Can I bring my cat to the cafe?

Sadly, no. The cafe is a place where people can come to visit cats that are available for adoption from our rescue partners.

What are your cleaning and safety protocols to minimize the spread of illness?

Just like our cats, we take our cleaning and safety very very seriously. Click here for our comprehensive cleaning and safety protocols.

Where do you get your adoptable cats from?

Our rescue partners are PAWS Wakefield and PALS Animal Lifesavers in Salem who rescues cats from a variety of challenging situations, provides them with the veterinary care they need, and places them in foster homes or at the PALS adoption center at the PetSmart at Salem….and if they seem like a fit, they are then are brought to the Kitty Cat Cafe and Adoption Lounge for adoption! Please, please consider donating to PAWS Wakefield and PALS Animal Lifesavers that do so much for animals in need, saving so many homeless animals.

Do I have to adopt a cat?

Absolutely not. Most people come to cat cafes to just hang out with cats. Of course, we can't stop you from falling in love with one of our cats and wanting to take them home!

What if I want to adopt one of the cats? What is your adoption process like?

If there’s a particular cat you’re bonding with and would like to adopt, we will give you the adoption application for the rescue organization where the cat is from. They will then process your application according to their procedures. Please note that our partner rescue organizations are staffed by mostly volunteers and really do their due diligence to make sure that their cats are going to their just right forever home, so please be patient as this process can take a couple of weeks.

At the Kitty Cat Cafe, we also take a very intentional approach to adoptions so that they can be successful experiences. Once an adopter is approved by our partner rescue, we invite the adopter to come visit the cat during hours we are closed so they can develop a bond. We ask the adopter to bring any scents from home and even bring the carrier to the cafe for a couple of weeks so the cat can get used to it. We also tell the adopter the exact kind of food, litter box, and litter the cat prefers so they can prepare their home accordingly. If there is a cat already in the house, we help the adopter do scent exchanges and share resources for successful introductions of cats. At the same time, we are working to bring in and integrate a new cat into the cafe to take the place of the cat that is leaving. This process takes time and requires patience so an adoption can take anywhere between 2 weeks and sometimes even 6 weeks, if there are other cats in line to be adopted first or medical needs that have to first be addressed..

What if I find a stray cat that needs a home? Can I bring them to you?

Please, please DO NOT bring them to the Kitty Cat Cafe. Please call your local shelter or rescue to arrange for the cat to be brought to a safe place and get any medical treatment it needs. By Massachusetts Department of Agriculture regulations, we are not allowed to take in cats that are left on our doorstep.

What kinds of food and drink do you serve?

Due to local health regulations, we cannot serve food and drinks as a traditional cafe would. When you enter the cafe, you can purchase drinks or pre-packaged treats from a local bakery to take into the cat lounge with you. And you’re more than welcome to bring in coffee and treats from your favorite local coffee shop or bakery.

Are children allowed in the cafe?

Due to our liability insurance restrictions, only children 8 and older are allowed to visit the cat area. Children between the ages of 8 and 14 need to be accompanied by an adult.

When is the best time to visit?

This depends on what kind of experience you’re looking for, because as we all know, cats like to sleep a lot! In the 10am and 11am slots (and in our new Wednesday evening slots), cats tend to be more energetic. We are also suckers for the afternoon slots when cats are sleepier, so we can just zone out while petting or brushing them.

Can I stay all day?

Most visits are limited to 50 minutes. However, if you’d like to book a daylong time, please join us on Tail Thumping Thursdays where you can stay from 10am-3pm!

Are you hiring?

Not at this time. Since we are a non-profit on a tight budget, we don’t have the funds to hire regular employees and rely mostly on volunteers.

How do you make money?

Good question. We don’t make money as we are a 501(c)3 non-profit charitable organization. Proceeds from admission fees and merchandise purchases are considered donations that go to paying for our space and caring for the cats. We rely on the generosity of our visitors and the support of our volunteers to keep this special place going. The receipts we email you can be used to document your charitable gifts for tax purposes.

I’m excited to do cat yoga, but they’re all full! How do I get in? Is there a cancellation list?

These monthly Sunday yoga classes have been extremely popular and usually fill up within 90 minutes of posting! It also looks on our website like we don’t have any classes offered at all because Squarespace, our scheduling vendor, makes it look like full classes aren’t on the calendar. We suggest you join our email mailing list on our main page so you get to be the first to know when we add dates. If you want to be put on a cancellation list just in case someone cancels, please email us at kittycatcafema@gmail.com

Can I book a private event like a birthday party?

After trying a few times, we’ve found that private events like birthday parties are too overstimulating and unsettling for the cats. Therefore, we’ve stopped booking these types of events for the well-being of our cats.