Kissakahvila Purnauskis

A purrfectly relaxing café

TEXT: MARIA PIRKKALAINEN | PHOTOS © KISSAKAHVILA PURNAUSKIS

Located in an idyllic historical building by a picturesque park near Tampere railway station, Cat Café Purnauskis is an oasis of serenity in the middle of a busy city. Scan Magazine spoke to its owner, Tiina Aaltonen, about what makes the café a must-see, and about its sweet, purring residents.

With a vintage interior décor that was once voted the best in Tampere, Cat Café Purnauskis truly stands out with its light and airy space, high ceilings, wood furnishings and eye-catching purple carpet – and, of course, the purring of ten fluffy cats that surround the café’s excited customers. “Purnauskis is not your standard café. We aim to have you feeling like you would have just spent a relaxing afternoon at a friend’s place,” owner Tiina Aaltonen says of the idea behind Finland’s first cat café.

It is hard not to feel relaxed when you step inside Purnauskis. Using soft materials and peaceful acoustics, the café is a relaxing place for both its customers and its feline habitants. “We also bake everything in-house, from fresh Finnish ingredients. Our popular new products include strawberry-spruce cake and dandelion jam with a cheese platter,” Aaltonen reveals. The incredible level of attention to detail continues down to the smallest things, like the coffee art being shaped like cats.

Loved by both visitors and cats

The inspiration for Purnauskis came from a love of cats and wanting to develop more respect for them. Purnauskis works closely together with a local cat shelter, and each cat is first trained at Aaltonen’s own home. “Purnauskis is a family-friendly place, and it’s our utmost priority that the cats get along well with our customers as well as with each other,” Aaltonen explains.

The stories behind the café’s purring residents are incredible as well. “For example, Hugo here, he was found by a riverbank three years ago but is now the café’s sweetest cat,” Aaltonen smiles. Bringing to the public eye diversity among cats and not leaving any animal unloved are also key priorities at Purnauskis.

With their tasty baked goods, relaxing atmosphere and friendly cats, Purnauskis truly is an experience that will brighten any moment of your holiday. Loved by locals, the café has won many prizes and has also expanded to Helsinki, with the equally unique Cat Café Helkatti.

purnauskis.fi