A Purrfect Sunday Morning at Catpawcino

Sorry about the title - I do love a good pun!        A few weekends ago, my sister Lucy and I headed along to Catpawcino on Newcastle's Quayside, one of two cat cafés in the city center. I'd never been to one before, but I understood the idea of it being somewhere you can go to sit and have a coffee and meet some new furry friends.
Taking off our shoes and heading into the café - make sure you remember your socks - we were reminded of the rules in place. Some of them are fairly standard, like don't pick up the cats, or feed them your own treats you've brought along, take photos without the flash and don't wake sleeping cats. Given that Lucy and I are used to having cats around, none of this came as a surprise, but if you're visiting for the first time and perhaps haven't had moggies as pets before then it's a good reminder.
Catpawcino have a great spot on the quayside and given the Sunday market was on, a lot of people walking past would look in the windows and see the cats playing, interacting with each other and sleeping. It certainly is a good spot for the cats too, not only for the attention they get, but for things to look out at during the day. 
With a garden feel, it's very bright and airy with plenty of toys and areas for the cats to explore, scratch and climb. We were particularly fond of the hanging chairs and it seems Betty, a British blue with the biggest golden eyes, also is too, since she was quick to jump in when I stood up! Although shy at first, she soon realised how much fuss she could get from us. She was also pretty intrigued by our drinks too - as you can see from the way she's eyeing up Lucy's Bowl Tea, which was packed with fruit and served in a cat teapot - would you expect anything less?
There's such a mix of breeds and ages in the café, with Scottish Folds (the ones with the little folded over ears) the fluffiest Ragdolls and Point Birmans, and some shorthairs too. They all have different temperaments, some can be a bit cheeky, whilst some are happy just napping away. Cats do sleep up to 16 hours a day though!
Lucy had been to other cat cafés before and said this one was a better one, the cats had more space to run around, it was brighter - and we had some great lighting in the window seats, as you'll see from the photos. I think she'll be wanting to go back. Luckily she didn't try to sneak one into her bag to bring home... Pretty sure it would've been Betty if she did!
Have you been to a cat café? What did you think?