Frequently Asked Questions

THE BASICS

A cat café is essentially a cross between a cat shelter and a regular café.

We are home to 13 rescue cats (mostly older, some with special needs) and put simply we offer you the opportunity to hang out with them in their home! As such we have rules in place reflective of this and an age restriction (10+). The cat areas have been set up as tranquil spaces where you can relax with our cats in a calm and quiet environment.

General entry sessions - our main offering - run for up to one hour at set times and there is an entry fee which contributes towards the care of the cats in our care and continual running of the premises which is our resident cats’ forever home.

We also have a dedicated foster room on site - the Mightycat Adoption Room - where we support rescues by fostering cats and facilitating their adoptions. When you book a general entry session you may be able to access this room briefly, subject to availability and if the cats are up for visitors.

If you're short on time or just passing by, you can still support by grabbing a takeaway coffee and you are welcome to pop down to the back (where our carpark is) to say hi to the cats via the catio while you wait for your order to be prepared.

Important note: We follow all Ministry of Heath guidelines and government instruction closely so our offerings are subject to change depending on COVID-19 restrictions.
Put simply, to keep the business sustainable, ongoing. We don’t do it for the money, but we need it to keep our doors open.
We are a small, independently run, social enterprise. All proceeds contribute towards the cats’ care and continual running of the premises which is their home.
As both a café and a cat shelter, we have double the overheads and operating costs including regular vet bills. Our staff are also all paid employees and wages are a significant outgoing.
We are open Thursday to Sunday from 10am, excluding public holidays.

Our operating hours and days differ day to day so we highly recommend planning your visit and booking online to guarantee your entry (which are at set times) instead of just showing up.
We reserve the right to close early if we have no bookings in the last sessions.
We are located at 188 Hinemoa Street, Birkenhead - just 80m from the Birkenhead Library - down the driveway beneath the Our House Community Centre.
Find out more about where we are located.
Yes - our car park is located down the driveway past our entrance on your left directly behind the building. As we only have limited parking spaces, we ask that you please be considerate and only park there for the duration of your booking. Please note: This is a private car park so if your session has ended but you leave your car in our car park, we will get it towed away at your own expense.

If all spaces are occupied on your arrival, there are plenty of 60-minute street parking close by.
Not currently, unfortunately. Please note there will be a few steps to traverse to enter the premises.
We are planning to secure a ramp that we can place at the entrance to accommodate a wheelchair, when needed. That said, we are still facing impacts from the pandemic and have a number of sick cats in care so this has had to go on the back burner.
If you suffer from a cat allergy or any form of immuno-deficiency, we strongly recommend that you do not enter our cat area. Pregnant women and elderly persons may also wish to seek advice from their doctor or other health professional before entering.
No - that is not how a cat café works! A cat café is about visiting the resident cats on site, not a place for you to bring your cat(s). Cats are territorial by nature so bringing a stranger cat into the mix is not a good idea!
You are welcome to do this during business hours (between 9am and 5pm) but please keep it short. We also ask that you refrain from visiting outside of these times as you are stepping on to private property. We do have 24-hour CCTV in operation and we do monitor this closely for our cats’ safety.
Please be mindful that the premises are our cats’ home so do be respectful, considerate and abide by the rules on the signs. In particular, please do not bring food for the cats as this will make them unwell. The cats who live on the premises are not strays; they are very well loved and get fed specific, vet-tailored diets.

Families with young children - please keep a close eye on your kids and abide by the rules that are on the signs. This is not a public playground - the cats are not there for your child(ren)’s entertainment. They are welcome to say a quick hello but for everyone’s safety, please refrain from directly interacting with the cats.

Visitors with dogs - please do not bring your dog(s) round the back as this stresses our cats out. Your dog(s) may be used to cats, but our cats aren’t. There is a hook by our front door for your use. If your dog does start to bark, please leave.

