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De Poezenboot
De Poezenboot
4.6
Temporarily closedClosed until further notice
About
Duration: < 1 hour
Meets animal welfare guidelines
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The area
Address
Neighbourhood: 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
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Best nearby
We rank these restaurants and attractions by balancing reviews from our members with how close they are to this location.
Restaurants
5,230 within 5 kms
Attractions
1,274 within 10 kms
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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 waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
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4.6
432 reviews
Excellent
303
Very good
85
Average
34
Poor
9
Terrible
2
nat123456
Manchester, UK340 contributions
Jan 2025 • Couples
Super cute! Me and my boyfriend visited here last week and we had an enjoyable time, the cats are so cute and looked well looked after.
However, we queued for over an hour to go inside, I’d definitely recommend booking on the website as we were waiting in the freezing cold and rain!
However, we queued for over an hour to go inside, I’d definitely recommend booking on the website as we were waiting in the freezing cold and rain!
Written 5 January 2025
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.
webwalker222
Edmonton, Canada414 contributions
Apr 2022 • Solo
This floating cat shelter has reopened on certain days only and a reservation is required via their website. I visited in early April having just flown in from Canada. I had visited in April 2019 and wanted to pay my respects to Kasumi, their resident diva. She was lovely, as always! It's a small canal boat and the feline residents were either roaming freely or some timid ones languished in spacious cages with a good view of the canal. Very clean, not too cat-smelly, and a small gift shop where I always leave a donation to the cause. The cats love the attention, too.
Written 8 May 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.
Sarah H
Cardiff36 contributions
Mar 2025 • Couples
We visited the cat canal boat today after booking a 15 minute slot before we came to Amsterdam so as not to be disappointed.
We had a fantastic 15 minutes playing with the cats, stroking them and giving them lots of love. The staff there were lovely and it was so good to see this cat rescue going, 55 years on from opening. I could have taken all the kitties home with me, but sadly couldn’t. Really enjoyed visiting this lovely cabal boat snd its furry residents.
We had a fantastic 15 minutes playing with the cats, stroking them and giving them lots of love. The staff there were lovely and it was so good to see this cat rescue going, 55 years on from opening. I could have taken all the kitties home with me, but sadly couldn’t. Really enjoyed visiting this lovely cabal boat snd its furry residents.
Written 14 March 2025
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.
Martin G
9 contributions
Jan 2020
If you love cats, then you MUST visit the Cat Boat here in the 'Dam on the Singel - populated with up to 50 rescue cats of all shapes, sizes and ages, it is a feline lover's paradise. This is a working cat rescue centre and not strictly a tourist attraction but it has become part of Amsterdam sightseeing. Lovely staff and a really relaxed atmosphere to escape the hustle and bustle of the rest of the city centre....There are queues sometimes as it is so popular and it only opens for two hours per day so ensure you have the correct times to avoid disappointment. On entry, you donate voluntarily as there is no mandatory admission fee. Donations help to keep this place going and they are much welcomed. You can also buy merchandise, tote bags, postcards and other small novelty items here. Do not miss it.
Written 1 February 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.
Sch123
Midrand, South Africa5 contributions
Jan 2020 • Couples
My boyfriend loves cats so we went to De Poezenboot in order for him to get his feline fix. A great place to go if you are a cat person as you can pet about 20 different cats. Not the best if you are not a cat person as it A) is filled with cats and B) smells a lot like cat.
Written 10 January 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, UK150 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 27 April 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, CA2,705 contributions
June 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 29 June 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 14 March 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 1 May 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 26 January 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 31 January 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 11 March 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 11 March 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 26 July 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 27 July 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 26 July 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 27 July 2016
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