Pause Cat Cafe

Our

FAQS

Everything you need to know and more

ABOUT YOUR VISIT

If you are passing feel free to drop in and see if we have a slot available. If we do, we can book you in right away so it’s always worth a try.

We do prefer people to book online, and as part of our licence conditions for the safety of the cats we need to take visitors names and contact details.

If you’re making a special trip or need a particular table (for example, if you are bringing children under the age of 13 or have a disability) then we really recommend booking in advance to avoid disappointment. This is because we’re often full or we occasionally close early or open late at quiet times if there are no bookings to save staffing an empty cafe.

Our cover charge of £5 per person, per hour is payable when you book. This is not-for-profit and goes towards the welfare of the 11 rescue cats who live here.

We ask people to book online except for parties of 7 or more or if you have any disabilities or access needs.  You can make advance bookings by phone, in person or by email but we need to charge an extra £1 admin fee per booking to cover our staff costs.

Here’s a little video explaining all about visiting our cafe.

We are a rescue home to 11 cats, who love fuss and attention.

We serve yummy vegetarian and vegan food and drink, with lots of gluten-free options. You can see our menu here.

We offer placements for people who have learning difficulties and physical disabilities, providing a welcoming space to nurture confidence and talent.

TREATS FOR YOUR VISIT

Once you’ve booked a slot you can add something special for extra Meow-factor. Create your own table gift (includes a personal tour!) or pre-order an ameowzing High Tea !

  • Children under 16 years old need to be accompanied by an adult aged 18 or over
  • Babies are free but children crawling or walking in the cafe will need to pay our cat care cover charge
  • If you are bringing one or two children under the age of 13 you can book onto one of our ‘child friendly’ tables: 9 or 10.  If you have three under 13s please book both tables 9 & 10 or contact us to book
  • For four or more under 13s you can join our Children’s Workshops which you can find on our events page. Alternatively, you may like to book a private party. ​Due to licence restrictions, we cannot accept standard bookings with more than three under 13-year olds at any other time
  • We have a different Cat Care Agreement for Guardians who are responsible for any children under 13 years old or for anybody with special needs who requires a carer. Please also take some time to prepare your child for their visit by talking about the Cat Care Agreement and the importance of kindness to animals. Thank you!
  • You can view our Table Tour video here

    Of course, we cannot guarantee where the cats will be, but don’t sit in cat-less silence if they aren’t at the table you chews. Feel free to roam about the cafe to share your affections with all of our feline residents.

    If any of your party are under 13 years old you will need to book table 9 or table 10, please also see below ‘booking with children’

    If you’re still not sure after watching the video, here’s a bit more infurmation about each table:

    • Table 2 is in the window on the ground floor and seats 1-3 people over 13 years old. The seats are high stools. Many of the cats chill out here in the sun but it can also get crowded with people coming to stroke them, not so good if you are shy!
    • Table 3 seats 1-2 people over 13 years old. It is a high table opposite the entrance on the ground floor. Sometimes Marijke likes to sleep on the perspex shelf above.
    • Table 5 seats 3-6 people over 13 years old. It is a round glass table, height on the ground floor. This table is suitable for wheelchairs, buggies and the best for people who can’t walk far as it is our closest standard height table to the entrance.
    • Table 6 seats 3-5 people over 13 years old. It is a low sofa with a glass coffee table, located on the ground floor. This table is suitable for wheelchairs and buggies but the seats are quite low for those with limited mobility.
    • Table 7 seats 2-4 people over 13 years old. It is a sofa with a glass coffee table, located on the ground floor at the back of the cafe by the cats play area. Sometimes the cats play on the bridge in front or the shelves behind, but we cannot guarantee it! It is situated next to the accessible washroom.
    • Table 8 seats 2-3 people over 13 years old. It is a normal height cafe table located on the ground floor. This table is suitable for wheelchairs and buggies and the seats are comfortable and easy to get in and out of for those with limited mobility. Often one or more of our kitties are resting in the bunk bed next to this table.
    • Table 9 seats 1-2 people of any age. It is a normal height cafe table located on the ground floor.
    • Table 10 seats 2-4 people of any age. It is a normal height cafe table located on the ground floor.  This table is suitable for wheelchairs and buggies and the seats are comfortable and easy to get in and out of for those with limited mobility. We prefer that people who do not have children with them choose a different table, leaving this free for parents to book. Michelle, the white cat likes to visit this table but she can sometimes be a bit grumpy so please be careful and gentle if you stroke her. The table is next to the serving hatch for the bar, and near to the till so it can sometimes be loud or busy.
    • Table 21 seats 2-4 people over 13 years old. It is a sofa and some stools with a wooden coffee table, located on the lower floor at the bottom of the stairs. It is not wheelchair accessible.
    • Table 22 seats 2-4 people over 13 years old. It is a comfy sofa and some stools with a wooden coffee table, located on the lower floor at the back of downstairs so it is not wheelchair accessible. This is one of Aunty Anne and Poppet’s chosen places to relax. Aunty Anne is fond of a lap, but if you move before she’s ready she could let you know with her claws so handle with care!
    • Table 26 seats 1-2 people over 13 years old. It is a chaise lounge sofa (has been updated since the table tour video) and a wooden coffee table, located on the lower floor by the cats private bedrooms. It is not wheelchair accessible. The cats sometimes hang around here, purrticularly sisters Poppet and Sweetcheeks who may try to steal your food.
    • Table 27 seats 2-3 people over 13 years old. It is a sofa  (has been updated since the table tour video), stools and a wooden coffee table, located on the lower floor so it is not wheelchair accessible. This is a fafurite place for Pumpkin to relax, he likes a belly rub.
  • The ground floor of our venue (tables 5 to 10) is wheelchair friendly and we have an accessible toilet, the lower level downstairs (tables 21 to 27) is not wheelchair accessible. We love to welcome everybody to enjoy our space and we want to make it as comfortable for you as possible. Tables 5, 8, 9 and 10 are normal café tables and Tables 6 and 7 are sofas. Tables 1 to 4 are high stools and not suitable for people with access needs. 

