There’s something about spending time with a cat that is happy to be with you,” muses Rob Stovall. “It gives people such an intrinsic feeling of value and peace.” Stovall so strongly believes in the benefits of a feline friend that he and wife Caroline opened Whiskers and Soda Cat Cafe in Dallas last year, in partnership with the cat rescue group A Voice for All Paws.
“It’s amazing watching the reactions of people who come out of the cafe,” he adds. “They thank us.”
While fairly new to Dallas, cat cafes have been around for a while. The phenomenon reportedly started in Taiwan in 1998, gained traction in Japan a few years later, and came to California and New York in 2014. The next year, the Oxford English Dictionary added the term “cat cafe,” and now there’s even a live map showing all the cat cafes in the United States (visit thatcatlife.com to check it out).
To be clear, cat cafes aren’t spots to bring your own pet; they provide a foster home where rescue cats can be socialized and even adopted. “We wanted a setting where [cats] could live, be in their home, be comfortable and relaxed, know they’re safe,” Stovall shares. “You want [potential adopters] to be in the best environment possible with cats that are not stressed out.”
Whiskers and Soda is designed around the needs of the cats, and it’s clear that humans are simply invited guests. One of those humans is Stephen Foland, a Dallas engineer who lives near Whiskers and Soda and opted for a membership. He spent six months visiting the cafe regularly with his 11-year-old daughter as she found her perfect cat. The family adopted Annie, an almost 1-year-old, short-haired cat with a great temperament, in January. They still go to the cafe, though. Sometimes they do puzzles or play board games; sometimes Foland works.
“When you walk in, you really feel like you’re in the cats’ space,” he says. “You can see their personalities. It’s a really good environment for me to have conversations with my daughter about pet ownership and, with the rules they have set up, how you play with a cat.”
The basic rule of the cafe is to let the cats come to you, instead of forcing an interaction. A cat could be sleeping, or maybe it just isn’t ready to socialize yet. For example, the Stovalls recently took in six cats that lived in a small closet the first 18 months of their lives — while five of them are doing well with engagement, one is still timid. For those cats, the cafe offers secluded areas.
You can pay a visit with a walk-in rate of $16 for the first hour for adults and $8 for children; the rate drops by half for additional hours when you book upfront. Like Foland, you could purchase a membership, which offers lower rates and the ability to reserve a spot well in advance. The process clearly works. Whiskers and Soda has raised greater awareness of A Voice for All Paws, and together the rescue and cafe have found homes for 219 cats already in 2024; they adopted out 628 cats in 2023.
Cindy Pennington runs Casual Cat Cafe with her husband, John, in Richland Hills. A CPA by trade, she was gobsmacked when she went to her first cat cafe and couldn’t stop thinking about her experience. Now Pennington is hosting kitten parties and, for the first time since opening in 2017, the business has broken even.
“We adopt out cats, but the vast majority of customers are coming for a fun afternoon,” she says. “If we didn’t have people who just came by, we wouldn’t exist. Our bread and butter is people coming in to have fun and to play with the cats. It helps socialize them.”
If you’d like to hang at a cat-based establishment, here are four to try in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Hourly rates and memberships are a typical business structure.
Whiskers and Soda Cat Cafe
The newest cat cafe on the local scene, Whiskers and Soda opened in March 2023 in East Dallas. The resident cats and kittens are available for adoption through the nonprofit rescue A Voice for All Paws. There are some cafe rules: The cats should come to you, no flash photography, and time in the kitten room is limited by size and number of guests. They also have cat merch and, bonus, baked treats from Leila Bakery & Cafe. 10320 Garland Road, Dallas, whiskersandsoda.com
The Charming Cat Corner
Located in Lewisville’s Music City Mall, this cat lounge is conveniently located near a food court (so there’s no need to serve snacks and drinks). It’s organized by themed rooms, such as the Godswood Room, which is inspired by Godswood of Winterfell in Game of Thrones and is where older cats start, since it has lower light and is more laid-back than some of the other areas. Shy cats often stay in the Graffiti Room, named after its muraled wall and offering small spaces for cats to hide. The Tropical Paradise Room offers plentiful climbing opportunities. And for the more “quirky” felines, there are private suites that provide a more contained space and music cats like — classical and “especially baroque,” according to the cafe’s website. 2401 S. Stemmons Freeway, Suite 1306, Lewisville, thecharmingcatcafe.com
The Cozy Catfe
Touting “kitty therapy for our guests” and offering a free beverage with entry, The Cozy Catfe has helped find homes for 241 cats from local shelters since late 2021. In addition to just relaxing with the cats, you can take part in events such as Crocheting with Kitties and musical bingo with the tunes of famous ailurophile (i.e., cat lover) Taylor Swift. You can also rent out space to work or for a gathering. 740 SW Green Oaks Blvd., Suite 200, Arlington, thecozycatfe.com
The Casual Cat Cafe
The Penningtons have a long history of cat rescue and funneled that expertise into their cafe. In addition to showcasing adoptable cats, the business offers cat-themed merch, often handmade from local vendors. The retail area and cafe overlooking the cat lounge are free to enter. Having food and cats together is complicated (says the state of Texas), so the cafe offers Keurig drinks, sodas and packaged snacks; you can, however, order Uber Eats or DoorDash if you’re staying awhile. You can also rent the space for a birthday party or small group outing. 7264 Glenview Drive, Richland Hills, thecasualcatcafe.com