Meow Cat Cafe in Braintree

This was our first experience of a cat cafe. Menu extremely limited, we tried to look up info on what sort of food and drink was served ahead of visiting but there is no mention on the website or social media of what to expect. For anyone thinking of visiting there is a range of tea and coffee options with milkshakes and soft drinks, food options are all pre package sweet treats like brownies, flapjacks and cookies or you can have packets of crisps. This is probably done for expediency as the sessions are limited to one hour so there is no time to prep food. It was clean and relaxed environment, when you are welcomed in there a few simple house ruled largely about not stressing out the animals which are all fair. Overall pleasant experience.

Went to the halstead cafe on Sunday and spoke to a really lovely staff member about adopting the cats, overall really bubbly and friendly, great atmosphere and cats clearly looked after well.

Visited and the cats were lovely. However, it definitely felt less cafe and more “come and sit with our cats”…which is fine. The cats were lovely and the staff were polite. Drinks were average. As you can imagine, cat fluff was everywhere. As a suggestion to the owners, don’t have cat feeding bowls immediately next to tables customers are sitting/eating at, when you have stinky cat food. The two are rather off putting for both the cats and the guests! There were other places the bowls could go or less smelly food could be given to them

I and my 5yr old booked to go Thursday this week as a treat after hearing how great it was. We sadly got delayed by my work & traffic. There is no number to ring to advise of our late arrival. When we did arrive we were left outside whilst the helpful member of staff tried to find our booking, then discovered we had been double booked. Clearly a repetitive issue looking at the other reviews. Plus we were told the website lady was getting the sack. We were finally accommodated with another family & my little one made friends which was lovely & thank goodness, because we ordered a latte, milkshake & cookie. First of all there was no milk only oat milk (which I can’t have) despite them trying the shop next door. Then they forgot the prepackaged cookie. I can’t fault the cust service they were apologetic & attentive + good with the little ones. However the whole thing was a pretty poor experience. We ended up having about 20mins if that. I was charged full price for a coffee yet ended up drinking half a can of coke. My daughter didn’t have time to finish her milkshake & we ended up taking the cookie home. This was partially our fault but with the faffing over the double booking it didn’t help. It’s not really a cafe - you can have a drink & pre packed cakes - half the menu was scrubbed out ie out of stock at 3 in the afternoon yet was due to be open till 8. It just felt like it was a nice idea but didn’t quite reach the mark. One cat was extremely grumpy & nearly bit kids as he clearly just wanted to sleep. Just in the short time we were there kids were chasing cats harassing them trying to get them to play (no malice but harassing). The next session was queuing outside so there is clearly no down time between sessions. I was also told cats are being imported from Dubai as it’s easier than rescuing them from this country I don’t know if that’s true but that’s awful if it is. I haven’t approached them directly for a refund as I really wish them well - as an observation there was been similar reviews/issues since opening. It’s a shame things couldn’t be slicker. The cafe itself felt tired & in a period property so needed some extra love. Not somewhere I would recommend or will be returning to sadly, however I wish them luck & I hope they seek some help/support as it wouldn’t take much to make it really great/special. But it’s not there yet.

Took our deposit and never got back to us. Poor communication after stealing our money. Have done the same to a friend also

Great place. They have so many lovely cats and they all deserve to get adopted just as much as the others. They have a great choice of food on their menu and they care for the cats there so well. It’s sad that you only get an hour to see all their beautiful faces and the have great traits and personalities. The cats may have an argument every once in a while but that’s just expected as there’s so many cats.

Had a lovely visit with family. A great group of cats, very friendly. Had a variety of different cakes and drinks, the kinder cookie was our favourite! Good value for money and would visit again!

Lovely little cafe with friendly helpful staff. Our 1st cat cafe experience and to have one linked to rescue/rehoming cats is a great idea. Very cleaning well run, beautiful cats all extremely well cared for. Would certainly visit again.

this cat cafe is amazing! you're greeted by the most adorable and friendly cats. They have such unique personalities The cafe itself is super cozy and inviting, with comfy seating areas where you can relax and enjoy a cup of coffee or tea. The cats are free to roam around and interact with the customers. The staff there are incredibly knowledgeable and passionate about cats. They'll tell you all about the cat’s personalities, Plus, they take great care of the cats and ensure they have a safe and clean environment. I would 100% recommend this amazing cat cafe!!

Amazing cafe, amazing purpose and run by an amazing person! Wouldn’t recommend any other cafe. The staff care about animal welfare, good coffee and connecting with people. No better experience in the area

Finally decided to book and went during a weekday after being told by a friend they had the whole place to themselves during the week. Upon entering you have to wait until the front door is closed before entering the main cafe which I totally understand since we don't want any kitties escaping, we got told where our table was and shortly after got introduced to all the cats and was told all the rules. There is a £7 entry fee per adult and £3.50 per child although this may seem a lot I am completely aware on how much my one cat costs let alone 10, so an entry fee does seem fair enough to keep this place running. I understand everyone has bad days but the girls working on the day was very miserable and rude so it did dampen the atmosphere but the cats all seemed to be enjoying life ( especially Arthur who didn't stop sleeping) so it soon brought the mood back up. All cats look very well cared for and looked after and even the shy ones looked comfortable in there surroundings. I don't understand why there was boxes out on the shop floor since they looked like they was from deliveries and then chucked out onto the shop floor so it did make it look a bit messy, but over all I had a good experience and will be visiting again when the colchester one opens. Definitely good for families or people with kids and wide selection of goodies for the kids to eat too.