If you would like to support our cats, the best way to do this is to book a session. Or, you can also grab a takeaway drink / snack or buy some merchandise.
You can also make a donation.
Absolutely not. These are not stray animals but very spoiled fur babies that are extremely well fed. Furthermore they are on specific vet-tailored diets so if you feed them, you could make them very sick.
We accept cat and kitten food donations on behalf of Gutter Kitties, who we foster for. Feel free to drop these off in the donation bin by our front door. The rescue’s preferred kitten brands are Whiskas or Purina Dry and Chef loaf wet as they tend to be less upsetting to small tummies but they’d be grateful for anything.
Please note: Our cats are on specific vet-tailored diets which are taken care of with support from Hill’s Pet Nutrition. In terms of blankets, beds, toys etc - our cats have plenty of these currently (they are very spoiled!). If you’d like to support our kitties, the best way is to book in!
If you have non-food items you want to donate, please reach out to a rescue who are in far greater need than us. There are plenty of rescues all over Auckland who are almost always full to capacity and would gratefully accept your donations so do get in touch directly with them instead.
No. We are not a rescue; our premise is not set up to take in cats directly from the public. We instead work with our partner rescues to take in cats they have rescued and who are in need of a foster home.
You will need to reach out to a rescue and see if they have capacity to take in another cat. The rescues we work with are Gutter Kitties and 9 Lives Orphanage however there are plenty of cat rescues all across Auckland.
No. Our cats are on strict, vet-tailored diets - one has severe allergies and another cannot eat solid foods so we monitor their food intake closely for their safety, and for healthy weight management.

AGE RESTRICTION

All guests must be at least 10 years old to be able to access our general entry session (‘Relax with our Residents’). We do enforce this age restriction strictly as it is part of our SPCA approved welfare plan put in place to ensure the happiness and welfare of our cats many of whom are older and with special needs.

When booking online you will be requested to confirm that everyone attending is at least 10 years old and we will do an age check at reception as well. If we doubt the age of the child(ren), we will request proof of age and if none can be provided we reserve the right to deny entry - no refunds will be given. We do not take turning away guests lightly but our cats' wellbeing does come first.
Please note that legally all guests aged 10-14 years old must be booked in with a supervising adult.
No, sorry. We look forward to welcoming them when they turn 10!
If you are a family with children under 10 years old - or, similarly if you are in a flatmate situation - the person(s) who will be adopting the cat(s) should first book in to meet our fosters. We’ll arrange to meet kids and other members of your household only if you are shortlisted.

