MeWOW: Cat Cafes

Why just have coffee when you can enjoy it with a cat?

Cat Cafes, the new trend currently sweeping the nation, are themed cafes whose main attraction consists of interacting with cats while enjoying a drink or a nice treat. Commonly, cat cafes are partnered or sponsored by animal rescues as a non-conventional, casual way of adopting felines in need of homes. 

The first cat cafe is said to be founded in 1912 in Vienna. Currently, Japan holds the record for the most cat cafe businesses. However, CNN tells us that there are over 152 cat cafes located in the United States. Here are a few of the locations we have in our local vicinity.

Neko Cat Cafe (Seattle & Bellingham, WA)

The owner of the Neko Cat Cafe, Caitlin Unsell, fell in love with cat cafe culture while living abroad in Vietnam and Japan. After moving back to the states, she decided to open her own company to bring some of this culture back with her. As the website states, “She and her partner have created a place where you can bring your friends for happy hour and your niece on Saturday morning,” offering both cafe beverages and cocktails. Cats here are adoptable as well. On average, Seattle hosts 12 cats, while Bellingham hosts 25. They have an amazon wishlist for those wanting to donate items for the cats.

Catfiennated (Tacoma, WA)

6th Ave. is the home of Tacoma’s very own cat cafe and is perfect for those not living up north nor willing to travel. It offers a refrigerated deli-style selection of food along with classic cafe drinks as well as bottled and canned alcohol like White Claws. Having just reopened mid-February, they currently have reduced hours and are only operating on weekends Friday through Sunday. It is a woman, LGBT, minority and veteran owned business. Their adoptable cats are from the Auburn Valley Humane Society. Guests can book general visits as well as private events.

Seattle Meowpolitian (Seattle, WA)

Opening its doors back in Dec. 2015, this was the first cat cafe to open in Seattle. Currently, during the pandemic, they are not serving food or drinks. However, their cat lounge is open in 30 minute time slots and guests have the ability to make general or private bookings to spend time with the adoptable cats they host from Regional Animal Services of King County as well as their nine permanent felines. They also offer cat yoga, an hour long Viniyoga-style all-level session beside some furry friends. They also have a gift shop with goods and gift certificates. 

Catfe (Vancouver, BC, Canada)

Although Catfe isn’t technically in Washington, it is a very popular location located right on the other side of the border. Their location has a very rustic look, with kitty-themed wood art and paintings. Catfe goes the extra mile with an expansive menu making their treats and drinks cat themed as well. They usually host around 25 cats, many of which are adoptable. Since opening in Dec. 2015, it has found homes for over 800 cats.

The Whole Cat and Kaboodle (Redmond, WA)

This cat cafe is part of a multi-service cat business. They offer adoptions, retail, grooming and boarding. Their mission opening the Cat Cafe section was to create a safe space where cats couldn’t even tell they were up for adoption. At their cafe, they also have board games, books, plush furniture and free wifi to cozy down with these pets. The cafe is temporarily closed to uphold Covid safety measures.