Message from Tripadvisor •
Temporarily closed until further notice
De Poezenboot
De Poezenboot
4.5
Temporarily closedClosed until further notice
About
Duration: < 1 hour
Meets animal welfare guidelines
Suggest edits to improve what we show.
Improve this listingTours & experiences
Explore different ways to experience this place.
Full view
Top ways to experience De Poezenboot and nearby attractions
The area
Address
Neighborhood: Centrum
Amsterdam’s buzzing hub, with its sprawling network of tram rails and a seemingly constant flow of tourists and commuters, yields convenient access to some of the best sightseeing, shopping, and street life in Europe. Closest at hand are the Royal Palace, the quaint shops of Haalremmerdijk, the pedestrianized zones Kalverstraat and Dam Square with popular neighborhoods such as the Red Light District, and the Canal Ring hardly more than a moment’s stroll away. With the well-connected Centraal Station as Centrum’s base, it's easy to travel farther afield via one of the city’s iconic trams.
How to get there
- Amsterdam Centraal Station • 7 min walk
- Amsterdam Centraal • 7 min walk
Reach out directly
Best nearby
Restaurants
5,191 within 3 miles
Attractions
1,084 within 6 miles
Contribute
Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
432 reviews
Excellent
302
Very good
85
Average
35
Poor
9
Terrible
2
v_paulien
Hasselt, Belgium19 contributions
Jul 2020 • Friends
beautiful lovely cats on a boat. sort of wet dream for cat lovers.
well it was very unique, ofcourse was it different with the COVID things.
anyway, you could play and socialize with the cats for 30minutes, it's short but worth it.
well it was very unique, ofcourse was it different with the COVID things.
anyway, you could play and socialize with the cats for 30minutes, it's short but worth it.
Written July 16, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Cassey90210
Bath, UK148 contributions
Apr 2023 • Friends
Fabulous time stroking all the lovely cats & giving them lots of love. Only spent 15 mins there as quite small but well worth a quick visit. Book a time slot on website. Located in nice area too. Please leave a small donation if you can x
Written April 27, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Moonlight
Los Angeles, CA2,658 contributions
Jun 2022 • Family
Love the concept of cat shelter on a boat. The gray Persian cat by the entrance just wants to escape and super grumpy in an adorable way. Pet him and you will get scratched - so be aware!
Free admission, and donations are appreciated. I picked up couple of teeshirts that are really cute too. Fun visit!
Free admission, and donations are appreciated. I picked up couple of teeshirts that are really cute too. Fun visit!
Written June 29, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Katelyn
London, UK14 contributions
Mar 2023
You truly can't go wrong! The staff were lovely and super friendly and gave us knowledge about the cats. The gift shop was really cute and I was more than happy to buy as much as I could to help keep the cat boat running. If you love cats, De Poezenboot is for you.
Written March 14, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
maureen W
Heathfield5 contributions
Apr 2012 • Couples
If you like cats you will love to visit De Poesenboot on the Singel canal in Amsterdam. Small sanctuary run by volunteers. Beautiful conditions with an excellent homing record. Everybody was very friendly and welcoming.
Written May 1, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ninya99
Nowra, Australia48 contributions
Jan 2015 • Friends
A must see for cat lovers. Cats roaming free and in cages, some friendlier than others but all have had a rough life and have been rescued. Some are re-homed and others remain permanent residents. All clean and well cared for.
Written January 26, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
jwall915
New York City, NY28 contributions
Dec 2011 • Couples
This is a group of people who have taken in stray cats around Amsterdam and they lovingly keep them in a shelter on a boat. Visitors are allowed two afternoons a week. It's free of charge but they accept donations.
The cats are in a room with some in cages and some allowed to roam around. They socialize the strays and really care about them. The cats are very well cared for. Some of them are friendly and let you pet them, and others are still skiddish and shy. They allow you to take pictures if you don't use flash. One of the coolest things is that there's a little cat hole going to the boat's balcony so the cats can get some fresh air. If you are a cat lover, this is a great way to spend an hour of your visit to Amsterdam.
