What is Java Whiskers?
Java Whiskers is a cat café with a rehoming programme: every cat in its lounges is a rescue waiting for a home. The original café opened on Great Portland Street in Marylebone in October 2020, a two-floor townhouse with a glass ceiling about eight minutes' walk from Oxford Circus. The larger White City café followed in December 2022 beside Westfield Square, with outdoor seating and a drinks licence. Each has a Cat Lounge and a Kitten Lounge, which the brand describes as Europe's only kitten lounges. The cats come from two partner rescues, Furry Ears Rescue at White City and The Scratching Post at Marylebone, and the company says more than 1,000 cats have found homes through its cafés. Adopting means an application, a review with the rescue and a home visit, and the rescue's fee covers microchipping, neutering, vaccinations, a vet check and flea treatment.
How much does a visit cost?
Entry is a timed ticket per person, and food and drink are paid for separately. On the White City booking pages in October 2026, a 55-minute Cat Lounge session cost £16.99 on a weekday and £19.99 at the weekend, and a 1 hour 55 minute weekday session £27.99. The Kitten Lounge costs more: £21.99 for 55 minutes on a weekday and £24.99 on a Saturday. Marylebone's weekday Cat Lounge price was the same £16.99. Children pay the adult price, because the ticket covers lounge time. Afternoon tea, served in the Cat Lounge on Thursdays and Sundays between 12 and 5pm, is £54.50 a head including 1 hour 25 minutes of entry. From the café menu, a flat white is £4.30 and a slice of cake £6.25. Evening events at White City ran from £39.99 for Paws & Paint to £44.99 for Kitten Yoga.
Who can visit, and what is it like?
The Cat Lounge takes guests aged six and over, with one adult for every two under-16s. The Kitten Lounge is 10+ at weekends and in school holidays, though the booking page opens it to over-sixes on term-time weekdays. Groups top out at six (larger parties book private hire), both cafés are cashless, and guests are asked to arrive 15 minutes early. Shoes come off in the lounges, and picking up or feeding the cats isn't allowed. Both White City lounges are wheelchair accessible; at Marylebone the Cat Lounge is on the ground floor, but the Kitten Lounge is downstairs and isn't. The café's own terms point out that cats sleep 15 to 18 hours a day and may not be awake during a visit, and that is the commonest complaint. Its small, unclaimed Trustpilot page (2.9 out of 5 from eight reviews in October 2026) mentions sleeping cats, busy rooms and prices, and a DesignMyNight reviewer in January 2025 felt the Marylebone lounge let in too many visitors at once.
Can you cancel or change a booking?
Yes, with a full refund up to 48 hours before the visit. Inside 48 hours a booking can only be moved, and rebooking closes 12 hours before the slot, through the link in the confirmation email. Gift cards and event tickets aren't refundable. Walk-ins are welcome when there's room, though the café says its lounges often sell out at weekends.
How can you pay less at Java Whiskers?
Going on a weekday is the simplest saving: the same 55-minute Cat Lounge session costs £3 less from Monday to Friday. Both café pages say students and over-60s get 10% off on weekdays, and in October 2026 White City's booking page also listed a Blue Light Card ticket at the same discount and a carer ticket at £8.50. The codes on this page have tended to be midweek discounts on cat and kitten sessions. Kitten Yoga regulars can buy a five-class pass at 15% off or a ten-class pass at 25% off, and Kids Pass lists 10% off weekday lounge bookings for its members. Gift cards last 12 months but only work at the café they were bought for, and a £29 birthday kit (tote bag, mug, card, and a pastry with a hot drink) can be added to a booking.