It’s no secret that I absolutely love cat cafes. Ever since I visited my first one in Chiang Mai I became addicted. Cat Cafes started in Asia and quickly became popular all over the world. I went to several on my big backpacking trip around Asia and was keen to visit more when I got home.
A recent trip saw me heading to Stratford upon Avon which is home to one of the best named cat cafes in the UK. I knew I had to visit!
About Shakespaw Cat Cafe
Located in the heart of Stratford upon Avon, the birthplace of William Shakespeare, there really was no other name for this cat cafe. Not only is it the only cat cafe in Stratford upon Avon, Shakespaw Cat Cafe was the midland’s first cat cafe.
They work hard to provide an environment that is homely and comfortable for the cats, as well as for the humans. Shakespaw Cat Cafe cares about their cats which is why they see themselves as more of a hotel for cats. They work with Peppers Pet Rescue to help home and socialise the cats that come into their care. Peppers Pet Rescue was established in 2018 and since then has found forever homes for over 150 animals. Shakespaw acts as a fosterer on behalf of Peppers Pet Rescue so they have different kittens and cats from the rescue all the time. Just ask a member of staff and they can tell you which furry felines are looking for a forever home.
Where To Find Shakespaw Cat Cafe
The only cat cafe in Stratford upon Avon, they have an excellent location right in the heart of the town. Without even looking for it, I spotted it on the walk from the train to the station to the hotel. It’s not hidden at all, so it’s very easy to find.
Shakespaw Cat Cafe can be found near many popular attractions in Stratford upon Avon. Located on Union Street, the cafe is close to the MAD Museum and the Shakespeare Distillery shop and is just a 13 minute walk from the train station.
Booking A Visit
Understandably, Shakespaw Cat Cafe is a very popular cafe in Stratford upon Avon. That is why they don’t allow walk-ins. Slots are 90 minutes long and need to be booked in advance online. Don’t worry though, you can usually still book slots the day before. The only thing I would say though, if there is a certain time of day you prefer, it’s better to book a few days ahead of time.
Booking a slot costs £6 which is not a deposit so keep that in mind before booking. This is something pretty much all cat cafes do. The money goes towards looking after the kitties so this is something I was very happy to pay for.
The Cats of Shakespaw
As Shakespaw works closely with Peppers Pet Rescue, not all the cats you’ll see on your visit will be local residents. Three permanent cats you will meet are Bottom, Hamlet and Horatio.
Visiting the cat cafe you could see how happy and well loved these cats are. They were curious, energetic and loved the company. But they are never forced to interact. That’s completely up to them. They have areas away from the tables they can go for a snooze and even a ‘no humans allowed’ area downstairs they can escape to. Although during my visit none of the cats felt the need to use this area which helps show they don’t mind their human guests.
Shakespaw Cat Cafe Menu
The cafe is fully licensed and serves sandwiches, hot food, cakes, scones and even afternoon tea. If we hadn’t already booked afternoon tea at the hotel I would have been tempted to order it here!
You don’t have to order anything but if you want to support the cafe I would recommend at least getting a coffee. With cute cat related names how could you not order a cattachino, catte or cat white. If you fancy something stronger however, they do have a few cocktails on the menu too.
Being British I couldn’t resist the crumpets, especially seeing as they were offering kitty crumpets. I wasn’t sure what these were but when a kitty shaped crumpet was put in front of me I was delighted.
Shakespaw House Rules
Like every cat cafe, Shakespaw has a few house rules they ask all customers to follow. If you’ve never been to a cat cafe before, these aren’t strict rules. They are mostly common sense things in order to protect the wealth fare of the kitties.
I say common sense rules since they are things like don’t pick up or wake the cats, or no flash photography as these things will obviously disturb the cats. There are also no dogs or outside cats allowed and unfortunately no children under 10 or large groups allowed.
The hardest rule to follow is do not feed the cats. Not because it’s tempting to do so, but because these cats are sneaky and will jump up on the tables to steal a bit of your sandwich or a lick of your coffee. While it’s funny at the time, remember these cats are well fed and have a carefully controlled diet so we must resist the temptation to feed them.
Overall Opinion of Shakespaw Cat Cafe
As you can probably tell I loved my visit to Shakespaw Cat Cafe and will definitely be booking another visit if I’m back in Stratford upon Avon again. The staff are amazing and I loved their passion for their job and the genuine affection for the cats. They knew all about the different cats’ personalities, habits, likes/dislikes and you could just feel their affection for the kitties.
Key Information
- Address: 6 Union Street, Stratford upon Avon, CV37 6QT
- Tel No: (+44) 01789 414 899
- Bookings must be made online
- Slots are 90 minutes long
- They don’t accept bookings over 6 people
- No children under 10 years allowed
- Gift vouchers are available to purchase
- Vegan and Gluten Free options available
Plan Your UK Trip
Looking for more amazing things to do in the UK? Why not check out some of these!
- A Complete Guide to Cat Cafes in the UK
- Cheap Afternoon Teas in London
- Bombay Sapphire Distillery Tour
- Vegan Friendly Restaurants in the UK
- Europe’s Longest Zip Line
- Books Set in London
- The Best Stadium Tours in London
- Glamping in Snowdonia
- Fun Facts About The London Underground
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