A Cat Café operated at the San Diego Humane Society San Diego campus has been ordered closed by the San Diego County Health Department, marking the second shutdown of the food operation in less than three months and at least its third closure reflected in publicly available inspection records since 2023. San Diego County Department of Environmental Health and Quality records identify the inspected operation as "THE CAT CAFE" at 5500 Gaines Street in San Diego.
That address is significant. It is not The Cat Cafe, the independently operated cat café located at 302 Island Avenue in downtown San Diego. Rather, 5500 Gaines Street is part of San Diego Humane Society's main San Diego campus. The Humane Society identifies 5500 Gaines Street as its adoption and mailing address and advertises a "Cat Café" at the campus, currently listing its hours as Tuesday through Sunday from 10am to 4pm. The distinction is important because the County's generic "THE CAT CAFE" listing could easily be confused with the unrelated downtown business.
According to County inspection records reviewed by SanDiegoVille, health inspectors returned to the Humane Society Cat Café for a reinspection on Friday, August 14 and ordered the operation closed. Inspectors listed three categories as out of compliance: "Commissary/Mobile Support Unit," "Permit," and "Commissary/MSU Operation."
Notably, the latest inspection does not list vermin, improper food temperatures, contaminated food or other conventional food-safety violations as reasons for Friday's closure. That wasn't the case the last time the Humane Society's Cat Café was shut down.
On June 2, County inspectors conducted a routine inspection of the same operation and documented a major vermin violation, along with minor violations involving holding temperatures, hot and cold water and sewage disposal. Warewashing facilities were also listed as out of compliance. The County ordered the Cat Café closed. The shutdown was short-lived. Inspectors returned the following day, June 3, found no violations during a reinspection and approved the operation to reopen.
A separate inspection conducted that day resulted in a score of 97 and an "A" grade, although a minor sewage-disposal violation and a warewashing issue were documented. Another reinspection on June 24 found no violations. The operation then earned a nearly perfect score only one week before its latest closure.
According to County inspection records reviewed by SanDiegoVille, health inspectors returned to the Humane Society Cat Café for a reinspection on Friday, August 14 and ordered the operation closed. Inspectors listed three categories as out of compliance: "Commissary/Mobile Support Unit," "Permit," and "Commissary/MSU Operation."
Notably, the latest inspection does not list vermin, improper food temperatures, contaminated food or other conventional food-safety violations as reasons for Friday's closure. That wasn't the case the last time the Humane Society's Cat Café was shut down.
On June 2, County inspectors conducted a routine inspection of the same operation and documented a major vermin violation, along with minor violations involving holding temperatures, hot and cold water and sewage disposal. Warewashing facilities were also listed as out of compliance. The County ordered the Cat Café closed. The shutdown was short-lived. Inspectors returned the following day, June 3, found no violations during a reinspection and approved the operation to reopen.
A separate inspection conducted that day resulted in a score of 97 and an "A" grade, although a minor sewage-disposal violation and a warewashing issue were documented. Another reinspection on June 24 found no violations. The operation then earned a nearly perfect score only one week before its latest closure.
On August 7, County inspectors gave the Cat Café a score of 99 and an "A" grade. However, inspectors simultaneously found its permit out of compliance, along with a category covering availability of the grade card, previous inspection report, permit and written procedures. Inspectors returned exactly one week later.
On August 14, the permit remained listed as out of compliance, while inspectors additionally cited problems involving the commissary/mobile support unit and its operation. The County then ordered the Cat Café closed. The result creates an unusual sequence in the inspection history: the Humane Society food operation went from a 99-point "A" grade to being ordered closed in seven days.
The latest shutdown therefore appears substantially different from June's closure. Based on the violations publicly listed by the County, Friday's action appears centered on permitting and operational requirements associated with the café's food-service setup rather than newly discovered sanitation or food-handling problems. The precise nature of those deficiencies, however, is not apparent from the abbreviated online inspection record.
SanDiegoVille has contacted San Diego Humane Society seeking clarification regarding why the Cat Café's permit was considered out of compliance, what commissary or mobile support requirements prompted the closure, whether the café is currently prohibited from serving food or beverages, and whether the shutdown affects any other services at the Gaines Street campus.
The inspection history shows this is also not the first time the operation has encountered a sewage-related closure. On June 13, 2023, County inspectors ordered the Cat Café closed after documenting a major sewage-disposal violation. A reinspection two days later found no violations and the operation was approved to reopen.
Outside those closures, the Cat Café has generally received strong numerical inspection scores. Records provided to SanDiegoVille show scores of 100 in June 2023, 94 in May and December 2024, 100 in May 2025, 97 in June 2026 and 99 earlier this month. That history also illustrates an important distinction in restaurant inspections: a high letter grade does not necessarily prevent regulators from subsequently closing an operation over separate permitting or operational requirements.
It is not presently clear whether the Cat Café has already corrected Friday's violations or when the County will conduct another reinspection. The broader Humane Society campus does not appear from the inspection record itself to have been ordered closed. The County action specifically identifies the food operation as "THE CAT CAFE," and SanDiegoVille has found no indication that animal adoptions or the Humane Society's other services at the campus were ordered suspended.
San Diego Humane Society's San Diego campus serves Central and South San Diego and operates animal adoptions and numerous other services from its Gaines Street facilities. The organization's official contact information lists its general number as 619-299-7012.
SanDiegoVille has reached out to San Diego Humane Society for additional information regarding the closure. This story will be updated as more information becomes available.
Originally published August 15, 2026.
The inspection history shows this is also not the first time the operation has encountered a sewage-related closure. On June 13, 2023, County inspectors ordered the Cat Café closed after documenting a major sewage-disposal violation. A reinspection two days later found no violations and the operation was approved to reopen.
Outside those closures, the Cat Café has generally received strong numerical inspection scores. Records provided to SanDiegoVille show scores of 100 in June 2023, 94 in May and December 2024, 100 in May 2025, 97 in June 2026 and 99 earlier this month. That history also illustrates an important distinction in restaurant inspections: a high letter grade does not necessarily prevent regulators from subsequently closing an operation over separate permitting or operational requirements.
It is not presently clear whether the Cat Café has already corrected Friday's violations or when the County will conduct another reinspection. The broader Humane Society campus does not appear from the inspection record itself to have been ordered closed. The County action specifically identifies the food operation as "THE CAT CAFE," and SanDiegoVille has found no indication that animal adoptions or the Humane Society's other services at the campus were ordered suspended.
San Diego Humane Society's San Diego campus serves Central and South San Diego and operates animal adoptions and numerous other services from its Gaines Street facilities. The organization's official contact information lists its general number as 619-299-7012.
SanDiegoVille has reached out to San Diego Humane Society for additional information regarding the closure. This story will be updated as more information becomes available.
Originally published August 15, 2026.