BOOKINGS

We strongly recommend that you do to guarantee your spot, especially if you want to visit us on weekends and during the school holidays (our peak trading time).
Furthermore, entry is by set session times and we do have a limit to how many people we can have in every session so we don’t overwhelm the cats which in turn leads to a better visitor experience.
The only way to book is via this website and payment will be required at time of booking - we do not take reservations by phone, email or Facebook.
We may accept walk-in bookings on the day for general entry but only if space allows. Please note that the general entry fee at the door is $2 more than if you booked online.
If you have booked, please do not bring extra people with you on the day who have not booked as we cannot guarantee we can accommodate them.
The only way to book is online via this website. We take debit/credit card payments or via PayPal (you do not need a PayPal account to book and make payment).
If your plans change, you are able to change or cancel your booking up until 72 hours prior. Please refer to your confirmation email - there is a button at the bottom to do this. If you have booked multiple entries, you will need to reschedule / cancel each one individually.
All bookings are non-refundable so if you do choose to cancel your booking, or not show up on the day, the booking amount will be treated as a donation to Purrs & Beans, contributing towards the cats’ care. For more information, check out our booking policy.
It’s $26.50 per person (applies to all persons attending) if you book online which gets you admission into our main cat area where our resident cats are. You may also be able to briefly visit our foster cats in the Mightycat Adoption Room, subject to availability and only if the cats are up for visitors.
If you do not have a booking and elect to just turn up on the day, please note we cannot guarantee entry. However, if space allows, the entry fee at the door is $26.50 per person. We accept cash, EFTPOS and major credit cards.
We are a small, independently run, social enterprise so all proceeds contribute towards the cats’ care and continual running of the premises which is their home.
Put simply, to keep the business sustainable, ongoing. We don’t do it for the money but we need it to keep our doors open.
We are a small, independently run, social enterprise. All proceeds contribute towards the cats’ care and continual running of the premises which is their home.
As both a café and a cat shelter, we have double the overheads and operating costs including regular vet bills. Our staff are also all paid employees and wages are a significant outgoing.
Similar to our general entry session, we also have a limit to the number of people we can accommodate in our Mightycat Adoption Room, which is quite a small space.
We are a small, independently run, social enterprise. All proceeds contribute towards the cats’ care and continual running of the premises which is their home.
In a regular fostering arrangement, the rescue would usually provide the foster home with food, litter and bedding. We do not ask this of our partner rescues - these are paid for by us.
Please note 100% of the adoption fee goes directly back to the rescue the cats have come from.
No, sorry. All bookings must be done via our website and payment will be required at time of booking.
We strongly discourage this. Entry is at set session times and we limit the amount of people in each session so as not to overwhelm the cats so we highly recommend booking online in advance to guarantee your spot. Walk-ins will only be accepted if space allows.
If you are intending on visiting during the weekend or the school holidays, and/or you’re visiting as a group (< 6 people), we would definitely ask you book in advance as we generally book out during this time.
If you have more than 6 people, please email us purrsandbeansnz@gmail.com to discuss options and what would work best. Please note we can only accommodate a maximum of 12 guests in our main cat area and session time will be determined by us - no exceptions.
Do not take matters into your own hands by booking across different sessions and turning up as a big group on the day assuming we will be able to accommodate you - we have set session times and capacity limits for a reason. If you have done this, we reserve the right to deny you entry and no refunds or reschedules will be granted.
No. Children aged 10 - 14 years old legally must be accompanied by a paying, supervising adult so the adult(s) must book in too.
To be absolutely clear, this means the adult(s) must be in the same space as the child(ren) and be actively monitoring them. We are not a childcare service, it is not our responsibility to look after your child(ren).
We strongly discourage this as we cannot guarantee we can accommodate extra people on the day.
The only way to guarantee entry is by booking online.
Yes, you can! At the booking calendar, once you select a session time select ‘Add a Time’ to book additional hours or ‘Recurring’ if you wanted to book sessions across multiple weeks.
If you’re looking to spend more than 1 hour with our cats, double sessions are available weekdays, Wednesday - Friday at 11am, subject to availability.
No. Our sessions have an “order of service” and having surplus people swap in and out causes additional movement that may stress our cats out which in turn impacts negatively on the visitor experience.
This means all sessions scheduled for that day are fully booked so there is no available spots to book. Noting that we are closed on Mondays, Tuesdays and public holidays, unless otherwise advertised.
There is no real "best time" to visit but cats are creatures of habit and our cats do have a bit of a routine so we have some idea of how they may behave depending on the time of day.
Generally they tend to be more active first thing in the morning (particularly on Wednesday morning after we've been closed for 2 days) and less so in the afternoon. Having said that, they are independent animals so we can never full predict their behaviour.
Remember, you are a guest in the cats’ home - they get to do what they want, when they want and our house rules are reflective of this. If you are hoping for “a show” in which the cats can be switched on to play on command, this experience is not for you.
No. Our cats are on specific vet-tailored diets which are taken care of with support from Hill’s Pet Nutrition. We also make sure to feed them at set times so we can better monitor their food intake.
Our age restriction (10+) has been in put place as part of our welfare plan in consultation with the SPCA and a cat behaviour specialist.
Please note the premise is our cats’ home and the cat areas have been designed to be tranquil spaces where you can chill out and relax with our kitties; it is not primarily set to be a place for children to engage in high energy activities.
Our operating days and hours are centered on what works best for the cats, what fits the needs of the business plus in line with demand.
As both a café and a cat shelter, we have double the overheads and operating costs including regular vet bills. Our staff are also all paid employees and wages are a significant outgoing.
We open shorter hours on weekdays and close for two days simply as it is not financially viable to open for longer / daily with less trade and visitors on these days due to majority of people being at work, study, etc.
Additionally, our cats’ welfare is a top priority and we believe it’s important that they get a break too and enjoy people-free days.
No - the entry fee gets you admission into our cat area for up to one hour for general entry, or up to 30 minutes for adoption room entry.
It is entirely your choice if you wish to have a cuppa or bite during your stay.
Please note we are a small, independently run, social enterprise. All proceeds - including food and drink sales - contribute towards the cats’ care and continual running of the premises which is their home.
You can redeem this yourself when booking via our website. Enter the voucher code when you get to the payment part of the booking process.
If the code is not working, please email us on purrsbeansbookings@gmail.com so we can double check the code.

