We were casually driving by when I made my husband turn around the car. I couldn't believe it, a Cape Cod souvenir shop for cat lovers?! I couldn't stop laughing and had to stop! This is one of the quirkiest shops I've ever been in and I definitely felt like a cat lady! There was a quiet man behind the counter. The store is dark, dusty, awkwardly quiet and all they sell are shirts, sweatshirts, mugs and stickers with this cute design of a cat in the shape of Cape Cod. I went to the back and looked at sweatshirts. All around the room are handwritten notes that help you understand the owner is quirky. Take from the top, I don't want to refold clothes type notes. I quickly picked out my souvenir and made my way to the register. I asked if he made the design and he had. Another young couple came in and we shared our excitement at finding this place on a whim. read more

It's very specialized, and very weird, but if you want one specific thing - a hat or shirt with an icon of Cape Cod that looks like a stretching cat - you're in luck. Sick of dog-themed Cape stuff? Ditto. I wear my Cape Cat hat like a banner. read more

Such a cute store for cat lovers and the owners is very nice! I would definitely suggest stopping by.

Very cute shop with very friendly staff! We got a Cape Cat shirt and had fun learning about the area and getting recommendations from the staff. Good prices and quality! read more

Like the other cat people I was excited to check out this little shop. The shop owner was about as far from pleasant and or friendly as you can get. My 8yo daughter is quite a little cat lady. She talked me into buyer her one of the shops t-shirts. When checking out with the $45 t-shirt my daughter attempted to engage in some brief pleasantries with him. Dude was a stone cold rock. Didn't even acknowledge her in the slightest. People who are this cold toward little kids really weird me out. read more

The Cape Cat is a lovely store. The owner is very friendly. His trademarked design is fantastic. We've been there twice over the years and have purchased a shirt, mug, and a tote bag. It's nice to see a small business thrive on the Cape, and we hope it continues to do so for many future years! read more

Came here on a rainy Sunday and the owner was extremely nice! He asked how many cats I have and told me about his three and how much he adores them and how different all their personalities are and told us all about the history of the Cape Cat and showed us the little pictures and other animals that can be found in the cat logo and why he put them where he did. Very interesting and lovely gift shop/art shop. read more

Yeah the guy is a little cranky, but he has great t-shirts and is a small local business. Check it out. Support the little guy (cranky or not ) read more

I love this place. I got a shirt and a bumper sticker here, they're both great! The shirts are both cute and comfortable. The owner is very nice as well. Great guy. read more

So we visited a few times while we were living in the east coast. I love the quirky little shop. The owner is an artist and creates fragile, delicate pieces of art with various items; he is knowledgeable on a variety of subjects, not so much of a salesman. While his customer service skills may have been lacking for some reviewers we found him pleasant and delightfully eccentric. Mostly there are t-shirts, caps and mugs. I think he could capitalize on his design (and garner five star reviews) with the help of a business savvy consult to include other tourist delights like tanks, hoodies, totes, keychains, decals and bumper stickers. We bought the basic white Ts as souvenirs for family and they loved them. Very nice quality! Definitely a MUST if you want to purchase a fun reminder of your visit to the Cape. I love my Cape Cat souvenirs! read more

As a cat and Cape lover, this place caught my eye. Upon Yelping it, I was frightened, but dubious that anything could be as terrible as the three previous one-star reviews indicated. Cautiously, we entered the store. The place itself is tiny and has quite a small selection of goods. The "Cape Cat" is a cute and creative drawing by the owner of this one-man operation. The only thing you'll find here is overpriced t-shirts. I was hoping for a keychain or sticker, alas. The owner is very particular -- there were signs everywhere instructing you not to touch the objects and to keep children away and under control. I don't blame him. Cape natives must develop disdain toward the tourists after a lifetime there. He is indeed chatty, moreso with my male shopping partner than with me. He was eager to show us all of his art, including the stuff in the back that wasn't for sale. A quirky fellow, and definitely starved for customers to talk to, but not mean or rude at all. He kept us for quite some time, 20-30 minutes. Still wary on account of previous reviews, I felt obligated to buy something, lest I face his wrath. I walked out of there with a $28 t-shirt to wear as pajamas. It is an underwhelming store in terms of selection, but I wouldn't say it isn't worth a visit, if for no other reason than to see if these horrifying accounts on Yelp about the owner are true... read more

