Closed Cat Shops
The Cat Shop, The Lanes, Brighton - owner retired to Spain we understand
Cat Out of the Bag - shops in Canterbury, Eton & Bath and the reason we moved North to York to open The Cat Gallery. COOTB went into Administration in 2006
Cats By Design - Leamington Spa, closed mid 2000's
Nothing But the Cat, Canterbury, closed mid 2000's
Just Cats, Ely, closed mid 2000's?
Cat Shop (unknown name), Bourton on the Water, closed late 2000's
Galerie du Chat, Paris - this is now just an online business
Donna R, Frankfurt - apparently closed around 2013
Cat Shops still Trading in 2016
The Cat Gallery, 45 Low Petergate, York, YO1 7HT, UK
CatLovers, Obere Hauptgasse 27 (Altstadt), CH-3600, Thun (This is a very nice shop and definitely worth a visit if you are in the area). Update May 2016 - their website says they had to close in August 2015 to make way for parking improvements in Thun. no indication yet that they have re-opened. If they have, please let us know!
Cat's Gallery, Tynska 9, Praha 1 - We've just discovered that this shop exists. We feel slightly flattered by the choice of name! Hope it has some nice things. It could be a good excuse for a short break later in the year. If it happens, we'll definitely report back on it.
As you can see, certainly in Europe, there don't seem to be many cat shops left. But perhaps you know of one that we don't?
Please rack your brains and if you remember visiting a cat shop in the past, let us know via the contact form on our website. If you've got a photo, so much the better. If you know when you visited, better still. Our aim is to check out all suggestions and eventually publish an updated list of cat shops.
To qualify as a "Cat Shop" it needs to be devoted to cats and it needs to be a proper shop that can be visited by members of the public. Personally, I wouldn't include a shelf or two of cat toys/ornaments in a veterinary clinic/cattery environment. It needs to be a place where, as a cat lover, you'd feel excited to be visiting!