West Michigan is Getting a New Cat Cafe

Your furry new friends are just waiting for you to come and play!

The famous cat café movement of Japan has begun sweeping across the United States over the last several years. The Catfe Lounge in Ferndale opened in 2015 and is considered by many to be Michigan's first cat café, but we're anxiously awaiting the grand opening celebration of West Michigan's newest cat-friendly parlor.

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Here's What We Know So Far:

Many cat cafes in the United States are an extension of local non-profit animal shelters. These cafes encourage human-cat interactions with the goal of socializing skittish cats and potentially finding forever homes for them.

I mean, how can you pet a cat that's been in your lap for an hour and not want to take it home with you? On the concept of cat cafes Wikipedia adds,

In contrast to Japanese cat cafés, US cafes typically focus on adoptions. Within seven months of being open, Cat Town [the first cat café in the U.S.] reported that "the euthanasia rate at its partner shelter has declined from 41 to 21 percent, and 184 cats have made the transition from the cafe's Cat Zone to permanent homes"

Holland Cat Cove

According to the Holland Sentinel a Grand Rapids native, Jennifer Siegel, plans to bring the cat café concept to Holland, Michigan this summer. Holland Cat Cove will work alongside Holland's Harbor Humane Society to connect animal lovers to their new furry friends.

Holland Cat Cove plans to feature 20 cats at a time while visitors roam and lounge throughout the café which will feature refrigerated beverages, Keurig for coffee and tea, and offerings from local bakeries.

How Does it Work?

If you've never been to a cat café before, such as Happy Cat Café in Grand Rapids or Kzoo Cat Café and Rescue in Kalamazoo, guests pay an entry fee and essentially reserve a time slot to visit with the cats. Reservations typically come in 30 minute increments with options to add more time. For example, Happy Cat in Grand Rapids charges:

$7 per person for 30 minutes
$13 per person for 1 Hour
$25 per person for 3 Hours

Once inside guests can purchase drinks and snacks for themselves-- and sometimes the cats too! Holland Cave Cove's website lists their rate as $13 for 50 minutes for guests ages 2 and up with membership options offered. Meet the cats and learn more here.

What It's Like to Go to East Lansing's Constellation Cat Cafe

If you're a cat lover who's never been to a cat cafe before, it's something you're going to want to experience at least once in your life. But how do these things actually work? We'll walk you through the rules and our experiences so you can be prepared before your visit.

Gallery Credit: Kristen Matthews