Will be back for more cape cat! The owner only sells t shirts for the most part which is a great souvenir. Also has a very interesting hand made collection of art pieces through the store that you can look at but not for sale. read more

We stopped in today, door was open, the sign said "Open" and when we got inside the owner started yelling about how he is not open. We were stunned actually, my husband said "sorry we thought you were open". He says "does it look like I'm Open?" I couldn't believe it, my two kids were surprised to. He was very argumentative and as we were walking out, he was still yelling - at that point, I had enough and let him know exactly what he was acting like. So disappointing. We will never ever go back. read more

This was the oddest experience I have ever had in a gift shop. The owner started arguing with me as soon as I walked in. I joyfully said, "Yay! A cat store!" to which he replied, "No, it's a map store." Next he wanted to talk and proudly show off his designs, telling me how and when (age 11) he drew them. I felt sorry for this quirky man and listened, making occasional encouraging comments. Then my grandchildren and I started trying to find a t-shirt to buy for my son - a huge cat lover. At this point the owner started making rude comments. "Stop grabbing everything until you know what you want." "Just buy the size large like everyone else who doesn't know what they want." "That design is on the other side.... it's on the other side... IT IS ON THE OTHER SIDE; I AM TELLING YOU FOR THE THIRD TIME!!" At that point I turned to him and gave him an incredulous look, at which time he said, "I don't think you are going to buy a t-shirt for your son." And then, to my shock, "You and I have a personality conflict. I am not going to sell you a shirt." What an odd, quirky, perhaps even mentally ill man this is. I don't know how he stays in business, especially after reading other similar reviews here. read more

I TOTALLY agree with the first review! He is the rudest merchant I have ever seen. Don't even waste your time stopping here. Extremely condescending and just plain weird and insulting. read more

If I could give this place 0 stars I would. The owner is so unfathomably rude and angry its frightening. We went into this store and immediately began looking around while he was telling his introduction story. Apparently you MUST listen to his story before even considering buying anything. Anyways - my mother kindly interrupted and said "Wow, that is very creative!" He replied "MAYBE FOR YOU PEOPLE ITS CREATIVE, BUT NOT FOR ME!!!" After screaming at us (including two kids) he said "GET OUT OF MY STORE. GET OUT NOW. I HAVE HAD A VERY BAD DAY AND YOU HAVE MADE IT THAT WAY! I DON'T WANT YOU WEARING MY SHIRTS, AND I CERTAINLY DON'T NEED MONEY FROM PEOPLE LIKE YOU." Not knowing what we did wrong, we left and gladly. The decor is all cats, cat antiques. It's not really inviting, its more an obsessive collection of cat memorabilia - which wouldn't be a problem - if it wasn't totally off limits to even the eyes. Needless to say - NEVER will we even look at the place while driving down the street. This story is NOT a joke, this really happened. Worst customer service experience I have ever had - save yourself the trouble. Spend money on some gas, not here. read more

This is a curious place, but we found ourselves entertained. My partner was quite charmed by the quirky, creative owner, who was full of stories about the cape and, most specifically, his map/cape cat design. It is not your regular tourist shop but there are enough of those on the cape! We were invited back to see his rock creations that are not for sale, but again, rather than being offended by this, we tried to take it for what it was- an interesting experience in a sea of otherwise boring shopping excursions. And yes, we bought a t shirt. read more

Entered the store with my sister and we were chatting with the owner about the origins of his cute shop. When we asked if he had cats of his own, he told us it was none of our business and he didn't want to do business with us and asked us to leave. We were quickly ushered out by this rude shop owner. It's probably the strangest experience I've ever had. read more

