Pawsitivitea CNY Cafe & Cat Lounge

Syracuse, New York · 2.4 mi / 3.8 km

Luna ⁠‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌⁠Cat Cafe is a Japanese-style cat lounge and restaurant at the corner of East Fayette Street and South Crouse Avenue in Syracuse, a few blocks from the Syracuse University campus. Opened in August 2021, it serves Japanese and Midwestern dishes such as okonomiyaki pizza, takoyaki and onigiri, along with coffee and a wide range of bubble teas, and the dining room is free to use. A separate lounge holds adoptable cats from the Central New York Cat Coalition, which handles adoptions. Visits to the lounge are paid by the half hour, the hour or as an unlimited pass, with reduced rates for students and first responders, and a waiver is required. Reservations are not needed except for groups larger than five. On Mondays and Tuesdays only drinks are served. The cafe also hosts events, including the free LunaCon Japanese culture festival each September.

• Adoptable cats

Waterloo, New York · 39 mi / 63 km

Cat's ⁠‌‌​​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​⁠Meow Cafe & Lounge is the first cat cafe in Seneca County, located inside the Finger Lakes Premium Outlets in Waterloo, next to the Tommy Hilfiger store. The locally owned cafe serves coffee, lattes, mochas and affogato along with pastries, scones, cookies, stuffed croissants and sandwiches made in house, including gluten-free options. A separate cat room is home to a rotating group of adoptable cats from partner rescues, including the Oswego County SPCA, and visitors book time in the room to play with and socialize the cats. A liability waiver is required before entering, and children are welcome with a parent or guardian. Adoptions are arranged through the partner rescues. The cafe also holds occasional events such as kitten romper room sessions.

• Adoptable cats
• Booking required

Ithaca, New York · 47 mi / 75 km

Alley ⁠‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌⁠Cat Cafe is a vegetarian cafe and cat room on North Cayuga Street in downtown Ithaca, across from the Ithaca Commons and around the corner from the State Theatre. It opened in 2018 as Ithaca's first cat cafe and moved to its current, larger space in January 2023. The cafe serves locally roasted coffee, lattes, tea, local baked goods and light breakfast and lunch, with many options available vegan. The cat rooms are separate from the dining area and are home to around a dozen adoptable cats from Browncoat Cat Rescue, which handles adoptions. Visitors pay a small fee per half hour for cat time, with walk-ins accepted and reservations recommended on weekends and for groups. Food is not allowed in the cat rooms, but drinks with closed lids are. Volunteers monitor the rooms, and the cafe welcomes help with fostering and donations of supplies.

• Adoptable cats
• Booking recommended

Victor, New York · 64 mi / 104 km

Lazy ⁠‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌⁠Cat Lounge & Cafe, formerly Purrs and Paws Cat Cafe, is a cat cafe inside Eastview Mall in Victor, southeast of Rochester, in the Von Maur wing near mall entrance 6. One side is a cafe serving coffee, specialty drinks and desserts, and the other is a cat lounge with adoptable cats from several Rochester-area rescues, including Animal Rescue Services, ROC the Mad Catter, Colony Caregivers, Room for One More and Love for Misfit Meeps. Visitors book a time online, sign the waiver and pay ahead, and walk-ins are taken when there is space. Children must be at least 8, and those under 13 need an adult with them in the lounge. Drinks from the cafe with lids may be taken in. Adoptions are handled by each cat's rescue through an online application. The lounge closes for short breaks during the day to give the cats rest.

• Adoptable cats

Rochester, New York · 72 mi / 117 km

The ⁠‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌⁠Pawsitive Cafe is a nonprofit cat cafe on East Avenue in Rochester's East End, near the Eastman Theatre, and opened in 2022 as downtown Rochester's first cat cafe; it has since moved to a larger space at 115 East Avenue. The neurodivergent-owned cafe is home to around 25 to 30 adoptable cats from several local rescue partners, and more than 370 cats have been adopted. Visitors pay per person for 30- or 60-minute visits, and booking ahead guarantees a spot because walk-ins are not always available; bookings are non-refundable and the fees go to the cats' care. Children under 16 must be with someone 18 or older, and outside animals are not allowed. Drinks and snacks are sold, and the cafe hosts events such as painting nights and private parties.

• Adoptable cats

Greece, New York · 78 mi / 126 km

The ⁠‌‌​​‌​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌⁠Scratching Post Cat Cafe is a cat cafe on Latta Road in Greece, a town on the northwest side of Rochester, in the space once occupied by The Friendly Feline Cat Cafe and next door to a diner. It opened in summer 2026 with the aim of helping adoptable rescue cats find homes. A cafe area serves specialty coffee, drinks and snacks and sells cat-themed gifts, and a separate cat room has cat trees, scratching posts and hiding places for the cats. Visitors book half-hour cat lounge visits online for a fee, and children are welcome with their families. The cats are adoptable through the cafe's rescue partners. Opening days are limited, so it is best to check the booking page before visiting.

• Adoptable cats
• Booking required