Cat cuddles at Grounded Paws Cat Café in Traralgon (Australia)
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Grounded Paws Cat Café in Traralgon (Victoria, Australia) is not only a wonderful cat café, it’s the only one in the Gippsland region.
Fundraising and adoption are the main aims of the café with visitors having the chance to interact with kittens and cats to see if they are a match. However, there is absolutely no pressure placed on visitors to adopt an animal. You can visit, have a play, enjoy the company of the cats, then leave without any pressure.
About Grounded Paws Animal Rescue
Grounded Paws Animal Rescue (GPAR) is a Traralgon based rescue group which is privately/personally funded. GPAR has a focus on rescuing and rehoming cats and dogs to avoid them being euthanised.
Animals can be adopted with the fees covering vet costs and other costs involved with getting them ready for their new homes.
I love the name Grounded Paws and their Facebook page explains the meaning behind the name:
“The name ‘Grounded Paws’ has meaning behind it. Many people say when people find themselves in a good situation “you’ve found your feet!” and in an animal sense it’s “they’ve landed on their paws”. Grounded paws goes on to say that the “animals in our care have landed on their paws and they will forever stay grounded.”
What to expect at the Cat Café
The cat lounge
The lounge area has plenty of chairs and couches to relax on. Entertainment for the cats is provided by the toys, cat running wheel, scratching posts and anything else they deem “fun”. This in turn entertains the humans so everyone is happy!
If the cats need to take a break they can go into a cats-only area and come back out when they are ready.
As noted above, if you fall in love you can apply to adopt your new friend!
The Café
You can visit the café area without going into the cat lounge section if you just want some food and drink. There is a variety of food and drink on offer at reasonable prices.
Otherwise, grab yourself a drink to take into the lounge area and see you can avoid it becoming a play toy for the cats!
SUPPORT | Can’t make it to the Traralgon Cat Café but want to help Grounded Paws Animal Rescue? Information on making donations to GPAR can be found on Facebook and Instagram.
Cost
A 30min session is only $5. Booking should be made in advance by calling (03) 4112 2018.
The cat café is open 7 days a week from 10am – 5pm.
There are no age limits for the cat lounge and children are welcome provided they are supervised by an adult.
Getting there
The Grounded Paws Cat Café is located at 23 McMahon St, Traralgon, Victoria, Australia. Ample street parking is available.
Public transport will get you close to the Cat Café by catching the No45 Traralgon North bus from the Traralgon Stockland Plaza bus stop. Jump off at the Park Lane/McMahon Road stop, or Princes Highway stop outside the Traralgon Vet Centre and walk the rest (450m or 350m respectively) as shown in the map below. More details on the Public Transport Victoria website.
Look for the large signage and purple letterbox!
How long to stay
The standard session time of 30 minutes is long enough to get a cat-fix. But feel free to ask if there is availability in the next session!
Since the café area is separate to the cat lounge you can relax in the café after your session.
Tips for visiting
Top 5 tips for the Grounded Paws Cat Café:
- Arrive early so you don’t miss any of your session
- Stay strong so you don’t adopt 100 cats (although if that’s what you want, then go for it!)
- Children need to be actively supervised
- Allow the cats to come to you but don’t pick them up
- Be kind to the cats and all the wonderful volunteers
An extra tip – the venue can smell a little of kitty litter which is completely understandable due to the number of cats. The facility is cleaned frequently though. But if you are very sensitive to smell, or visiting with someone who is sensitive, then you might want to keep this in mind.
Where to stay
Needing accommodation for your visit to the Cat Café? Traralgon has a range of options from caravan parks, hotels, serviced apartments and B&Bs. If you are travelling with children the Big 4 Park Lane Caravan Park is excellent.
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Places to eat
Grounded Paws has a small café area with hot drinks and a small selection of food/sweets. Otherwise head into the main Traralgon area for wide range of options.
Is the Grounded Paws Cat Café worth visiting?
I love the concept of the Grounded Paws Cat Café where all the cats and kittens are available for adoption! How wonderful to have a play and see if you bond with a feline friend. This is so much better than purchasing a cat from a pet store or adopting them without ever meeting.
The cat café is a unique activity to do in Traralgon and you will leave feline paws-itive (sorry terrible pun!).
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