My mother-in-law is a cat lover, so we decided to check out the Cape Cat on a recent trip to Cape Cod. What a bizarre experience! The first thing we saw before entering the shop were handwritten signs that said "The Cape Cat is a retail clothing store!" Ok, fine. I didn't really have a preconceived idea of what the store sold, but was intrigued by the clever logo of a cat in the shape of the Cape. As soon as we walked in, the man behind the counter (whom I assume is the owner) said to us in an aggressive tone, "I am a retail clothing store! I don't sell things for cats!" This was an odd greeting, especially since we had not asked whether he sold cat-related items. The store seemed to sell mostly t-shirts with the Cape Cat logo and a few oval magnets to stick on a car bumper. There were small, handwritten signs all over the store with warnings like, "These are my own, personal decorations. Do not touch!" Honestly, I wasn't able to focus on the items for sale because I was so put off by the owner's angry greeting and the odd signage. After a minute or so, we hightailed it out of the store, at which point the owner said, "Sorry to confuse you!" Again, this was odd because the only thing that had confused us was his bizarre behavior. Definitely would not recommend, except possibly to experience this strange store firsthand. read more

Love my Cape Cat shirt. Shop owner is quirky and very nice. He has a great story about how he designed the shirt when he was 11 years old.

I loved this shop!!! Jimmy the owner was extra friendly and quite knowledgeable about the area. He told us places to eat, places to stop at on the cape and many places in Provincetown to stop and take pictures. His friend owns Shop Therapy in Provincetown which is my favorite store. He suggested we stop and get senior passes to the National Parks for $10 because they were going to go up in price and they would allow us free access to the National Parks. He told us about the cape cat design and the different things he used to create the design. He only sells the tee shirts in his shop everything else is for display. He took the time to show us different things and tell us what he used to create them. All in all we will definitely go back again when we are in the area. For the tee shirts and to talk to the owner Jimmy! read more

Probably the rudest shop owner I have ever met. His store caught my interest and I looked forward to going in all weekend. We finally made time to go in and was met with major attitude when I asked the simple question if he had anymore colors. He walked into the room I had just been in, so I thought he might be checking his stock for more. No. Instead he turned to me and asked, " do you see any other colors? We have the two, I dont see more, do you?" In such a condescending manner. His attitude was a total turn off from the store and I left without buying anything due to his terrible customer service. Definitely would not recommend this place to anyone unless they want to be ridiculed. read more

Worst customer service ever! I was going in to replace a shirt my daughter had previously purchased which had gotten a hole. When I told him he said I was stupid for wanting to look at the shirt sizes to figure out what size. He then refused to sell it to me. I actually felt threatened in the store by the store owner and left read more

We loved this store. The owner is fascinating, artistic, inventive, and leads a rich life full of creativity, friends and humility. Take a few breathes and just listen to him and go with his flow; browse his lovingly collected curios, his amazing arrangements from rocks to lightbulbs; admire his synthesis of a child's idea to a man's business and life. Forget what you came in for and just listen to his stories about Edward Gorey, his many foreign exchange students and P-town friends. This is an authentic man living a path carved by his own inspiration. If you want a chain store, generic experience, then this is not the place for you. The CapeCat store was a highlight of our trip to the Cape. read more

This is a unique shop -- sort of a Black Dog wannabe place. I've been here several times and the quirky owner's attitude has ranged from super friendly to indifferent. Guess it depends on what kind of mood you catch him in. If you're in the area, definitely worth stopping by. Be sure to ask the owner about the origin of the Cape Cat logo. read more

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It's difficult to review Cape Cat in a fair manner. It is a cute shop, very unusual because it is a combined art shop and T-shirt shop that is beautifully arranged. The strange "DO NOT TOUCH" signs on the owner's art products are something we had never seen in a gift shop OR art shop, and the "DO NOT UNFOLD" on the T-shirts was also highly unusual. As we entered the shop, the owner was yelling at a woman who unfortunately hadn't noticed the DO NOT TOUCH sign and had picked up one of his painted light bulbs to look closely at it. They were in a wooden bin of some kind and really looked like they were for sale. Anyway, he was yelling at her and her husband, and when they tried to explain he shouted for them to leave, calling the woman a "stupid c___" as they left. My daughter and I were shocked but stayed in the T-shirt room until after the couple left. When we came out the owner started telling us he was sorry for the episode, but that woman had been aggressive with him. The only person that we saw being aggressive was him, but we chatted with him and he showed us his sweet little garden behind the store as he told us the history of Cape Cat, etc., as others have noted. As we were leaving, we asked him if he'd take a picture of us in front of the store. I handed him my little point and shoot camera and he said he had never used one before. He told us where to stand and growled, "Put your bags down!" before he took the picture, which is now our standard comment whenever we take a picture of a group of women with purses. So if you want an interesting experience, by all means go there, but be sure you don't touch any of the art or unfold the shirts! :) By the way, the shirts are of better quality than your normal T-shirt shop which is why they're more expensive. read more

The guy working was so nice and talked to us for a while. Makes a lot of cool art and takes a picture of you on your birthday. Very friendly and cool place read more

Had a wonderful experience visiting the Cape Cat store! Stumbled upon it just yesterday. Being a cat lover, I was intrigued when I saw the quaint little shop. Enjoyed the store owner who was friendly and informative. Actually called the shop and went later in the day for a few more gifts. He stayed open late to accommodate my friends and I! Looking forward to getting a Cape Cat tote on my next visit to the cape! 5 stars read more

I walked into this place and met the owner. I have never met anyone so rude in my life. I walked in with my mom, and she asked if they had any souvenirs for my Grandma at home. He said "why, are you just trying to fill the old lady's house with junk?" then he said we could go buy junk at the street vendor around the corner. When my mom said his cat was cute, he got offended and told her that it wasn't just a cat, but a map made to look like a cat. He then put up a sign that said "this is a clothing store" and said that it would prevent people from asking for souvenirs so he wouldn't need to "deal with crap like this all day." this isn't to mention his extremely high price tags and the fact that he refused to sell to us. My mother kept a smile on her face the whole time and did nothing but compliment the merchandise. We won't be going back. read more

Actually this account is from a few years ago and I'm just yelping now after reading some of his reviews and thought I'd add my experience. I think that everybody should know about the strange man who's running the store and how he treats the public. Nobody should be treated the way this man treated my friend and I on the on Christmas Eve. We went in looking for a last-minute gift. When one walks into a shop they look over and say hello to the proprietor as we did when we walked in.We saw the blue glass and the paperweights and the this and that and the yada yada yada, all the stuff that was really funky and pretty to look at. I guess they are all his collections and I picked something up and asked how much it was and he flipped out and said "put that down that is not for sale! and I said oh I'm sorry and I Said is this stuff for sale? and I pointed at something and he started getting red After my friend asked about something and said "that's it just go" I said "excuse me?! and my friend had walked into the other Room to look at all the other things that weren't for sale, so I went in to go get her to leave and he came over to us and said "Nothing! Nothing is for sale over here!!" "We sell the cape cat!!!" I said "then you should have signs" as he escorted us to the door, and then I said "merry fucking Christmas" and he chased us outside and picked up a rock and played like he wa going to throw it at us. A nice Christmas Eve that was read more

VERY scary experience at this store. The owner was at the counter and was very loud and obnoxious as we walked in and continued to give us unsolicited comments as we briefly looked around this small shop. We RAN out of there quickly and were amazed that someone in retail would have such an attitude towards potential customers. read more

Seeing the sign out front, my sister and I stopped in there on Thursday. The shop looked cute inside. The owner was finishing up his personal call with.."I love you and see you soon". ...A man and his young daughter came in after us.. The owner then proceeded to tell a very long story of his logo and how it came to be....he directed us in the shop to look at particular items....and kept talking. My sister walked into the other room to get away....T-shirts and hats were overpriced....we left...never to go back again............DON'T GO THERE!!! read more

As soon as we escaped the store, we started dying with laughter. At first we thought it was a store where you buy things for cats, but the creepy store owner was quick to correct us. He first began to show and tell us the history of how his clothing company all started but then got very side tracked and began describing creepy personal items and possesions. He brought us to the back room just to show us his dead grandparents hats and stones and we were very uncomfortable. As i mentioned before, we were lucky to get out when we did. We thought it was a joke how serious he was about his business that is clearly going nowhere. Personally i feel bad for the guy but it seriously isnt worth your time. All he showed us was his personal life. Thankfully we rushed out of the store as fast as possible so he wouldnt throw us into his dungeon in the basement and eat us. Once he started talking about his gradmothers hat, thats when we knew it was time to escape his awful store. We will never be going back and the only reason you should go is if you want to crack yourself up. read more

The owner was the nicest and friendliest person. I couldnt find what I needed at his store and let him know, but that didnt stop him to spend so much of his time to give us all kinds of information and helpful tips about cape cod and at the end gave me a copy of one of his drawings. I highly recommend this store. It is quite a treat! read more

I have to disagree with the other reviewers. Finding this 'store' was an amazing experience for me and my three girls. What a lovely man and amazing artist. WOW. We were blown away by this gentleman's artwork and his displays. It is a shop for t-shirts, hats and coffee mugs but the ART, omg the ART! This man is genius and I'm saddened by the earlier reviews. Oh and if you have an artist in the family this is an absolute must go to! The cat itself is an amazing map of Cape Cod... tucked within this cat map are shapes of all the creatures that are cape cod! He is magical and I'm thankful we decided to pop into the Cape Cat! TY!!!!! I'm wearing my t-shirt now. I just wish the artwork would have been for sale, amazing! read more

My family and I were quite intrigued by this shop and so as we passed it one night we decided to stop in and see if it was still open. Upon asking if he was still open, the man behind the counter started to get extremely rude and defensive asking us if the lights were still on, etc. We tried to say we didn't want to intrude if he was closing up and he began to get more irate and borderline frightening. He said we should leave and went into the back. We didn't want to find out why he left and we left the store before we even took two steps inside. I would highly discourage supporting this highly volatile man. read more

What an interesting stop!!!!!! I stopped here with my 2 cat loving boys, who happen to be allergic to cats, but love them nonetheless. We'd noticed the beautiful Cape Cat design in an ad in a Cape guide, and then happened to be passing by the shop later that very day. We bought T-shirts, mugs, and stickers, and thoroughly enjoyed being regaled by Mr. James S. Tuttle (the proprietor and prolific artist) as he told us many stories of local lore in a short amount of time. We were thoroughly charmed. Mr. Tuttle is a dynamic storyteller, very animated, a breath of fresh air. Dear Mr. Tuttle gave us marvelous advise for things to do from Yarmouth to Provincetown with the kids. Although our family has been coming to the cape for many years, we learned a lot in our short visit at The Cape Cat. Mr. Tuttle and his art are perfectly delightful. A cherished memory, and a happy find. We'll definitely be back to visit! read more

This man was not mean or rude but definitely corky, hungry to talk with people and socially inept. As a special Ed teacher he seemed to be on the autistic spectrum. He would be better off hiring someone to man his shop or just stick to the online biz. I did feel compelled to listen to him go on about how he thought the cape looked like a leaping cat. The logo was clever but I became increasingly uncomfortable when he kept repeating himself on how shiny my husbands truck was. We were there for 2 minutes and honestly could not leave fast enough. I never felt this way in any store so I immediately looked to Yelp to see if anyone else encountered a bizaar visit to this store and was not surprised to read the previous comments. I stopped in to pick up something for my cat who was born on the Cape. You would think it he would something cat related since it is called Cape Cat.Com but there is just overpriced t-shirts, trinkets and an awkward encounter with the owner. Better off visiting the online store. Giving two star because I do like the logo it is creative and cute for cat lovers. read more