Forget the days when crazy cat ladies were ridiculed and lonely. These days cats are embraced and are having their time to shine – move over dogs!

From cafes to theatre trips, we’re sharing our top date ideas for cat lovers.

Cat Cafes

A trend brought over to the UK from Japan, cat cafes are popping up all over the country. Have an afternoon tea surrounded by friendly cats and kittens, most of whom have been rescued from an animal shelter and given a loving home. Enjoy talking to your date and having a cuddle with the moggies at the same time. But make sure you don’t upset the cats – no one wants to be scratched on a date!

Lady Dinah’s Cat Emporium in Shoreditch, East London, was the first of it’s kind in the UK. It’s so popular that it can be fully booked up to 6 weeks in advance! So this might be a date that requires a bit of planning, rather than a spontaneous trip.

Big Cat Experiences

From London Zoo to Longleat, big cat experiences are available at most zoos and wildlife reserves. If you’re up for splashing the cash to show your date a good time, this is the experience for you.

Get up close and personal, not just with your date, but with the king of the jungle! Most big cat experiences let you feed the animals, take photos and watch them roam around their enclosures up close.

There are even experiences that let you stay in an overnight lodge, to make you feel like you’re really on safari. But be warned – with a hefty £750 price tag, you might want to make sure you really love your date first!

Cats The Musical

If you fancy something a little less… catty… then a trip to see Cats The Musical could be just the ticket. One of the UK’s longest running West End shows, Cats tells the story of the Jellicle tribe and their annual ball. Featuring amazing dancing and the famous musical number Memories, you’ll be hooked from the time you sit down.

Cats is currently on tour all over Europe, based in Manchester until 13th Feb and back touring the rest of the UK in the summer months.

We hope you enjoy trying out these feline friendly date ideas or at least got a little inspiration for your own. If you try any of them out, or come up with any of your own, let us know on Twitter using #JustSinglesDates.

Looking for your own animal lover to date? Simply use your search filters on the left-hand side to select people with ‘Animals’ as an interest.

Until next time,

The Just Singles Team