GROUP BOOKINGS & PRIVATE HIRE

If you have more than 6 people, please email us purrsandbeansnz@gmail.com to discuss options and what would work best. Please note we can only accommodate a maximum of 12 guests in our main cat area and session time will be determined by us - no exceptions.
Do not take matters into your own hands by booking across different sessions and turning up as a big group on the day assuming we will be able to accommodate you - we have set session times and capacity limits for a reason. If you have done this, we reserve the right to deny you entry and no refunds or reschedules will be granted.
If you’d like to have the space to yourselves, check out our private bookings page for more information, options, and estimated costs.
Please check out our private bookings page for more information, options and estimated costs.
The age restriction still applies and please note we can only accommodate a maximum of 12 guests in our main cat area and session time will be determined by us - no exceptions.
Additional requirements like catering can be organized within reason and with enough notice - just let us know of any special requests and we’ll see if we can make it happen!
Please check out our private bookings page for more information, options and estimated costs.
While we would love to host your group, please be aware we are not a high-energy environment catered for younger kids so as such we are not really a suitable venue for a children’s birthday party / school holiday activity.
We are set up as a tranquil space where people can come to relax with our cats. The premises is our cats’ home so it is imperative that a calm and quiet atmosphere is maintained in the cat areas at all times.
Please only consider us if you are confident the children attending can be calm around the cats, and that the adult(s) attending will be actively supervising them - it is not our responsibility to monitor your children. There needs to be 1 supervising adult with every 5 children attending - no exceptions.
Our cats’ welfare is the most important thing so if we believe our cats are feeling stressed and the children are not listening to our instruction we reserve the right to cut your time short and request your group leave. No refunds will be issued.

REFUND & EXCHANGE POLICY

All bookings are non-refundable and not exchangeable for cash or store credit. Your booking amount will be treated as a donation which contributes towards our cats’ care.
For more information, check out our booking policy.
If your booking is over 72 hours (3 days) away then you can reschedule this yourself. You do this by clicking on the ‘Change/Cancel Appointment’ button at the bottom of your confirmation email - please make sure you reschedule all entries if you have booked multiple.
Any change in booking day or time under 72 hours may be granted at management’s discretion but is not a given. Please email us purrsandbeansnz@gmail.com or you can ring us 09 379 8966 during our opening hours.
Rescheduling the day before or on the day of your booking is not possible unless it is an emergency. We reserve the right to deny your request if we deem it unreasonable. Your booking amount will then be treated as a donation which contributes towards our cats’ care.
For more information, check out our booking policy.
The safety of our guests and team are important to us. If you have cold, flu or Covid-19 symptoms, if you test positive, or you must self-isolate, we may - at our discretion - allow you to reschedule your booking, but only once, and within a set time frame.
Alternatively, we would greatly appreciate it if you elect to donate your booking amount instead which will contribute towards our cats’ care.
For more information, check out our booking policy.

