Leeds Kitty Cafe: Popular Leeds cat cafe reopens this winter four months after its roof collapsed

The cat cafe based in Kirkgate, Leeds, saw an extensive amount of damage in August this year and while no cats or people were harmed, the level of wreckage meant the cafe had to close. The severe damage left the site uninhabitable for cats and unsafe for customers to visit and due to Covid, cost of living crisis, spike in energy prices, supply issues and this incident, staff at Leeds Kitty Cafe were unsure if the business could withstand any more.

However, following a lot of support from the public and progress in renovating the cafe, the admin team has revealed that it will reopen after all. In the meantime, the public can continue to support the cafe by visiting the Kitty Cafe donation page.

The Leeds branch was first opened in December 2017 after a former Yorkshire bank was converted on Kirkgate by the owner Katie Charles-Richards following the success of the original Kitty Cafe branch in Nottingham. Since then, the cafe has been a roaring success with customers from all over the country visiting the establishment. The cafe can accommodate 35 cats all of whom are up for adoption.

What happened to Leeds Kitty Cafe?

Overnight on August 5, 2022 the floor from the old Debenhams shop above the cafe collapsed and caved into Kitty Cafe. This is believed to be caused by a leak.

Luckily all cats were safe as it happened at night when they were all safely sequestered in the cattery.

A couple of days after the incident, Kitty Cafe posted on its Facebook page: “I just wanted to say a huge thank you from the bottom of our hearts for the out-pouring of love and support for Kitty Cafe Leeds.

“We are devastated to be closed, but as always, it is the power of the support we get from you guys that gives us fire to keep fighting, and fight we will.

“As I am sure you can all appreciate, it is very complicated to get this sorted with all the different parties involved and the main concern and issue being what is unseen at the moment. Next week will be telling about the extent of the damage and what the next steps will be.

“Please just know the cats are being cared for currently until we have a firm plan in place. They are all chilling and getting lots of treats.

“I do want to say the amount of requests to donate has had me in tears about the kindness of you all - it really is making a difference, allowing us to cover expenses around the cats right now and upcoming expenses relating to the incident.”

When will Leeds Kitty Cafe reopen?

It has been confirmed that the cafe will reopen and the date is likely to be December 5, in time for the festive season.