First ever visit to a Cat cafe my kids been desperate to go to one for a while. Was pleased to find one in Essex where we could park outside and didn’t have to go into London. Lovely friendly cafe with very cute cats and polite staff we enjoyed our visit very much and the hour went quickly! Nice decor and coffee too.

Christmas gift voucher spent today. Cats adorable, two reserved by a lovely lady while we were there. You go for the “ cat experience “ not the cafe. Although saying that the coffee was good. All cats & kittens happy, staff knowledgeable & informative. Everything clean & no lingering cat odours.

This is a quaint but lovely cat cafe experience. I’ve been to many and for the treatment of their residents this rates one of the highest on my list so far. All of the cats, even if they were more skittish than some of the others, seemed relaxed and comfortable in the environment. If they wanted to hide they had ample spaces to do so, but 95% of the cats were happy to be out and having human attention. They have lots of toys and places to sleep/jump up/hide despite the lack of space, you can see thought has gone into the layout benefiting the cats. The price of drinks and snacks was really really reasonable, although having spotted some cakes in the window of a lovely bakery just a little further down the high street, I do wish they’d sourced their cakes here instead of buying pre-packaged in. I’d be happy to pay a little more for something like that, supporting another small local business! The staff were knowledgeable about each cat’s personality and preferences, even though all of the cats are adoptable, so must change quite frequently. I like the little touch of handing out Dreamies to visitors to help them gain trust with the cats, but I do worry with probably 5+ sittings per day of around 15 people how many Dreamies the cats may be having!

Fabulous place, friendly staff and were made to feel very welcome, I have visited 3 times now and will return again, the cats are very well cared for and it is just a lovely hour spending time with cats, they do a great job rehoming the cats, if you are a snowflake that does not get the fact this place is the temporary home for these cats and they and are entitled to go anywhere they choose even if it is in your milk then you have to expect this, you are not a cat lover if you shriek at the fact they are on you. I highly recommend this place, if you love cats and want to rehome one then its certainly a place for you. Thankyou for making us feel so welcome.

It was my first-ever visit to a cat cafe (I took a friend as a treat for her birthday) and it was lovely! The session was an hour long and it was in a small, cosy environment (about six tables in total, I think!). The room was warm and cosy and the cats were very relaxed and well cared for and the atmosphere was quieter and low-key, for the benefit of the cats, which I loved. The cats were free to roam around and there was plenty of ledges, shelves, hammocks and cubby-holes for the cats to relax on/in. There were about 6/7 cats and kittens, who were all adorable! There's the opportunity to adopt them as well. The staff were very friendly and knowledgeable (and the coffees were good too!). I'm hoping to go back with my daughter very soon.

I think you’re trying to make a great go of this cafe but you must try to be less negative when reading customers feedback. Feedback is great albeit we all have different opinions. My daughter had an amazing time today. I thought the place was very run down and the cat bowls looked very dirty with remains of old food. There was a strong unpleasant odour and whilst it’s impossible to smell of roses it could perhaps be managed better. I don’t mind paying the entry fee plus drinks and snacks and I appreciate you have a lot of outgoings. I’m sure this cafe will turn into something fabulous but for now I wouldn’t return.

Well I walked past not realising a cat cafe was here! As I was reading the notice board in the window and about to take a pic of it to book a young lady came out and we had a chat about the opening times and booking details, she was lovely, very enthusiastic and helpful. She then asked if I'd like to take a look inside, she said I could come in for 5 minutes to get an idea of what it looked like, omg, kittens and cats everywhere, I was in my element, I lost both my elderly cats fairly recently and to stroke some little kitties was heaven on earth, I will be booking for sure, see you soon!! Fantastic place with very happy cats and staff .