ADOPTIONS

Our resident cats are not up for adoption but the foster cats we care for in our dedicated adoption room - the Mightycat Adoption Room - are. Learn more about our adoption process.
Adoption fees range between $100 and $220 per cat depending on the age of the cat and which rescue they are from. This contributes towards their desexing surgery, microchip (implantation and register), flea and worm treatment as well as their first vaccination. All cats will also have free pet insurance from Pet-n-Sur for the first 30 days.
Successful adoption requests with us also receive a small bag of Hill’s Pet Nutrition kitten food, a take-home pack with lots of goodies for your new fur baby as well as a full handover on collection day.
We run our adoptions quite differently and it does take time as we do not view our foster cats as being for sale but up for adoption. This means we choose who we feel is the best fit for the foster cats in our care. There is quite a rigorous process that we undertake as we are committed to matching every foster cat in our care with the family that best suits their needs.
For households with flatmates, family members and/or children under 10 years old, in the first instance the person(s) who would be adopting should book in a visit. If you get shortlisted then we will arrange to meet all other members of the household.
We do charge an entry fee to meet our foster cats which contributes towards their care. In a regular fostering arrangement, the rescue would usually provide the foster home with food, litter and bedding. We do not ask this of our partner rescues - these are paid for by us.
Please note 100% of the adoption fee goes directly back to the rescue the cats have come from.
Learn more about our adoption process.
The first step is to meet our foster cats and actually spend time with them so you get a sense of their personality and see whether you strike a bond with any cat in particular.
To meet our foster cats, you can either book in general entry for a quick ‘meet and greet’ during your session or you can make a booking request into the adoption room here.
We will never adopt a cat to you if you’ve not met them yet. A big part of the process is you taking the time to get to know who might be your potential new furry family member and equally for us to ascertain if you would be a good fit with the cat(s) you are considering.
We do receive lots of expressions of interest and we do this while juggling our full-time jobs as well so please be patient to hear back. Following up with us or resending your expression of interest will not expedite this process.
Please note filling this form does not guarantee adoption. Out of consideration for the time and energy that goes into considering all expressions of interest, please do not apply on a whim and please do not submit one when we are not taking expressions of interest for the cat you are interested in.
Apply only when we are taking expressions of interest for the cat(s) you’re considering, you are certain that you are ready + able to adopt and that you meet the adoption criteria.
The safety of our team and visitors are extremely important to us so if, when and how we run our adoptions will be guided by Ministry of Health guidelines and government instruction.
Please note we will never conduct our adoptions contactless as we don’t believe in a “takeaway cat” and how we run them makes it impossible.

FOOD & DRINK

NOTE: As our main experience is time with our cats, do note that while we have a full beverage menu, we only have afternoon-tea style snacks on the food front. We are not a dine-in café so there won't be hot / plated meals available. With our drinks, they will be covered for food and cat safety reasons - you will need to either rent a cup with us ($4; refundable at the end of your session) or purchase a 20c single use takeaway cup. Alternatively, feel free to bring your own covered keep cup for a 50c discount!

If you’re planning on ordering food and drink to enjoy with your cat time, we recommend arriving 5-10 minutes before your session so we can get your order in before you head in to hang with our cats.

We have the usual coffee fare (our beans come from local roastery beSpecialty just down the road) and a wide range of loose leaf teas from T2. We also have a variety of bottled drinks as well as smoothies and frappes.
As for food, we have a limited range of sweet bites and savoury snacks from Kookie Haus, Pandoro and Rocket Kitchen. Please note we are not a dine-in establishment - we do not serve plated meals or offer an à la carte menu.
You will be able to enjoy your drinks and snacks in the cat area though we do ask you to not leave your food unattended. Our drinks are served in covered vessels as part of our food safety plan (and to keep the fur out!) and our food options are all easy to eat quickly.
Where possible we endeavour to have options to cater to all dietary requirements.
Check out our menu.
Yes, you're more than welcome to grab a coffee and bite to go! Feel free to pop down to the back (where our carpark is) to say hi to the cats via our catio while you wait for your order to be prepared.
No. We are not a dine-in establishment. Our main offering is time with our cats in a dedicated space.
We do have a full beverage menu and limited sweet and savoury options which you can order to enjoy during your session or to take away after your session.
No. Only food and drink purchased from us can be consumed on our premises.
If you do have food and drink with you - even if it’s not to have during your session - you will still not be able to bring this into the cat area and we will store this for you.

