Tuxies, torties, tabbies, gingers—you can hang out with every kind of kitty at Utah’s cat cafés, and get your caffeine fix, too.
Cat’s Flower Garden, the world’s first cat café, opened in Taiwan nearly 20 years ago. The U.S. wouldn’t get a cat café for another decade; Tinker’s in Central City, which opened in Salt Lake’s Central City in 2007, was Utah’s first.
Utah’s two new cat cafés (MiaoMiao, also in Central City, and The House Cat in Ogden) both opened in the last year. Hopefully this means more cat cafés are on the way. In the meantime, here’s a short primer on these three cafés, including menu offerings, and most importantly, how to visit—and adopt—the kitties.
The House Cat Café
Location: 341 27th St., Ogden, UT 84401
Hours: 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Mon.-Sat., 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Sun.
Co-owners Christine Otterstrom and Jenny Wilcox held a grand opening for The House Cat—Ogden’s first cat café—in May 2026. The pair have the perfect cat café resumes: Otterstrom’s background is in art and zoology, and Wilcox is a culinary school graduate. And both women, of course, love cats.
Otterstrom says that she and Wilcox spent two years researching other cat cafés and looking for the perfect building in Ogden. Their current location was a vitamin store and then a restaurant, which she said was ideal because the restaurant makes its food in-house. “We worked with the health department because at first, they did not know how to handle a business like this—animals and food,” she says. “We had to teach them what a cat café is, and how it works. But they were really understanding, and great to work with.”
When you first approach the building, The House Cat’s resident kitty, Glinda, will probably spy you through the large glass windows and inspect you as you approach the front door. (She has a drink named after her, “a shimmering, house-made, shimmering kiwi lemonade with a kitty gummy, sprinkles, and whipped cream”).
According to Otterstrom, Glinda “has been perfect in the lounge, so she’s very curious and wants to meet every single cat that we bring in.” The co-owner says, “She doesn’t know anything about personal space. She just shoves her nose in the new cat’s face. It’s like, who are you? She loves people. You can tell she really enjoys being in the lounge.”
If you haven’t read the house (cat) rules or signed the waiver before visiting, you can do so at the counter while you order a drink or some food. All visits are walk-in, with no reservations required. Cat lounge rates are $5 for a half hour, and $9 for adults and $7 for kids under 12 for a full hour.
The adoptable kitties all come from Weber County Animal Services, with their health needs addressed before arriving at The House Cat’s lounge. The adoption process starts at The House Cat with some paperwork and questions.
“We always prioritize the first person interested in adoption, but it’s not always the best fit,” Otterstrom says. But if it’s a love match, the adopter pays a $40 fee to WCAS, returns with the receipt, and then the cat makes one more visit back to the shelter. “They like to see them before they do the discharge, just to make sure they’re healthy,” Otterstrom says. “But then after that, it’s their kitty.”
So far, House Cat has helped 70 cats find their forever homes, with more in the queue, including Slipper, Marney, and Speedy Gonzales.
Otterstrom says that The House Cat is adding events to its calendar, including kids and cats storytime, a craft night, and a read-a-thon. “It’s just quiet reading time,” she says. “We did our first one a few weeks ago, but it will be a monthly event, so you get the lounge to yourself, just an hour and a half to sit and read with the cats.”
The House Cat also has a small boutique with cat-related merch—they soon hope to be licensed to sell official Kit-Cat Clocks. For up-to-the-minute info on events and more, follow them on Bluesky, Instagram, and Facebook.
2. Tinker’s Cat Café
Location: 302 E. 900 S., Salt Lake City, Utah 84111
Hours: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Tues.-Thurs., 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Fri.-Sat., 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sun.
Tinker’s, Utah’s very first cat café, is named after owner Lisa Boone’s childhood kitty, a Siamese who lived to be 22 years old. Known for the wordplay of its menu (e.g., catpuccinos and camomeow tea), Tinker’s also serves sweet and savory treats from local bakeries, including vegan and gluten-free options.
Tinker’s partners with Salt Lake County Animal Services to identify adoptable cats that will feel comfortable and happy hanging out in the cat lounge with visitors. All cats are spayed or neutered, microchipped, and up to date on vaccinations.
Visits are $12.99 per hour for adults, $8.66 per hour for kids 10 and under, and free for kids 3 and younger. (It goes without saying that parents should supervise kids closely during cat lounge visits.) You’ll have to sign a waiver either way—the reservation form includes a waiver as part of the booking process, or you can sign the waiver at Tinker’s prior to a walk-in visit. (Either way, be sure to read the cat rules carefully.)
Reservations are recommended, especially on weekends, and can be booked through Tinker’s website. In addition to the rotating cast of adoptable cats (the café has helped nearly 700 cats find new homes), Tinker’s is home to two resident cats, a tuxie named Sammy, and Florida, a tabby who often hangs out near the lounge door to see who is coming in next.
To adopt a kitty from Tinker’s, you’ll need to verify you’re over 21 years of age, can provide a stable domestic situation, and will not declaw the cat. There is a $50 nonrefundable adoption fee, and paperwork must be completed before you can take the cat home.
Tinker’s also hosts events like painting and crafts night with the cats. For the most current info, go to Tinker’s Facebook page, and be sure to check out this paws-up review from The Neighbor’s Cat, a blog documenting cat cafes around the world.
3. MiaoMiao Café
Location: 808 S. 200 E., Salt Lake City, UT 84111
Hours: 11 a.m.–9 p.m., Mon.–Sat., 11 a.m.–7 p.m. Sun.
Opened in May of 2025 by Ken and Lisa Chen of Sasa Kitchen, MiaoMiao is Salt Lake’s newest cat café.
Most cat cafés split their spaces between the “café” and “cat” areas, but MiaoMiao has a unique between-space: a hallway with small cut-out windows where café patrons can observe the cats before visiting the cat lounge.
On the café side, you can order espresso coffee drinks, boba teas, iced teas, and desserts, like the bear mousse (which looks like a tiny sleeping bear), and the “Cat Paw,” a butter cookie shaped like a kitty’s footprint.
Standalone cat lounge visits are available starting at $6 for 20 minutes; you can also order packages that include two drinks, two desserts, and 20 minutes with the cats ($28.99). Rates are slightly lower on weekdays.
The resident cat crew includes Lisa’s own cats, including LaBuBu and DongDong, as well as some fosters, rescues, and kittens for adoption. You’ll be given a timer to help you track your time in the cat lounge, a snug, comfy space with a couch, floor cushions, and lots of beds and ledges for the cats.
The lounge is available for walk-in visits, but groups of six or more should call ahead to make an appointment. You will be required to sign a waiver on-site before entering the cat lounge. For the latest, check the café’s Instagram.
