Coffee Cats Cafe is located in Valley Junction in West Des Moines where you can experience a yummy drink, a kitty on your lap and calm instrumental music playing in the background to set the perfect mood. I first found Coffee Cats back in the summer of 2020 when they opened. Due to quarantine, you had to make an appointment online and reserve a spot for a limited amount of time. Since that first visit, I had not been back. Now that quarantine is long gone, I figured I would visit again. As a huge cat person, just the thought of being able to hang out with cats and have a fun drink in the same place sounds absolutely amazing to me.
Even though quarantine has passed, Coffee Cats still prefer that you make a reservation to spend time with their feline friends. When you go to their website to book a time slot, they have very detailed descriptions as to why they have reservations. For example, why it is important to cap the number of people around the cats and how to respectfully be around them. They state in their directions that if you have a child under the age of 12, that they are accompanied by an adult at all times. This is to ensure that the cats stay safe and calm during your time at the cafe. When you book, you choose the day and timeslot. You then make a ten-dollar deposit for your reservation to confirm it.
The day finally comes for my dad and I to have time with our furry friends.
Coming from a family of cat people and having four cats ourselves, we deem ourselves pretty prepared to be around cats and how to treat them with care and respect, so we felt prepared and excited for our time. We turn onto the small street that is Valley Junction. Immediately, I felt at home and nostalgic. I was greeted by golden lights that perfectly lined the shop buildings lining all the way down to the very end of the street, and more golden lights wrapped around trees that lined the street.
Coffee Cats is located at the very end of the street. When we pulled into the parking lot, it looked just like a normal house, like most buildings in Valley Junction, that is what creates its old-town nostalgic style. The houses are refurnished to look like main street shops in a small town. When you are walking up to Coffee Cats, there is a large window in the very front with a cat tree in it. You can see cats sleeping and lounging on it before you even get in. We walk into the doors, and it is an immediate warm presence. It smells like a coffee shop, and there is warm lighting around the whole building. Here is the waiting lounge with chairs and tables, where they have merch and gifts on display that are on theme with the cats, and they have a front register with a glass case of sweets. Behind it, there is a kitchen with all of the coffee and drink machines, just like a normal coffee shop. When you turn to your right, there is a glass wall with a matching glass door that you go through to get to the cat lounge.
We went up to the register and checked ourselves in and ordered some hot chocolate. As we were waiting for our order, there was a table with different cat themed books on it. One of them being a cat behavioral guide, like what different body postures and faces mean on a cat, which I liked a lot. It made me happy and reassured that these cats were getting properly cared for by educating customers on them, and how to respect and care for them. Our time comes to where we can enter the cat lounge, and I could not help but have a huge grin on my face. There were so many cats to cuddle and play with, I did not know where to start. One cool thing about Coffee Cats, is that all their cats are transfers from the ARL of Iowa, so each cat that you see is available for adoption and looking for a home. That made it even more convincing to get another cat, (Just kidding, I already have four)!
The cat lounge had various seating for customers to sit in and wait for a friend to come up to them and snuggle. Me and my dad went later in the evening, so most of the cats were asleep. But that did not stop us from getting greeted. I first went to the big window where I saw cats sitting before I got into the cafe. There was a grey and white cat that caught my attention. She had half an ear on one side, which I thought was adorable. She was very sweet and loved getting a pet. I also got close with an orange cat that had the loudest purr I have ever heard, as well as a brown tabby cat that could not stop bumping my hands when I pet her.
As our time there continued, more and more cats got comfortable enough to come out and play with us. They had various cat toys you could use, and different cat tunnels and beds that you could use for the cats.
Overall, I really enjoyed my time there. Maybe it was just because I am already a cat person, but I think that even if you do not have a feline at home, Coffee Cats is the perfect place to unwind and have some cute furry company. It made my heart happy being around all of the kitties and making their days by giving them some company. Knowing that my money was going to a great cause for these kitties made it all worth it to me. So yes, I would highly recommend Coffee Cats for your next coffee break.
