The Cat's Familiar

Oxford, Maine · 35 mi / 56 km

Cozy Cat Cafe and Crafts is a family-run cat cafe and craft shop on School House Road in Oxford, Maine, opened in September 2026 by Stephanie and her sister Julie. The shop sells handmade goods from New England crafters, and the cafe offers coffee, tea, home-baked pastries and crock-pot comfort meals from a menu that changes daily. The kitty lounge holds up to four adoptable cats from the Sullivan Sanctuary, and when a cat is adopted another takes its place. Visits are hour-long tickets with no more than eight people in the lounge at a time, and a signed waiver is required. Reservations are taken by phone or text. Visitors under 12 must be with an adult, food is not allowed in the lounge, and guests can also watch the cats from the cafe without a ticket. Visitors who cannot afford the fee can ask the owners.

• Adoptable cats

Portland, Maine · 46 mi / 74 km

The Glitter Box is a small adults-only cat lounge on Market Street in Portland's Old Port, sharing an entryway with the Meowy Jane cannabis dispensary. The lounge itself is separate from the dispensary and is not a consumption lounge; a cat tunnel over the Meowy Jane boutique lets the cats wander overhead. Usually four to eight cats live in the lounge, all fostered for Four Legged Freedom Rescue and available for adoption through the rescue. Visits are by booked session, with a small fee that covers the lounge's running costs, and booking ahead is advised because weekends sell out. All guests must be 18 or older, though families who are serious about adopting can contact the lounge to arrange a visit. Complimentary coffee, tea and water are provided and guests may bring their own snacks. A waiver is required.

• Adoptable cats

Westbrook, Maine · 48 mi / 77 km

Meow Lounge is a nonprofit cat lounge on Main Street in downtown Westbrook, just outside Portland, and opened in July 2023 as Maine's first cat cafe. Founder Anne Beal partners with local shelters and rescue groups, and every cat in the lounge is adoptable, with adoptions handled by the cat's original rescue; the lounge has passed several hundred adoptions. Visitors book 25- or 50-minute visits or longer work and study sessions, check in at the gift shop to sign a waiver and enter the lounge through a separate door, with shoes off or covered. Booking ahead is advised because space is limited. The lounge is for ages 5 and up, and children 12 and under need an adult. Guests may bring snacks and non-alcoholic drinks, and board games, cards and books are provided. A gift shop sells Maine-made goods, and weekly events include yoga, crafts, trivia, game and movie nights.

• Adoptable cats
• Booking recommended

Newmarket, New Hampshire · 98 mi / 158 km

The Tipsy Tabby is a cat cafe on Main Street in downtown Newmarket, on the New Hampshire Seacoast, and opened in February 2023 as the state's first cat cafe. Founder Kaitlyn returned home after working at a veterinary dentistry practice near Atlanta. The cafe, open to everyone, serves coffee, tea, hot chocolate, homemade boba and baked goods, with views into the lounge. The lounge is by appointment for a per-person entry fee; walk-in appointments are possible when there is space, but booking online is recommended. All the cats come from Darbster Kitty in Manchester, are spayed or neutered and vaccinated, and are adopted through the rescue, which receives the full adoption fee. All ages are welcome with one adult for every two children. Despite the name, the cafe no longer serves alcohol.

• Adoptable cats
• Booking recommended

Peabody, Massachusetts · 132 mi / 213 km

Kitty Cat Cafe and Adoption Lounge is a nonprofit cat lounge on Route 1 South in Peabody, in the Big Pig BBQ Plaza next to Indy Auto Parts. Founded in 2022 by Cora and Uri, a couple who began fostering after losing their cat, it houses around 10 to 12 adoptable cats aged from about one to fourteen years from its partners PAWS Wakefield and PALS Animal Lifesavers, and has rehomed more than 100 cats. The lounge has sofas, cat trees and resting spots, and prepackaged drinks and snacks are sold. Visits are 50-minute sessions, and reservations are required. Visitors must be at least 8 years old, and those under 14 need an adult. Regular hours are Thursday to Saturday, with extra morning and evening slots, long work-from-the-lounge sessions, and events such as yoga with cats, sound baths and crafts on the booking site.

• Adoptable cats
• Booking required

Sherbrooke, Quebec · 134 mi / 215 km

Refuge de la Faune de l'Estrie is a non-profit animal shelter on Rue Achille-Barrière in Sherbrooke, right on a cycling path, that runs a cat cafe area and a large outdoor catio. In 2026 the Refuge Le Château cat shelter and its Café Chat L'Étoile moved here, and the cats now live uncaged, with access to the catio where visitors can sit with them. A small contribution covers a coffee, another drink or an ice cream and lets visitors stay with the cats for as long as they like. A paid guided tour of the shelter, which also cares for dogs, small animals and injured wildlife such as birds, ducks and deer, includes catio access and a drink. The cats are available for adoption. Visiting times depend on volunteers and are posted on the shelter's Facebook page, so it is best to check before going.

• Adoptable cats