The cats are in a room with some in cages and some allowed to roam around. They socialize the strays and really care about them. The cats are very well cared for. Some of them are friendly and let you pet them, and others are still skiddish and shy. They allow you to take pictures if you don't use flash. One of the coolest things is that there's a little cat hole going to the boat's balcony so the cats can get some fresh air. If you are a cat lover, this is a great way to spend an hour of your visit to Amsterdam.
Written January 6, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
GaelicKaz
Dublin168 contributions
Jul 2011 • Couples
As a cat lover, I had to pop by the cat boat on the single, near the train station. I am friends with them on facebook so was aware that opening hours is 1-3pm Monday to Saturday except Wednesday. The volunteers are all very friendly and helpful. One thing i noticed some other people appeared to think that it was a place to play with cats. But once in, you realise that the cats that are freely wandering the boat are actually anti social cats that cannot be adopted out, and as they are healthy, they live on the boat instead.
Some cat shelters put cats down because they cannot be rehoused, but the boat appears to adopted the cats themselves and allow them to live on the boat, Houdini has been there 7 years already.
Its touching really, and just nice to sit down and watch the great selection of cats and their characters. I love Valencia, a beautiful black cat whom we were allowed to pet.
Definitely a must for anyone, but its not a museum, just a cat shelter. Its 40years running, and all by donations and volunteers. Dont forget to donate when you leave!
Some cat shelters put cats down because they cannot be rehoused, but the boat appears to adopted the cats themselves and allow them to live on the boat, Houdini has been there 7 years already.
Its touching really, and just nice to sit down and watch the great selection of cats and their characters. I love Valencia, a beautiful black cat whom we were allowed to pet.
Definitely a must for anyone, but its not a museum, just a cat shelter. Its 40years running, and all by donations and volunteers. Dont forget to donate when you leave!
Written September 12, 2011
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
kgillorrn
Tampa, FL78 contributions
May 2015 • Couples
This is a well-kept little secret, but well worth the time and effort to find it. The hours are limited (1-3pm), so plan accordingly. Everyone was so friendly and welcomed us right in. The canal boat is very clean and the cats are really comfy in their home - window boxes and kitty beds everywhere for napping in the sun. It was well worth the visit, and I had to buy the t-shirt to support the cause.
Written May 29, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Geraldine H
92 contributions
We love cats, so every city we visit we try to find them, whether on the roadside, in the parks, cemeteries. So this cat shelter on a house boat was a must. It's very unique as the cats live totally on the boat. They have a little "verandah" where they can sit and watch the canal traffic with the occasional dog barking at them from one of the boats.
The Poezenboot is on Single more towards Amsterdam Centraal. The volunteers are all friendly and yes, you can stroke the cats.
A must for all cat lovers.
The Poezenboot is on Single more towards Amsterdam Centraal. The volunteers are all friendly and yes, you can stroke the cats.
A must for all cat lovers.
Written May 8, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Is the cat boat still open?it says temporarily closed owed but I see a review from someone from Jan thi year 2024
Written January 31, 2024
Is the boat at Singel 38 G? On their website it indicates they lost the boat and they are now at Sophialann 53. Thanks for your help.
Written March 11, 2019
Good afternoon. I was there just a week ago. They are still on Singel road. We used Google maps to find them and they are still there. Not sure what number it is but the boat looks exactly the same as per pictures. Cat's looks very healthy and playful. Really worth to visit.
Written March 11, 2019
A Tripadvisor member
Bristol, United Kingdom
I'm going to Amsterdam in September, do I have to book this? If so how much does it cost?
Thank you!
Written July 26, 2016
Hi,
The Poezenboot is a canal boat that is staffed by volunteers who care for the stray cats. They are open from 1 p.m. until 3 p.m., every day except Wednesday and Sunday. There is no admission charge, but since they are a volunteer organization, they do appreciate if you make a donation or purchase a T-shirt to help pay for the care of the cats. They do not accept reservations. You just walk on board during opening hours.
Written July 27, 2016
A Tripadvisor member
Bristol, United Kingdom
I'm going to Amsterdam in September, do I have to book this? If so how much does it cost?
Thank you!
Written July 26, 2016
No cost, was open between 1 and 3pm, but do buy some of their merchandise and/or give a donation as they fund themselves totally on voluntary contributions. Can be quite busy.
Written July 27, 2016
Showing results 1-5 of 5
Is this your Tripadvisor listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim your listing