The Cafe Meow

Saint Paul, Minnesota · 3.8 mi / 6.0 km

Catzen ⁠‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌⁠Coffee is a specialty coffee shop with a cat lounge on Grand Avenue in Saint Paul's Macalester-Groveland neighborhood, a few blocks east of Macalester College. It opened on January 1, 2025. The coffee shop and patio are open to everyone, while the cat lounge is a living room with upholstered chairs, books, games and a fireplace where the cafe's own resident cats roam, nap and play. The cats live at the cafe permanently and are not up for adoption; they include a large Maine Coon rescue and a Lykoi, and they can retreat to their quarters downstairs whenever they like. Lounge visits last 45 minutes and must be reserved, with each person making a purchase in the coffee shop instead of paying an entry fee. The lounge is for ages 10 and up, with an all-ages cartoons session on weekend mornings. Regular evening events include needlecraft and TV nights.

New Hope, Minnesota · 12 mi / 19 km

The ⁠‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌‌‌⁠Cafe Meow in New Hope is the second branch of Minnesota's first cat cafe, opened in 2022 on Winnetka Avenue North in the northwestern suburbs of Minneapolis. It is split into two spaces: a coffee shop serving organic, Fair Trade coffee and tea with treats from local bakeries, which anyone can visit, and a separate cat lounge with up to 30 rescue cats. Every cat is adoptable through one of the cafe's local foster-based rescue partners, and adopters apply to the rescue after meeting the cat in the lounge. Lounge time is charged per person per hour and starts on the hour, with lower weekday rates and short Happy Meower visits on weekday afternoons. Booking ahead is recommended, though leftover spots are sold at the counter. Visitors must be 7 or older, with one adult for each child aged 7 to 10. Yoga with cats and painting nights are also held.

• Adoptable cats
• Booking recommended

Faribault, Minnesota · 50 mi / 81 km

Furball ⁠‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​⁠Farm Cat Sanctuary is a nonprofit, cage-free sanctuary for feral and unsocialized cats in the countryside outside Faribault, about an hour south of the Twin Cities. Hundreds of cats rescued from outdoor colonies, many with no previous human contact, live in its farm building, where they are fully vetted and cared for by staff and volunteers. Visitors are welcome every afternoon, including weekends and holidays, to walk among the cats, offer treats and help socialize them; please do not arrive before opening time. Cats that come to trust people are offered for adoption to adults 21 and over, and those that never do stay for life. The sanctuary does not accept owner surrenders or kittens, runs a spay and neuter program for feral colonies, and is funded by donations and its online shop.

• Adoptable cats

Eau Claire, Wisconsin · 82 mi / 131 km

Mr. ⁠‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌⁠Kitty's Cat Café & Boutique is a cafe, cat lounge and cat-themed gift shop in a converted historic church on South Farwell Street in downtown Eau Claire. Opened in March 2024 as the city's first cat cafe, it works exclusively with the Eau Claire County Humane Association, which supplies its 10 to 15 cats and handles adoptions; the cafe passed its 500th adoption in August 2026. The lounge is separate from the cafe, so guests can watch the cats through the glass with a coffee, tea or snack, or pay to go in. Walk-ins are welcome and reservations can be made online. Visitors to the lounge must be at least 7 years old and sign a waiver, while the cafe and boutique have no age limit. The cafe has free Wi-Fi and board games.

• Adoptable cats
• Booking recommended

Duluth, Minnesota · 135 mi / 218 km

Wired ⁠‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​⁠Whisker is a coffee shop and cat lounge on East Superior Street in Duluth, a short way up the shore from Canal Park, and was the first cat cafe in northern Minnesota. The cafe serves craft coffee, other drinks and locally made baked goods, with no booking needed. Next door, a separate cat lounge with a viewing window holds adoptable rescue cats from Animal Allies Humane Society, Pet Haven and Carlton County Animal Rescue; visits are timed, paid sessions that can be booked online or by phone. Adoptions go through the partner rescues. The cafe also hosts community events such as a pet loss support group, and sells merchandise online. In 2026 it was among USA Today's nominees for the best cat cafe in the country.

• Adoptable cats
• Walk-ins welcome

Grand Rapids, Minnesota · 156 mi / 251 km

The ⁠‌‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​​​​​​​​⁠Shabby Tabby Cat Lounge is a cat lounge in downtown Grand Rapids, Minnesota, on NW 4th Street, run alongside the Bark & Beyond pet shop. Visitors pay a fee to relax, cuddle and play with adoptable cats in a homely lounge run in partnership with Hero's Heart Animal Rescue, a licensed Minnesota kennel. Cats can be adopted through the rescue's own application process, which includes screening and a background check. There is no cafe inside, but the lounge works with a nearby coffee shop and deli. It is one of the few cat lounges in northern Minnesota and also holds adoption events.

• Adoptable cats