KattenKabinet Amsterdam: What to Know Before You Visit

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The KattenKabinet Amsterdam is exactly what it sounds like: a museum dedicated entirely to cats.

The moment I found out there was a cat museum in Amsterdam with actual resident cats, I knew I had to go. So I made time to visit one sunny Thursday afternoon — fully expecting to spend most of it trying to pet them.

That plan didn’t go as expected.

One ran off immediately. Another looked at me like I’d ruined his afternoon. And the third refused to wake up.

But once I stopped trying to charm the cats and started paying attention to the rooms themselves, I realised this little museum is more than just a cat-themed attraction. Set inside a 17th-century canal house on the Herengracht, it’s also a thoughtfully curated art collection and one of Amsterdam’s more unusual museums.

If you’re considering visiting the KattenKabinet in Amsterdam, here’s what to know before you go.

A black and white cat peacefully sleeping on a vintage patterned armchair, surrounded by ornate wood paneling and classic wallpaper.

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What Is the KattenKabinet Museum?

The KattenKabinet (or Cat Cabinet) isn’t a cat café, though a few cats do live there. It’s a small private museum with a collection that celebrates cats in art, culture, and design.

Bob Meijer started the museum in the 1990s to honor his ginger cat, J.P. Morgan. And yes — if the name makes you smile, you’re exactly the kind of person who’ll enjoy this place.

  • Ornate interior room with a long wooden dining table surrounded by classic chairs, deep red walls, gilded frames, vintage artwork, and a painted ceiling mural—part of the KattenKabinet museum in Amsterdam.
  • A moody, vintage dining room with dark wood paneling and a chandelier, featuring a long table covered in a striped cloth, surrounded by antique chairs and walls adorned with cat-themed artwork and figurines.
  • A richly decorated museum room with an ornate ceiling and a grand chandelier, green velvet curtains, framed cat photographs on the wall, vintage posters, and a foosball table filled with miniature white cat figures.

What You’ll See Inside

The KattenKabinet is spread across four rooms and a hallway inside a historic canal house on the Herengracht — still one of the wealthiest locations in the city. The building originally belonged to Willem van Loon, one of the well-known Van Loon brothers. Decades later, Bob Meijer bought the house and turned part of it into the museum.

Inside, the rooms reflect everything you’d expect in a classic period home: wooden floors, chandeliers, high ceilings, antique furniture — and even a ceiling painting from 1667. It was discovered during renovations and is believed to be from the school of Gerard de Lairesse.

  • A large, weathered Japanese-style “maneki-neko” (beckoning cat) statue with one raised paw, painted in red, black, and cream tones, sitting on a black pedestal in a museum setting.

Each room is packed with cat-themed art. Paintings, posters, sculptures, vintage ads, and quirky collectibles from around the world fill every inch. Some works are by artists like Picasso, Rembrandt, Toulouse-Lautrec, Sal Meijer, and Théophile Steinlen. Others are more offbeat, like a lucky cat pinball machine, a mummified cat from around 200 BC, and a giant Maneki-neko (the Japanese waving cat — this one was my favorite).

There’s also a small garden out back with a few sculptures and retro-style posters. It’s easy to miss but worth a quick look if the weather’s decent. You’ll see a note on the back door asking you not to let the cats out — especially the ginger one — so make sure to keep it closed if you step into the garden.

  • An indoor display against red damask wallpaper featuring two framed vintage posters—one of May Belfort and another with cats begging at the feet of a girl in red—above a glass-topped case holding fans and decorative art.
  • A cozy sitting room with a black-and-white cat napping on a vintage upholstered loveseat beneath a large, dramatic historical painting depicting a crowded street scene.
  • A gallery-style photo wall displaying black-and-white and color portraits of people holding or cuddling cats, all hung against ornate green wallpaper.
An outdoor garden with several retro-style cat posters mounted around a bare tree, including one with a white cat and green eyes and another advertising Persil laundry detergent with a kitten on a gingham cloth.

Entry Fees & Opening Hours

Tickets cost €12.50 per adult and are free for kids. You can book a time-slot ticket online to secure your entry, though it’s not essential. The museum isn’t as busy as the big-name attractions, but because it’s small, it can feel crowded if a few groups show up at once.

Entry isn’t included with the Museumkaart, but the I Amsterdam City Card gets you 25% off, which brings the price down to €9.50. You don’t need to book in advance with the card, but remember to bring it with you to show at the desk.

The museum is usually open from 12:00 to 17:00 and is closed on Mondays. Since hours can change, it is a good idea to double-check the official website before you go.

  • A close-up black-and-white photograph of a smiling woman affectionately cuddling a wide-eyed kitten against her face, capturing a moment of tenderness and connection.
  • A charming corner of a shop showing walls lined with postcard racks and a vintage floral couch decorated with a row of realistic cat-shaped pillows and one curled-up cat face cushion.
  • A humorous sign hanging indoors that reads, "Please don't let the CAT out. No matter what it tells you!" with a silhouette of a cat walking beside the text.
Close-up of a novelty “one dollar” bill featuring a cat portrait in place of a historical figure, with playful text in Dutch and English.

How to Get There

The KattenKabinet is located at Herengracht 497 in Amsterdam’s famous Canal Belt, close to Muntplein, Rembrandtplein, and Koningsplein. It’s also just a 5-minute walk from the floating flower market (Bloemenmarkt) and Museum Van Loon if you want to pair your visit with something nearby.

If you’re coming from Amsterdam Centraal Station, take tram lines 2, 12, or 17 and get off at Koningsplein. From there, it’s an easy 5-minute walk.

Front of the Cat Cabinet museum (KattenKabinet) in Amsterdam, with a round sign showing a silhouette of a cat and a sidewalk poster advertising a photography exhibit.

Other Things to Know Before You Go

  • Accessibility: Like the hidden church in the attic and the secret annex where Anne Frank hid, the Cat Cabinet isn’t wheelchair-accessible. Expect stairs and no elevator.
  • Time needed: The museum is small, and you can easily see everything in about 30-45 minutes. 
  • Photography: You can take photos, but make sure to turn off your flash.
  • Gift shop: A small treasure trove of cat-themed souvenirs, including postcards, prints, books, and collectibles.
  • Lockers & Bathrooms: I didn’t see any lockers, but I did spot a sign for toilets. 
  • A vibrant wall of cat-themed vintage posters above a display of books, including well-known designs like Le Chat Noir, a space cat movie poster titled Il Gatto Venuto dallo Spazio, and a stylized cat artwork resembling Gustav Klimt's style.
  • A close-up of a rotating display rack holding various cat-themed postcards, including a photo of a sleeping tabby cat, a ginger cat sitting on a bar counter, and cozy pub interiors with cats lounging.
  • A display table stacked with cat-themed books such as The Travelling Cat Chronicles and Cat Yoga, surrounded by vintage posters featuring cats, including one that reads, "TIME SPENT WITH BOOKS & CATS IS NEVER WASTED."

Is the Cat Cabinet Worth Visiting?

I liked the KattenKabinet. It’s quirky, laid-back, and a nice break from the city’s more touristy museums. That said, the entry fee feels a bit steep for how small it is.

Still, if you love cats, enjoy offbeat museums, or just want something different to do on a rainy afternoon, it’s worth a visit.

Have you been to Amsterdam’s cat museum? Let me know what you thought, or drop your questions below if you’re planning a visit.

Looking for a quirky museum in Amsterdam? The KattenKabinet is a cat-themed museum in a beautiful canal house—packed with vintage art, real cats, and charm. Here's everything you need to know before visiting the Cat Cabinet in Amsterdam!

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