FAQs

General Questions

What is a cat cafe?

cat cafe noun. a business establishment that has numerous cats available for customers to play with, and usually offers food and drinks.

A cat cafe is a place where you can get your caffeine fix and cat fix at the same time. Imagine enjoying your morning cup of coffee and crossword puzzle while a cat looks on next to you. Or catching up with friends after work, petting cats as you unwind. Maybe you need a quiet place to finish your history paper, with a new friend sitting next to you, rhythmically purring.

A cat cafe is the cats' foster home. It's a safe place for them to stay until they are adopted. And while they're here, they're being socialized: living and playing with their fellow cats, and also getting comfortable with all the humans who come to visit them.

So while the cats are learning about you, you're learning about them. A cat cafe is the next level of adoption. You can meet and get to know your feline friends and their personalities before deciding to adopt them into your family.

Can I bring my own cat?

We love cats! But kindly leave your kitties at home. Halfway Home Rescue expertly selects cats who would enjoy living in a cafe environment.

Where do you get your cats?

Halfway Home Rescue! They are our exclusive provider of cats. Halfway Home has been around for over 15 years, dedicated to saving the lives of hundreds of abused, abandoned, and homeless animals each year; locally and beyond.

Do I have to adopt?

Of course not! We do hope we can find a forever home for all of the homeless cats, but we understand there are reasons you may not be able to adopt: your apartment doesn't allow pets, or a family member is allergic, or you're just not ready. That's ok! Anyone can visit to just enjoy the company of cats. When you visit, you're helping socializing cats so they'll be ready to meet their forever family when they meet them.

Why is there an entry fee?

We don't take any of the adoption fees - That all goes to Halfway Home. We want to create the best cat cafe experience possible, and in order to do that, the reality is that there are costs to providing a clean, safe, comfortable, temporary home for these wonderful, agile, curious creatures. We also want to make this space relaxing for both cats and humans, and so we limit the number of people at one time so the cats won't become overwhelmed, and the humans can get a chance to learn each of the cats' personalities. We depend on our guests to see how our mission will benefit both cats and humans alike and support us as we learn and grow.

Do I have to buy tickets?

Yes, to see the cats, you must buy tickets. Similar to a movie theater ticket, there are scheduled visits. Our most common visit is 50-minutes that start on the hour.

Can I buy tickets when I come in?

Yes! If there's space. We have a maximum capacity, so the cats are comfortable and guests can have enough cat time. Busy times like weekends and holidays are usually sold out, so walk-in tickets are rare. Buy tickets in advance!

I love Mew Haven! What else can I do to help?

We're so glad you had a great time! You can help spread the word on social media - we're on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. You can also bring your friends to visit too! We're sure they'll have as a good time as you had.

We are also accept donations like cat food and litter. In addition, you can join our sponsorship program and sponsor one of our cats. Please see Donations & Sponsorships for more details.

Visiting Questions

How do I visit?

You can buy tickets on the Tickets page. We have tickets that start on the hour. General admission is $14 per person. We have discounts for college students, teachers, seniors, and children. We also have discounts for additional hours, if you need more time with the cats.

Where do I park?

There is free 2-hour street parking on Whalley Ave. There is also a parking lot across the street at the corner of Whalley Ave & Blake St, for $1 per hour.

Do I need to buy tickets in advance?

We highly recommend purchasing tickets ahead of time, so you won't be disappointed if we are full when you arrive. We limit the number of people in the cat lounge, so those spots fill up quickly. Walk-ins are welcome if we are not at capacity. Weekends and holidays rarely have space for walk-ins.

What should I expect when I get there?

When it's time to visit, come to the cafe side to check-in. You'll give your name and we'll confirm we have your tickets and signed waivers in our system. (You can also sign waivers in person.) After that, you can purchase something to eat or drink and stand by the window to watch the cats while you wait for your start time. To enter the cat lounge, you will exit the cafe and go through another entrance to enter the cat lounge. (We have completely separated our cafe side from the cat lounge side in order to abide by health regulations - which also means two separate entrances!)

Is there an age limit to visit the cat lounge?

No, we think it's important for everyone for all ages to learn more about our cats! Our policy is one adult per every two children. We ask that adults and children are together while they are interacting with our cats, as each cat has a different personality and will act in different ways. Please note that we reserve the right to ask anyone of any age to leave if we feel the comfort and safety of the cats is compromised.

What if I need to cancel / reschedule my tickets?

You can cancel or reschedule your tickets by calling (475) 441-7877 or emailing us at mewhavencatcafe@gmail.com. To cancel and refund, you must contact us 24 hours before your visit. To reschedule without a fee, please contact us 3 hours before your visit. Please note that we do not offer refunds for no-shows.

Adoption Questions

I fell in love with a cat! How do I adopt?

Congrats! Halfway Home handles all aspects of the adoption process. You can fill out an application with us during your visit, and they will follow up with an interview to obtain any additional information they need. It can take a few days for Halfway Home to respond to your application, as they need to contact your vet and confirm with your landlord (if you rent) that you are allowed pets, but they are working on it! If you would like an update on your application, please contact Halfway Home.

What are the adoption fees?

Halfway Home Rescue handles all aspects of the adoption process. These are the adoption fees:

Kittens (under 6 months): $275
Young adult cats (to up 6 years): $250
Senior cats (over 6 years) $225

All of our cats are fixed, up to date on their vaccinations, and are microchipped. They also receive regular flea and tick prevention.

Where is my application?

Once we take an application, we send it to Halfway Home Rescue. They process the application, and we don't have insight on how far along the application is. If it's been a week or so, you can email or leave a voicemail for Halfway Home.

I want to have a party here!

Great! Birthday? Bachelorette party? Reunion? Wedding? Graduation? Retirement? Whatever the occasion, our kitties would love to help you celebrate. Please email us at info@mewhavencatcafe.com for pricing and additional information.

I'm interested in a sponsorship / I'm interested in partnering for a future event.

Great! Please email us at info@mewhavencatcafe.com to start the conversation. For more details on sponsorships, please see Donations & Sponsorships.

Are you hiring? I would love to work here!

Thanks for your interest! Please check out our Jobs page for an application.

I want to volunteer!

Thanks for your interest! We are a for-profit business and cannot accept volunteers. Please check out Halfway Home Rescue's volunteer application. (Ages 18+ please.)

I want to open a cat cafe!

Congrats on your future endeavor! We offer consultation services. Please email us at info@mewhavencatcafe.com and let's chat! We have been open for 5 years back when there weren't many cat cafes in the U.S. and we would love to share our experience.

how to open a cat cafe

Frequently Asked Questions