    When you arrive, we have a short introduction in the entrance. There are stools here but if you find standing for a long time uncomfortable, then please let us know and we can hurry things along and get you seated quicker. Reading the Cat Care Agreement in advance helps, as you are asked to sign to say that you have read it when you come in.

    If in doubt, please contact us to book and discuss your requirements. We can also advise of quieter times and group bookings if preferable. In this instance we will not charge our extra £1 admin fee for telephone and email bookings.

  • When you arrive, we have a short introduction in the entrance. Reading the Cat Care Agreement in advance helps, as you are asked to sign to say that you have read it when you come in.

  • Standard booking slots are for one hour, but if you’d rather relax fur longer with our kitties, please add the next booking slot on the same table to your online order by clicking ‘add another booking’. The slot will start an hour and ten or twenty minutes after your first booking, because we allow time in between bookings to clean the tables, but if you book the next slot(s) on the same table you are welcome to stay for two hours or more and relax with our kitties. This is a great option for larger groups or special occasions so you can take your time.

Have more

Questions?

GETTING INVOLVED

So you want to join the best team ever? Of course you do! We recruit a few times a year. All paid and many voluntary roles are listed on our website, indeed.co.uk and we post them on our Facebook page, so keep an eye out to see if any vacancies come up. 

You need to apply either on the website or via indeed for any paid roles, we cannot accept applications or enquiries about jobs by email, phone or in person because we receive so many.  Last time we had over 700 applicants!

We’re always looking for volunteers though, and you are able to gain experience in all different aspects of the cafe. You can read the most common role descriptions on our website and apply for volunteering by emailing hello@pausecatcafe.com

We rely on the kindness of volunteers. All volunteers need to commit to a regular weekly shift of 2.5-3 hours and must attend all of their shifts and be on time…the safety of the cats depends on it!

Our training program takes 5-weeks, so is not suitable for short-term, we require volunteers to commit to a minimum of 3-months with the only exceptions being for work-experience or internships. 

Please note that we are legally unable to recruit volunteers under 14 years old.

We offer lots of types of volunteering, we can fit the roles to your ability and we give full training.  You can read the most common role descriptions here. Roles include:

  • Cafe: includes washing up, wrapping cutlery, taking orders read more
  • Bar: preparing hot and cold drinks
  • Kitchen: assisting with food prep (starting with simple tasks, can progress)
  • Host: welcoming visitors at the door, can progress to using the booking system
  • Admin: data entry, marketing, events, HR or tailored to you.
  • Cat Care: changing litters, feeding, cleaning cat rooms, health checks, read more
  • Supporting people on our team: helping other volunteers who have special needs or disabilities read more

Can you commit to attending your shifts every week, on time? Apply for volunteering by emailing hello@pausecatcafe.com

VOLUNTEER PLACEMENTS FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES OR LEARNING DIFFICULTIES

We offer extra support for volunteers who have special educational needs, a physical disability or mental or physical health condition. Our placements are popular so there is a waiting list that you can join by emailing  hello@pausecatcafe.com

It’s meowvelous that you enjoyed your visit and our kitties hope to see you again soon! We would be very grateful if you could write a review for us on TripAdvisor, Facebook, Google or all three. Feel free to ask the people that you came with to do the same. We are at 4.5/4.8 so if you score us a 5 it will help us get higher! Here are the links:

After 3 bookings you get to join the regulars club for free entry and other purrks…

Please help us to spread the kitty love by talking about us to your friends and bringing people along.Thank you so much!

CLEANLINESS & HYGIENE

Before we opened, we spent a long time working with environmental health to make our process for keeping the cafe clean and hygienic. The kitchen is hidden behind two sets of doors, and the only traffic in and out is strictly human and kept to a minimum. Kitchen staff change their clothes before leaving and entering the kitchen.   Food staff have a different toilet/washroom from anyone who touches the cats. All crockery that has been used in the cafe area is washed in a separate washroom, so only clean items enter and leave the kitchen. Our drinks are prepared at the front of the cafe and there are doors between the cats and the drinks. 

All cafe items are put away overnight and the tables, chairs and floors are cleaned before the cafe opens and after we close; tables are cleaned between every customer. Food and drink staff are not allowed to handle cats and cat staff don’t touch food and drink. Our food is served in boxes. When the food is on the table, you can keep them cat-free using the lids. We use animal friendly cleaning products too. 

“The answer my friend, is blowing in the wind….” – or at any rate through our custom-built specialised air filtration system! All areas of the cafe are kept freshly ventilated so that you can relax and enjoy the wonderful aroma of our artisan food and varied scents of our range of delicious fruit juices.

We are meticulous in keeping the environment clean and fresh. All cat litter trays are in their living quarters; contained cleanly away from customers and food. Cat Care Staff are responsible for keeping the litter trays clean. They are cleaned throughout the day and replaced every morning and night.

HAVE A QUESTION?