Looking for a unique way to spend an afternoon? These three cat cafés in Iowa let you relax and spend time with adoptable cats.
If “meow” is among your favorite sounds, Iowa has a few places where you can hear it while sipping a cup of coffee.
Cat cafés have been around for nearly three decades. The concept is generally traced to Taipei, Taiwan, where Cat Flower Garden opened in 1998, but the idea soon made its way to Japan, where cat cafés really took off, and eventually spread around the world.
The appeal isn’t all that hard to understand, mostly if you’re a cat lover. Cat cafés give people a chance to relax with feline friends without having to commit to owning one. In Iowa, the concept also comes with an added bonus: All three of the state’s cat cafés or lounges work with animal rescue organizations, so visitors have a chance to meet cats who are looking for homes.
Here’s where to find the three cat cafés in Iowa.
1. Coffee Cats Café — West Des Moines
Head to historic Valley Junction for Coffee Cats, Iowa’s first cat café. The concept combines a traditional coffee shop with a separate cat lounge filled with adoptable cats from the Animal Rescue League of Iowa.
The idea came from owner Mary Jankowski, who spent 40 years working as a mental health counselor. When she was ready for a change but wasn’t quite ready to retire, she happened upon an article about a cat café and thought it looked like fun. She began researching what it would take to open one in Iowa and eventually partnered with the ARL.
Coffee Cats opened in July 2020, and the setup is pretty simple: Grab a coffee, tea, smoothie, Italian soda, or sweet treat from the café, then head into the adjacent cat lounge for some feline time. The lounge typically houses 10 to 12 adoptable cats, with space for up to eight visitors per hour. Six spots can be reserved in advance, while two are available for walk-ins.
The cat lounge costs $10 per person for an hour. That fee helps Coffee Cats house and care for the adoptable cats while they wait for their forever homes.
And keep your expectations realistic: You might arrive expecting an hour of nonstop kitten cuddles and instead discover that your feline companions would prefer to sleep. The café notes that cats sleep an average of 16 to 20 hours a day, and its residents are no exception.
That’s part of the fun. You can read, relax, play with the cats, or simply watch them do their thing.
Coffee Cats also offers special events, including cat happy hours and seasonal reading opportunities for children. Private cat-lounge parties are another option, making the café a particularly unusual spot for a birthday or other celebration.
2. Kitty Corner Social Club — Iowa City
Downtown Iowa City is home to the Kitty Corner Social Club. The space is designed as a cozy place for people to relax and spend time with cats who are available for adoption.
Owner Katy Brown got the idea after she and her family visited a cat lounge in Paris. After returning to Iowa, she connected with Coffee Cats of West Des Moines and eventually brought the concept to Iowa City.
The result is a colorful, feline-filled space in a former nail salon. Visitors take off their shoes before entering the lounge, then settle in for some time with the cats. Visits are timed, with current options of 15 minutes for $11, 30 minutes for $15, or an hour for $22. Walk-ins are welcome, although the café recommends reservations, particularly for groups or anyone working around a schedule.
The cats come through partnerships with animal rescue organizations, including the Iowa City Animal Care and Adoption Center, Dubuque Regional Humane Society, Cedar County League for Animal Welfare, and Scott County Humane Society. All cats are spayed or neutered, microchipped, and up to date on age-appropriate vaccinations.
And, of course, adoption is part of the experience. Kitty Corner reviews adoptions on Thursdays, with cats heading to their new homes on Sundays.
The lounge also hosts events such as cat yoga, trivia nights, and fundraisers, giving it a little more going on than simply sitting in a room full of cats—although, let’s be honest, that would probably be enough.
3. Familiar Cat Café — Marion
The newest addition to Iowa’s cat-café scene is Familiar Cat Café in Marion.
Familiar combines coffee and other refreshments with time in a cat lounge featuring adoptable cats. Its mission goes beyond simply giving people a place to hang out with felines, though. The café describes itself as a space centered around belonging, community, and wellness.
Familiar partners with Funky Paws Rescue of Buchanan County to help facilitate cat adoptions and reduce shelter overcrowding. The café also showcases work from local artists and makers, whose products are available for purchase on consignment.
For cat time, Familiar offers three options in its Mew-ion Lounge: $5 for 15 minutes, $10 for 30 minutes, or $15 for an hour. The shorter visits are available by walk-in, while 60-minute visits can be reserved online. The lounge is limited to 10 people per hour, with eight reservations and two walk-in spots.
Children 12 and younger must be accompanied by a parent or guardian, while children 5 and younger can visit for free and don’t need their own reservation slot.
For owner Kat Sung, opening Familiar Cat Café was a long-held dream. Sung has a background in human services and crisis support and also works at a veterinary clinic, where they are gaining hands-on experience in cat care, health, and behavior.
Current hours are Wednesday and Thursday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
