Purrs in Paradise

Tustin, California · 5.9 mi / 9.5 km

Fluffy Tail Cafe is a cat cafe on Newport Avenue in Tustin, Orange County, split into a coffee shop open to everyone and a separate cat lounge where foster cats live while they wait for adoption. The cats are placed through the foster rescue Tiny Paws and Whiskers, and apart from a few resident ambassador cats, all of them can be adopted. Lounge visits are paid sessions of 30 minutes or an hour that include a free drink; one-hour sessions can be booked online at a lower price, and walk-ins are taken when there is room. Guests sign a waiver and remove their shoes. Children 9 and under need one supervising adult each and groups with children up to 14 need an adult present, and teens 15 to 17 may visit alone with a parental waiver. The coffee bar is known for its matcha pour-over.

• Adoptable cats
• Booking recommended

Huntington Beach, California · 8 mi / 13 km

Cat Nap Hangout & Adoptions is a cat lounge and adoption center on Warner Avenue in Huntington Beach, run by the nonprofit Alfies Kitten Rescue. More than 50 rescued cats and kittens, most of them found on the streets, live in a large, home-like space with couches and a quiet room for shyer cats. Visitors pay an entry donation, with lower rates for children under 10, seniors and veterans, and can stay as long as they like; walk-ins and online bookings are both accepted. A waiver is required, children under 12 must be with an adult, and teens 13 to 17 may enter alone. There is no cafe, but guests may bring food and drinks. Adoptions are handled only through the lounge, so prospective adopters meet the cats there. The rescue also holds bingo nights, movie nights, cat yoga, study nights and private parties, and sells annual memberships.

• Adoptable cats

Long Beach, California · 17 mi / 27 km

Cool Cat Collective is a cat-themed gallery and boutique on East 4th Street's Retro Row in Long Beach that also houses adoptable foster cats. The shop sells cat art prints, books, ceramics, toys and treats from independent artists and makers, holds rotating art shows and cat-focused community events, and gives part of its profits to cat rescues. The foster cats come from TippedEars, a nonprofit that works with community cats, and live in a glass-fronted kitty playhouse with a catwalk and catio. Anyone can watch the cats, and visitors can go inside to play with them after signing a waiver, with no entry fee. Adults may enter alone and children aged 6 and up with a parent or guardian, two children per adult at most, and only four people are allowed in the main enclosure at a time. Adoptions go through TippedEars. The shop is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.

• Adoptable cats

Long Beach, California · 18 mi / 29 km

Feline Good Social Club is a cat lounge on Atlantic Avenue in downtown Long Beach, where 35 to 50 rescue cats and kittens live together in a bright, colorful, cage-free space. All the cats come from the nonprofit rescue Long Beach Felines and are available for adoption; visitors who connect with a cat are referred to the rescue for the application. Standard visits are 50-minute lounge sessions with a ticket per person, booked online, and walk-ins are accepted when space allows. The lounge has free Wi-Fi and plenty of seating, so some people come to work or study. Children aged 7 to 15 must come with a parent or guardian, no more than two per adult, and children under 7 cannot enter. The program also includes cat yoga, sound baths, craft afternoons, dinner-time sessions, seasonal events and private group bookings. The lounge is closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

• Adoptable cats

Los Angeles, California · 23 mi / 38 km

Hyla's Heart to Home Cat Lounge is the cat adoption lounge of Pedro Pet Pals, a volunteer-run rescue, in the Hyla Marrow Center on West 7th Street in downtown San Pedro. The building is a former apartment block: newly rescued cats settle in private rooms, then move into the lounge, where they roam freely and meet visitors in a home-like space with sunny windows and an upstairs catio. All the cats are available for adoption through Pedro Pet Pals, which places cats in indoor homes. The lounge is open to drop-in visitors on Saturday and Sunday afternoons, and weekday visits can be arranged by email. Groups are limited to six people, and children aged 7 to 15 must come with an adult. It also opens in the evening during the monthly First Thursday Art Walk. It was funded by the trust of the late actress and stuntwoman Hyla Marrow.

• Adoptable cats
• Booking required

West Covina, California · 26 mi / 41 km

Meow Tea is a bubble tea bar with a cat adoption room inside Miko's Pet Supplies in West Covina, in South Hills Plaza next to Tokyo Central Market on South Azusa Avenue. Visitors who buy a drink, or give a small donation instead, can go into the cat room and spend time with the cats without a set time limit. Most of the cats are rescues available for adoption through a partner rescue, and a few are permanent residents, including a large orange shop cat. The shop sells milk teas, fruit teas, slushes and smoothies, and the attached pet store stocks food, treats and supplies for cats and dogs. The cat room is small, so it can get busy at peak times, and children need to be supervised. The business also holds weekend adoption events. It is open every day from late morning to evening.

• Adoptable cats