THE CATS

All of our cats have come from different rescues and we have a particular focus on older cats and ones with special needs.
As a general rule of thumb the cats tend to be more active first thing in the morning (particularly on Wednesday morning after we've been closed for 2 days) and less so in the afternoon. Having said that, they are independent animals so we can never fully predict their behaviour.
No. Cats have high stranger instincts so generally don't like being handled or picked up especially if they don't know you.
This may be disappointing but trust us - it will lead to a much better visitor experience. It’s always that much more special too when a cat chooses you!
No, our cats live an indoor only lifestyle. For some of our cats - e.g. Lady Mary who is deaf or Gigi who has only 3 legs - this is necessary for their safety.
Absolutely not. It is a common misconception in New Zealand, and in some parts of the world, that cats must have access to the outdoors to be fully contented. This is not true. Cats can live incredibly fulfilled lives inside with some effort from their human guardians. Additionally cats who live indoor only have been proven to live longer.
We are passionate advocates for the indoor only lifestyle and have made a big effort to ensure our cats’ home is an enriching environment that encourages them to still exercise their ‘raw cat’. The cat spaces have been designed especially with cats in mind - there are many cozy nooks, comfy beds and different options of vertical height plus a 13m deck which we have converted into a catio where our cats can enjoy the outdoors in a secure way.
Our resident cats live full time at Purrs & Beans and do not go outside. They do have access to a 13m catio during the day which they thoroughly enjoy! We have taken great care in ensuring we have provided our cats with a comfortable and enriching environment where they get to live their best lives - in a secure way.

Frequently Asked Questions

THE BASICS

How does it work?

Why do you charge an entry fee?

What are your operating hours?

Where are you located?

Do you have customer parking?

Do you have disability access?

I am allergic to cats. Is it still alright for me to visit as long as I take anti-histamines beforehand?

Can I bring my own cat?

Can I just come over and have a look from the outside?

Can I bring food to feed the cats?

Do you accept food, or other item, donations?

I have a cat that I need to rehome. Can I drop them off with you?

Can I purchase treats from you to feed to the cats?

AGE RESTRICTION

Do you have an age restriction?

My children are under 10. Is there any way they can visit?

I would like to adopt from you but my children are under 6. How do I proceed?

BOOKINGS

Do I need to book ahead of time?

How do I book?

How much does it cost?

Why do you charge an entry fee?

I am only interested in adopting - why do I still need to book?

Can I just reserve my spot and only pay on the day?

Can I just show up on the day?

I have more than 6 people / I would like to make a group booking. What do I do?

Can I book for my child(ren) and drop them off?

Can I bring extra people with me who have not booked?

Can I book multiple sessions?

Can one entry be split among multiple people?

I am trying to book but cannot see any sessions on the date I have selected?

When is the best time to book?

Will I be able to feed the cats during my session?

Why do you not offer sessions for younger kids under the age of 10?

Why are you not open every day and why are you not open for longer on some days?

Does my booking include a drink?

I have a gift voucher. How do I redeem this?

GROUP BOOKINGS & PRIVATE HIRE

I have more than 6 people / I would like to make a group booking. What do I do?

I would like to bring a group in and have the space to ourselves. What do I do?

I would like to book a birthday party for my child / session as an activity for our school holiday programme. What do I do?

REFUND & EXCHANGE POLICY

I have changed my mind / I can no longer attend / I missed my booking / I booked too many entries. Can I get a refund?

I have booked but need to change the day/time - what do I do?

I am experiencing Covid symptoms / I have tested positive for Covid / I am considered a close contact to a positive case so must isolate. Can I get a refund?

ADOPTIONS

Are your cats up for adoption?

How much is the adoption fee and what does it include?

I am interested in adopting from you. How does it work?

I am interested in adopting. Do I just fill in the expression of interest form?

I have filled in an expression of interest form but have not heard back. Why have I not heard back?

How do the adoptions run if there are any COVID-19 restrictions in place?

FOOD & DRINK

What kind of food and drink do you serve?

Can I just pop in for a takeaway coffee and snack?

Do you have a lunch / ala carte menu?

Can I bring my own food and drink?

THE CATS

Where are your cats from?

When are your cats most active?

Can I pick up the cats?

Do your cats ever go outside?

Isn’t it cruel to keep cats inside?

Where do the cats go at night?

OTHER QUESTIONS

Were you the same cat café as the one that was in Glenfield?

I love what you’re about and would love to support - what can I do?

How do I get a job with you?

Do you take volunteers?

I would like to write a story/ make a video on Purrs & Beans. Who do I contact?