Val Saksornchai

So. I’m a cat person.

This shouldn’t come as a big surprise if you’ve been reading my blog. Dogs are much too – what’s the word – dependent for my taste. I already have a tough enough time taking care of my emotional well-being. I’d probably go nuts if I had a dog wailing after me each time I leave the house, and jumping all over me every time I get home – tired and really in no mood to interact with an ecstatic dog. 

I like playing with my friend’s dogs. I can come and go as I please. And they don’t get attached to me.

That’s probably what I like about cats – their apparent disdain for attachment.

But this isn’t an eulogy of cats. This is a review, albeit eulogical in nature (oh sorry, eulogistic –apparently ‘eulogical’ doesn’t exist. What a shame. I think it sounds much better. ‘Eulogistic’ reminds me of logistics, which isn’t the first thing that comes to mind when I think of eulogising. Urgh.), of a cat café. Not familiar with the concept of cat cafés? Do educate yourself here. Also, where have you been?!??

Back to the story, yesterday I went to Purr Cat Café {FB page} for the second time. I stayed there for 4 hours. I would have stayed for longer if circumstances allowed. Purr Cat Café is heaven for cat lovers. Oh but it is. Isn’t it overhyped, you ask? A celebrity-owned café with strict petting rules and regulations, located in the heart of Sukhumvit (just next to Thong Lor) – seems like a recipé for disappointment.

Oh but it is not. It is anything but. I love it. Everyone I’ve taken there loves it. Even people who are afraid of cats leave a little less frightened. The place is heaven. But I’m repeating myself. Let’s show you some pictures of cats.

The owner of the café happened to be in yesterday, so we had a little chat. The café started with 12 cats. By now the feline population has grown to 32. They don’t let them all out at the same time, but there’s always a sufficient number of cats to go around – don’t you worry.

Why do I love it so much? Here’s a list:

• happy cats: It’s a café full of happy cats – cats that will let you pet them, cats that will actually approach you, nuzzle up against you, cuddle up to sleep in your arms. A lot of the negative reviews of this place centre on the fact that they don’t let you physically pick cats up (1,000 baht fine). But I think that’s probably the key reason why the cats here are so happy to let people play with them. A cat living in a café where people are always chasing them around to pick them up would be quite stressed. I would be. And I’m nowhere near as high maintenance as cats.

• cute cats: the cats here are adorable. The owner keeps a variety of breeds. And as a result of cross-breeding (which the owner tries – and fails – to prevent), there are a lot of mixed ones which are just as – if not more – cute. *swoon*
• playful cats: sure, most of the cats sleep most of the time. But many (especially the younger ones) are extremely easy to engage. All you need is a piece of napkin paper and you’ve got their full attention.

• warm, fluffy cats: that would be all of them. One nestled herself against me to sleep, and she was so warm, so fluffy, so very fluffy. I couldn’t feel my hand after twenty minutes – but no matter. I’ve got a sleeping cat all to myself!

• the atmosphere: the place has the cutest decorations – it must be heaven for the cats. Ladder to climb up, shelves with cat holes, couches, upholstered seats (which the cats appear to use as claw-sharpeners, to the amusement of both owner and clientèle). As for the café-goers, the place is so calm, so peaceful. A room full of sleeping cats gives off an ambience quite unlike any other. The seats are comfy. And there’s a respectable distance between tables. You by no means feel cramped.

• the amusement of it all: a cat does something cute, the whole room rushes over to the cat, phone cameras at the ready. Sudden bursts of (female) cute-cat sounds. Conversation interspersed with squeals of females shrieking happily (and not too loudly – one must not wake up sleeping cats) at something her cat (i.e. the cat at her table) has just done, while the whole room ceases conversation and strains neck to catch a glimpse of the latest cuteness happening.

But of course, there’s always two sides to a coin. No such thing as a free meal – and certainly not at Purr Cat Café. It’s pricey. Like, seriously pricey. Which is totally what you’d expect from what’s probably the most famous cat café in Bangkok so close to (it’s practically on) Thong Lor. Especially if you sit and look at cats for hours on end. Like I do.

But hey, if you have the dough and you like cats, you should most definitely go. At least once. So you can decide for yourself whether you want to return. I did. And I want to return. Many times.

And here are some more cat pictures. There’s never too many of ’em.