was pleasantly surprised to find tasted like actual and well-steeped jasmine (I find a lot of places under or over-steep it, or scald it with water that's too hot). We didn't try any of the pastries because they weren't included, and also seemed a bit expensive given how much we'd already paid for the experience. The space isn't huge downstairs, so it's a bit intimate with whoever else may have booked (seems like they build in a 10-15 overlap); that could also be because they had just brought in some new cats and had split the space while they were getting acclimated. The staff are very friendly and clearly care deeply about the wellbeing of the feline friends inside, which I find really encouraging. They also do a really good job keeping everything clean. I'd you're looking for a quirky fun thing to do, check it out!

This place is my happy place! There is limited seating but they always have great baked goods and I always try their new drinks when they get new seasonal drinks. I love watching the cats while I drink their amazing warm teas. Their interpretation of the London Fog called the Charles Fog was so warm and comforting. All the drinks I've tried are so good! The tabby cat drink my friend got was so amazing as well. Definitely worth a visit!