Up until recently, I was living a bleak life – without a
creature comfort that I always yearned for. Yes folks, I was cat less. So, when
a trip to Montreal with the girls was planned, visiting one of their cat cafes
was a top priority.
Without the strict laws that constrain Toronto counterparts,
at Les Café Des Chats the feline are allowed to roam around the two-roomed
establishment freely, and if they’re experiencing too much human contact, duck
into a separate cozy sleeping area that’s customer free. Some sill like to stay
with the crowd and sit atop high shelves so they can sleep just beyond arm’s
reach.
Unlike the bad press that has plagued Toronto’s TOT Café, in
Montreal, they don’t have kittens who require more sleep and are less likely to
defend themselves against pesky children. Moreover, the larger space allows Les
Café Des Chats to have more cats (there was about ten) so each one isn’t
constantly being harassed by multiple hands.
For the most part, all the cats were friendly and playful –
especially a white one that I named Snowball who loves belly rubs and stayed steadfastly
by the window watching people pass by. But, there were a couple who rightfully
would be annoyed when children pet them while sleeping. Is it mean to say I
also loved watching them swipe at the small hands or bite the air beside them
as a warning?
The food and drink offerings aren’t bad either – had I known
they served soup and grilled sandwiches, I would have had lunch there! Instead,
at first, I resigned myself to hydration only, sipping on a refreshing iced tea
($4.25) and then when the air conditioning became too much, cups of the hot Moroccan
mint and cream of earl grey versions ($4).
Since it was a rainy afternoon, with no desire to trudge
around the city with wet shoes, we stayed at Les Café Des Chats for almost four
hours! Dividing our time between petting cats, taking videos to flaunt to my
husband, and just sitting around chatting.
Feeling a little guilty for staying so long and only having
drinks (although the staff there were nothing but patient and kind), I ordered
a house salad ($6.50). The bowl of lettuce free chopped vegetables (tomatoes,
cucumber, purple cabbage, and corn) sure hit the spot … the garlicky lemon vinaigrette
a great dressing.
Some would view a rainy afternoon while travelling as a
terrible affair. For me, it gave us an excuse to stay at Les Café Des Chats
just a bit longer. After all, as the Cat in the Hat would say about sitting
around on a dreary day:
>br<
“Why do you sit there like that?
I know it is wet and the sun is not sunny.
But, we can have lots of good fun that is funny!”
How To Find Them
Location: Montreal, Canada
Address: 3435 Rue Saint-Denis
Address: 3435 Rue Saint-Denis
Website: http://www.catcafe.ca/
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