The Denver Cat Company, billed as “Denver’s premiere cat club,” is a coffeeshop and art space featuring plenty of friendly felines. In the vein of the cat cafes pioneered in Japan and popular around the world, it’s a space where patrons can pay a cover charge for the privilege of relaxing with house cats while doing work or drinking coffee.
Denver Cat Co. hosts a rotating roster of shelter cats who are always up for adoption. They currently have 12 cats ranging from eight months to eight years old who are allowed to freely roam the store.
The 12 cats comprised a wide variety of types and personalities. From Addision, a rambunctious playful orange guy, to Kit, the huge, stoic black cat standing watch by the door and rocking a bow tie, there’s likely a cat to meet your preferences.
Twelve is reportedly a high number of cats for the shop to have at a given time, as they are usually adopted very quickly, so get in before you miss Cranberry, the adorable eight month old that was the star of the show.
For maximum cat interaction with this high of a number, it’s also recommended to come in on weekdays or other less busy times. A few cats were too stimulated by the large number of people and didn’t feel like being social.
The shop boasted as unique an atmosphere as one would expect from somewhere so niche. Social mores dissolved as people either played with, cuddled with or just hosted the cats on their lap while doing work, all while ceaselessly smiling.
The atmosphere left nothing to be desired in addition to the cats, either. The wood floor littered with rugs and cat furniture matched the calm colors on the walls, which were filled with well-placed and mostly well-done art pieces (all of cats, of course).
Additionally, playing over the speakers was a very chill playlist of indie pop and electronica, featuring Glass Animals and Sylvan Esso and hailed by our own coffee veteran Justin Cygan as “the best coffeeshop mix in Denver.”
Other eccentricities included the massive bookshelves, random memorabilia strewn across tables and the opportunity to “Paint a Cat” with supplied canvas and paints for just $15. Painting classes and “cat yoga” are even offered from time to time.
Perhaps the only negative of the place was the limited selection of drinks and snacks. The coffee and hot chocolate were both fine, but only two varieties of drip coffee were available among a decent selection of pastries and bottled beverages.
Granted, the coffee is not the main appeal here. In fact, it’s not really recommended for work or other typical coffeeshop purposes, given how easily it was to get distracted. But if you’re just looking to read, have a meeting, take a date or get some needed therapy after class, there’s nowhere better for a cat fan.
A mere $5 will get you access to the cafe for the whole day, and membership plans are available if you’re a true cat lover, starting at $15 a month and going up to $125 a year for an entire family.
Located in the Berkeley neighborhood, about a 15 minute drive from campus, Denver Cat Co. is not exactly accessible, but it is definitely worth the occasional trip. If you’re a cat lover, or even just a casual fan of felines, do not miss this unique gem during your time at DU. Just be prepared to not want to leave.
