Gotta Go to Gato!

All the scoop on Philly’s new cat café

Jackie Starker got the idea for a full-service cat café and adoption center after a trip to Japan in 2017, where cat cafés were all the rage. She wanted to blend the welcoming, interactive atmosphere of these cafés with the practicality of U.S. adoption centers.

Her vision came to life as Get A Gato, a fun and safe haven for cats and humans, which opened its doors at 638 Christian St. on April 13th. 🙌🐈🐈‍⬛☕

When you enter Get A Gato, you encounter a trendy café decorated with fun neon signs, eye-catching cat-shaped details, plenty of seating, and a wide variety of cat-themed merchandise and toys. Through a large window, you can see the cat room where feline friends are either napping, playing, or engaging with visitors.

The café’s extensive menu is a reflection of Starker’s Colombian heritage. Some highlights include empanadas and churros from Cafe Tinto in North Philly, bolinhos (sweet cakes) and sonhos (sourdough donuts) from Kouklet Brazilian Bakehouse in South Philly, and a rice pudding based on a recipe by Starker’s abuelita (grandmother). The shop also offers a variety of coffee, tea, lattes, and kombucha on tap.

Each first Monday of the month, the café hosts trivia nights featuring mocktails named after adoptable cats. Past favorites include “The Clay” (an Olipop* Root Beer Float) and “The Little Miss” (a Peach Passion Fruit Bellini). During my visit, I enjoyed a Matcha mocktail before heading to the cat room to play with Miss Matcha herself.  *Olipop makes healthy alternatives to soda that come in traditional flavors and contain prebiotics, botanicals, and natural plant fiber.

While drinks are allowed in the cat room, food is not, ensuring a clean and safe environment for the cats and guests. Sanitation is taken very seriously to protect the cats; patrons must sanitize their hands and remove their shoes before and after entering the cat room.

Get A Gato houses about eight cats regularly, with plans to increase this number to a dozen as they grow their operation. It’s important for the staff to find the balance between having plenty of cats to play with and providing exceptional care while not overcrowding the cats’ space.

The residents have plenty of five-star entertainment options, including Bird TV (it’s exactly what it sounds like – birds doing bird stuff on the TV – the cats’ favorite show!), pheromone plugins, and plenty of toys to help new arrivals feel at home. Green, yellow, and red collars signal each cat’s comfort level with human contact.

“Right now, our cats are getting adopted faster than we can bring them in,” says the owner, “which isn’t a bad problem to have, but we also want to make sure we have enough cats for visitors.”

The cats at Gato are provided by Fishtails Animal Rescue. Coming from foster homes, these cats are usually accustomed to home life and other cats, which helps ensure a smoother transition to their new homes.

Starker’s collaboration with Fishtails began with fostering a cat named Babs Bunny. Since then, Fishtails has helped the café foster and place nearly 50 cats, including litters of sick newborn kittens, seniors scheduled to be euthanized, and cats abandoned on the streets.

For those who fall in love with a new friend at Gato, adopting a cat involves applying through Fishtails Animal Rescue, who require references, landlord information (for renters), and a phone interview.

Get a Gato is a nonprofit organization, and all proceeds from Get A Gato go directly toward caring for their cats. Visits to the café require a donation of $10 for 30 minutes or $15 for 50 minutes, which helps fund food, litter, toys, staff, and utilities. contributes to the well-being of these cats.

Ticket sales fund food, litter, toys, staff, and utilities. There’s also a Chewy Wish List with lots of items across a wide price range that the cafe/rescue would really appreciate.

The café serves as a community hub for cat lovers. Along with trivia, they host special events, like Date Night for two with dinner and a movie, drag story time, cat yoga, and more! Check their website calendar for all upcoming events. 🐈😸🐈‍⬛

For more information or to apply to adopt or foster a cat, reach out online or stop by the café to meet your new best friend!

🐾❓ Feeling Like a Foster?
Become a foster for the cafe! They’re always looking for short-term fosters for 3-6 week quarantine periods. Medical costs and supplies are covered by Fishtails. 💕

Get a Gato Cat Cafe
638 Christian St. (Bella Vista) map
Open seven days, 8AM – 7PM
getagato.com
FACEBOOK
INSTAGRAM
meow@getagato.com

🗣️ COMMENTS WELCOME! 🙌

What do you think?  Please leave your comments below, and catch up with me on Instagram @gingersliketoeat. If you enjoyed this feature, please check out last month’s column on Matines, an authentic Parisian cafe (and market, and souvenir shop) in Chestnut Hill.