Piątkowe Picie: My Visit to the Cat Cafe in Gdynia, Biały Kot Kocia Kawiarnia, Kashubia!

“Curiosity killed the cat” – Anonymous.

On my return to the gorgeous Baltic Coast city of Gdynia, there was time for a few new adventures and those that could equally have appeared on either Dziwaczne Odkrycia or indeed here at Piątkowe Picie. I headed to the Cat Cafe in Gdynia!!

Despite having backpacked the world for the most of my last 15 years, swallowing 1.5 centuries worth of countries and regions, I had never visited one of these “cat cafes” before. Gdynia was a top notch choice for this debut. While based in the charming Green House Hostel in Gdynia, and touring the sights and bars in the city, I headed to the Cat Cafe, known as Biały Kot Kocia Kawiarnia.

How to get to Biały Kot Kocia Kawiarnia
Gdynia is well connected to other parts of Poland. Trains regularly head to and from places like Warszawa, Pozzie (Poznan) and Szczecin. Plus it’s on the SKM route which also consumes Sopot and Gdansk, including the quirky Zaspa Area where I toured the pretty wall murals. Get out at Gdynia main train station and the Biały Kot Kocia Kawiarnia (Cat Cafe) is less than a ten minute walk.

The address: Władysława IV 7-15 lokal nr 4, 81-353 Gdynia

It’s a pleasant stroll through one of my favourite cities in Poland! Here are a few photos of Gdynia, I will write more about it separately.

Kashubia, Poland or Pomerania?
The burning question is where is Gdynia really? Is it in Kashubia, Poland or Pomerania? As a huge believer in separatism, evident from my visits to unrecognised countries such as Krolestwo Dreamlandu, Transnistria, Uzupis and Nagorno Karabakh, I liked the idea of saying that Gdynia is in Kashubia!

Gdynia, Kashubia – in Kashubian Gdynia, you can visit Kashubian Square, just a few minutes walk from the Cat Cafe…flags and nationalism for a country that has its own language and culture, yet clearly sits inside Poland!

But it’s clear you are also in Poland here too – and the Province of Pomerania…

Opening Hours of Biały Kot Kocia Kawiarnia
Of course opening hours can change and I was slightly upset that it doesn’t open until 11 am, I am a person who enjoys a nice early morning coffee. They kept me waiting, as you can see I was there before it opened. On Fridays and Saturdays it stays open until 9 pm, the rest of the week, it closes at 8pm.

Ordering at the Biały Kot Kocia Kawiarnia, Gdynia
To order, you simply go in through the main door to the ordering room. There are no cats in this room, it is like a hall type room, on route to the main cafe. Prices are reasonable, I opted for a coffee with milk (kawa z mlekiem)

Cats at the Biały Kot Kocia Kawiarnia, Gdynia
Let’s be honest – there are coffee shops everywhere! So the real draw and main pull here is the cats! Once you have ordered, you go inside and must close the door behind. You must also “be approved by the cats”, but it would be quite rare the cats don’t like you! Also, if you are allergic to cats, then sadly, it is probably not the place for you. I went inside, where I took a seat and turned my laptop on, ready to use the WiFi.

WiFi was fast, there are cosy seats and chairs, tables are well placed and there are chargers for your phones, laptops etc. Most impressively, there are about 15 cats, all parading, sleeping here in harmony!!

Within a few minutes, my order is ready and I go to the window to collect it. I sit down and am joined by a cool black cat on my table. What’s beautiful is that the cats don’t disturb the coffee, but they do want our love and stroking.

Don’t go overboard with the stroking, but certainly it is welcome and the cats want to be loved and we want to love the cats, so it’s very pleasant and mutual.

As you can tell it was a new and exciting experience for me. Sadly I was only in Gdynia on a short trip on route to my nudist beach reader tour to Miedzyzdroje, but I would love to spend a full afternoon in here, working on my computer, surrounded by cats, good coffee, some cake and a peaceful pleasant environment.

If you love cats, cafes, wifi or just something a little bit cool – then this is the place for you! You can find them on Facebook:

Cat Cafe Gdynia on Facebook

Władysława IV 7-15 lokal nr 4, 81-353 Gdynia, Poland
facebook.com
+48 58 620 65 05
Open now: 11am–8pm

Here is a video I made in the wonderful Biały Kot Kocia Kawiarnia, Gdynia: