Looking for a little snuggle? It might be time to visit a cat cafe. Lucky for you, we found four of them in North Texas.
Each has a different vibe and personality, but they have several things in common, aside from, well... cats.
Most partner with one or more rescue groups that take in the felines, ensure their health and recruit foster homes for them.
The cafes are just different kinds of foster homes that make the adoption process less stressful. The cat can get to know you, you get to know the cat. The cat acts like it doesn’t care, but you know better.
“The purpose is to find homes for the babies and have a nice, safe, comfortable, fun place for them to live while they're meeting people,” said Rob Stovall, who founded Whiskers and Soda with his wife, Caroline.
Ready for your kitty close encounter? Check out these places:
Whiskers and Soda
10320 Garland Road
Dallas
The new kitty on the block, Whiskers and Sodaopened in March. They offer fresh coffee and pastries from local businesses. There's a boarding facility on site and plans to expand space for rescue group A Voice for all Paws
The Cozy Catfe
740 SW Green Oaks Boulevard
Arlington
This spotis the largest cat cafe in Texas, with more than 4,500 square feet. There's a Keurig coffee bar, bottled beverages and packaged snacks. They also have a private office with WiFi for remote work, that comes complete with a cat. Special events include cat yoga, painting parties and bingo nights. College students and teachers get 25% admission discount; veterans get in free
The Casual Cat Cafe
7264 Glenview Drive
Richland Hills
The Casual Cat Cafe, 7264 Glenview Drive, Richland Hills
This cafe opened in 2017 and offers bottled beverages and packaged snacks. Shop the “Meow-chandise” area to find something for cat lovers of all ages. There's a quiet room for shy cats and a cat boarding facility.
The Charming Cat Cafe
2401 South Stemmons Freeway, #1306
Lewisville
Beverly Freed founded Kitty Save, a cat rescue group, in 2006, then opened this cat lounge and adoption centerin 2015. It's the oldest in Texas. (The state's first cat cafe, Austin's Blue Cat Cafe, closed in 2019.) This one's located in the Music City Mall (formerly Vista Ridge Mall). No food or beverages because there's a food court nearby. The room decor changes frequently and there's a veterinary clinic onsite for cafe cats.
What to expect at cat cafes
- None of the cat cafes accepts foundlings or strays directly from the public. For that, you should contact a shelter or rescue group. The owners ask that you do not bring rescues directly to the cafes.
- To support feline welfare, visitors can pay a monthly membership or hourly fee. And all the cat cafes offer special-event packages.
- Staff and volunteers are on hand to monitor cat behavior or human misbehavior.
- Patrons check in. Be prepared for some rules about footwear. The cafes have different policies, but all are designed to keep health threats from getting tracked in.
- Multiple door configurations thwart feline escapes.
- Come dressed to sit on the floor or to have a furry friend curl up and shed on your lap.