I was introduced to Meow cafe by a friend of mine a couple of months ago. Had the most amazing time, and wonderful cuddles with the cats and kittens. Since my first visit, I have booked a session (or 2) most weeks and taken in toys for the cats. The ladies who work there, Zara and Taylor and so friendly, they talk to you about the cats, their back stories and successful adoptions that have happened since opened. Recently I have also taken part in some of their workshops, and looking forward to taking part in all their Christmas themed ones. I suffered with severe anxiety and even though I have 2 very loved and over spoilt cats, I love popping in to Meow and sharing the love with cats that sadly have had a bad start looking for their forever homes. Very excited for the upcoming refurb, and I am hoping there will be the option to book solo arm chairs as always feel bad when book an allocation space that is greater than one. Also love the new Adult only slots and hopefully see more of these. Lastly keep up the great work, the adoptions numbers are just amazing, and p.s any chance Arthur can make a special guess appearance for an adult special event. Looking forward to seeing the ladies on Friday and next week for the Christmas Card event

Had a lovely time at the Meow Cat Cafe. It was well organised, the staff were friendly and informative, it was clean and tidy and the cats and kittens are obviously the highlight. We had two very sleepy kittens on our table, cats aren’t toys or entertainment so we were more than happy to admire them as they slept peacefully while also fussing the older cats that were walking about sussing everyone out. I’ll look forward to going back.

This was my second visit to the cafe and I must say it’s wonderful to have one so close having travelled much further to other cat cafes before! The cats are clearly all well looked after and very much loved by the staff. It’s brilliant to see so many adoptions as a result of this cafe. We enjoyed our visit but felt there are a couple of things to mention to further improve the experience for customers. We were waiting outside for 10 minutes after our time slot should have started, the people before we’re leaving in slow dribs and drabs. We did get a full hour which we highly appreciated but maybe a 10 min switch over window for staff to clear and clean might be useful? We also didn’t get our drinks and snacks until 40 mins into our session which I thought was an unreasonable amount of time to be waiting considering there’s only a few tables. There is quite a smell to the place which you do notice when you walk in but it’s to be expected with that many kitties around! I got used to the smell and didn’t affect my experience but might not be great for others. Overall I think it’s a great business, I know how hard the owner has worked on this and I will visit again I’m sure!

Lovely staff, very informative. The rules are explained to you at the beginning of the session which is excellent for any children. Lots of cats all very well looked after

I’m very sorry to say this I very much enjoyed my visit and time at the cafe a couple of weekends a go our booking didn’t go through which obviously wasn’t these girls fault they tried to squeeze us in which was amazing the young girl taking my order felt terrible so she took the deposit off which was so generous. I spoke to the younger girl who was working she was very pleasant and very happy and we had a lovely chat about her cats and mine. We were late coming in which isn’t the girls fault we could see them cleaning maybe if there was extra time and people left on time it would be easier for them??? Overall the cats and kittens were lovely so was the staff it was very noisy with children which is going to be expected

Unsure if wrong place wrong time or right place wrong time, but we were not overly impressed with the cat cafe. Did not know really what to expect having not visited any before but we ended up on a Sunday afternoon with a children's party...

Wonderful local facility, very clean and modern cafe, friendly helpful staff, fabulous coffee… The cats are happy and well cared for, such a delight to see the kittens and have a cuddle

I visited Meow Cat Cafe on 26th September 2023. The stench of cat urine could be smelt from outside the cat cafe, in the High Street, so that was not a.good start. I was very disappointed with my visit. I had gone with a friend...

Beautiful kitties, great coffee and welcoming environment. Myself and my 2 children loved it and can't wait to return. An absolute must for cat lovers!

What a fantastic place to visit throughly recomend a visit. Cats were well looked after and happy staff very caring of both cats and visitors. Cats had as much fuss as they wanted only 2 tables allowed to visit in the hour stay. Please visit...

I was expecting so much more reading all the previous reviews... This café is a fabulous idea but there are some improvements to be made to make it great. The young lady serving customers is really lacking customer service and comes across as rude, I'm...

Booked a slot online via the cafe's website. Payment/booking was nice & straight forward, a good selection of time slots were available from morning to late afternoon. Arrived a few minutes late to our slot, although this didn't seem to be a problem as others...

A brilliant little cafe! We visited today as a group of us. The ladies running it were so friendly and informative. The cafe is lovely and clean and its clear the cats are very well looked after. The coffee was good too! Would highly recommend...

Visited the cafe at the start of the summer holidays with my two daughters who are both cat mad! My youngest is autistic and was a bit anxious about what to expect but ended up having the best time! When we visited there were 3...

Surprised having only been open a short while it seamed a little run down already, what with tables leaning to the point of waiting to collapse, it wasnt exactly clean dust and dirt around skirting and sadly a little overpowering smell of wee wee etc...

Was really excited to visit, Fantastic idea in principle!! Was slightly disappointed in the food offered, as a ‘cafe’ I expected a little more just to add to the experience. Kids loved spending time with the cats but took them a while to feel comfortable...

Very organised experience starting by waiting outside until everyone is let in together. Then 10 minutes of trying to prove you booked because their system let's them over book and so people are then turned away and children are disappointed. After 10 minutes of intro...

Another great visit.... Took my niece today and like me wants to go back... The young ladies there are amazing... So friendly and genuinely love the cats.... Planning my 3rd visit.... It's a little gem 💎

What a beautiful little cat cafe. Plenty of cats and kittens, they are super friendly and engage well with visitors. Nice small setting, so not too many people in at one time. £7 an adult absolute bargain. Staff are very knowledgeable about all the cats...