Discover Pause Cat Café in Bournemouth, a welcoming independent café where rescue cats, delicious vegetarian and vegan food, and community spirit come together. Meet the resident cats, enjoy coffee and homemade treats, and unwind in a peaceful setting on Old Christchurch Road. With a strong commitment to animal welfare, supported volunteering and ethical eating, Pause offers a unique Bournemouth experience that is about much more than spending time with cats.
21st September 2026
For cat lovers, coffee drinkers and anyone in need of a calmer kind of day out, Pause Cat Café offers one of Bournemouth’s most heart-warming experiences.
Located on Old Christchurch Road, this peaceful café is home to ten rescue cats, each with a distinctive personality and a story of their own. Guests can settle down with something delicious, watch the cats explore their specially designed surroundings and, if one chooses to wander over, enjoy some gentle feline company.
But Pause is much more than a café with cats. Animal welfare, ethical eating, volunteering and community support all sit at the heart of what it does - and that is precisely why Bournemouth Lifestyle loves it.
The real stars of Pause are its resident rescue cats: Clifford, Liquorice, Bear, Petrus, Marijke, Max, Sweetcheeks, Michelle, Noodle and Poppet.
Visitors are welcome to move around the café and spend time with the different personalities, although the cats always decide whether they would like to play, socialise or enjoy an uninterrupted nap.
That respect for the animals is important. Guests are asked not to pick up, chase, feed or wake the cats, and photography is welcome as long as the flash is switched off. These thoughtful rules help ensure the café remains a relaxed home for its residents rather than simply an attraction for visitors.
You may find one cat curled up in a bunk bed, another watching the room from a shelf and a more sociable resident arriving beside your table to investigate. No two visits are likely to feel quite the same.
Pause grew from founder Jaya’s relationship with Rooney, a timid rescue cat who gradually became more confident after finding a loving home. While Rooney’s life changed, Jaya found that his companionship also brought happiness and comfort during difficult times.
That experience inspired the idea of creating a place where people and animals could benefit from spending time together.
For people who cannot keep a pet because of their home, lifestyle or circumstances, Pause offers an opportunity to enjoy the company of cats in a welcoming setting. For the resident cats, it provides a secure home filled with comfortable resting places, climbing areas, toys and plenty of carefully managed attention.
The result is a space that feels warm, characterful and genuinely purposeful.
The menu follows the same kind approach. Pause supports smaller ethical businesses and serves vegetarian and vegan food, with gluten-free options also available.
The sample menu includes comforting choices such as a homemade veggie burger, vegan macaroni cheese, soup, nachos, filled sandwiches, wraps, jacket potatoes and salads. Those stopping for something sweet might find Dorset apple cake, chocolate brownies, scones or the café’s changing dessert of the day.
Drinks include Bad Hand coffee, teas, fresh juices, smoothies and plant-based milkshakes. The cat-themed names add a little fun too, with choices such as the Cat-paw-cino, Meowicano, Es-purr-esso and Pina-cat-lada.
As the menu can change from day to day, guests should check the latest selection when visiting and speak to the team about allergies or particular dietary requirements.
One of the most special things about Pause is the role it plays beyond its tables.
The café provides supported volunteer placements for people with learning difficulties, physical disabilities and mental or physical health conditions. These placements are designed to help people develop skills, confidence and experience within a welcoming environment.
Volunteers can become involved in café service, food preparation, administration, welcoming guests and cat care. It gives Pause an added sense of community and makes every booking part of something bigger.
The café also hosts occasional activities and special experiences, which have included children’s workshops, high tea and cat yoga. Its events calendar is worth checking if you are looking for an especially memorable visit.
Standard visits last for one hour, with longer stays available by reserving consecutive slots. Pause recommends booking online, particularly if you are making a special journey, visiting with children or require an accessible table.
A £5-per-person hourly cat-care cover charge is currently listed on the café’s website. This is separate from any food and drink ordered and goes towards caring for the resident rescue cats.
Children are welcome, but specific tables must be reserved for guests under 13 and under-16s must be accompanied by an adult. The ground floor has wheelchair-friendly tables and an accessible toilet, while the café’s lower level is reached by stairs.
Walk-ins may be accommodated when space is available, but advance booking is the safest option as the café can become full.
Pause Cat Café captures something we particularly value in a local independent business: it offers an enjoyable experience while making a positive difference.
It is somewhere to slow down, share lunch with a friend, spend time with rescue cats and step away from the busyness of Bournemouth town centre for an hour. At the same time, every visit supports the cats’ welfare and helps Pause continue its valuable community work.
Quirky, comforting and created with genuine kindness, this is one Bournemouth café that leaves its visitors with plenty to smile about.
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