Cat Cafes in North Carolina

Sylva, North Carolina

The American Museum of the House Cat, located at 5063 US Highway 441 South, Sylva, North Carolina, is a unique institution dedicated to celebrating domestic cats. The museum showcases an extensive collection amassed over more than 30 years by its founder, Dr. Harold Sims. Exhibits include fine art dating back to the late 1800s, modern and folk art, rare advertising pieces, cat posters, and exquisite art glass from renowned glassmakers. Notable artifacts feature a genuine Egyptian cat mummy from 300–30 B.C. and a petrified cat discovered in the chimney of a medieval English home. The museum operates as an art gallery, tracing the history of the house cat in America, and is open to visitors from April through December. Admission fees are $10 for adults, $5 for children aged 6–12, $7.50 for teens aged 13–17, $8.50 for university students, and free for children under 5. All profits support the Catman2 Shelter, a cage-free, no-kill cat adoption center.

Lincolnton, North Carolina

The Purrfect Pour Cat Cafe is a charming cafe where coffee and cat cuddles come together in perfect harmony. This cozy spot blends a traditional cafe experience with a cat lounge, offering visitors a chance to sip on expertly crafted beverages while mingling with adoptable feline friends from local shelters. Open seven days a week, the cafe provides a tranquil atmosphere designed for relaxation, complete with comfy seating and a playful environment for its resident cats. Beyond its tasty drinks and snacks, The Purrfect Pour hosts events like cat yoga and workshops, fostering a tight-knit community of cat lovers. With a focus on finding forever homes for its furry guests, this cafe is a delightful destination for anyone looking to enjoy a warm drink and some purr-filled companionship.

Salisbury, North Carolina

Mac Tabby Cat Café in Salisbury is a cat café where visitors can spend time with adoptable rescue cats from Princeton’s Meow, a cage-free adoption facility. It opened in May 2023, as the third Mac Tabby location, following Charlotte and Concord, and is located in a historic building that was once the Victory Theater from 1915 to 1956. Guests aged 7 and up can book hourly sessions in the cat lounge for $13-$15 (depending on the day), with kids 7-12 needing adult supervision, and enjoy drinks like coffee, beer, or wine from the separate café area, where outside food is allowed but not drinks. All cats are spayed/neutered, vaccinated, and microchipped, contributing to over 1,000 adoptions across the Mac Tabby locations.

Concord, North Carolina

Mac Tabby Cat Café in Concord is a cat café where visitors can spend time with adoptable rescue cats from Princeton’s Meow, a cage-free adoption facility. It opened in May 2021, as the second location of Mac Tabby, following the original in Charlotte’s NoDa area, and is housed in a historic 1886 building with exposed brick and a bar made from 118-year-old pine. Guests aged 7 and up can book hourly sessions in the cat lounge for $13-$15 (depending on the day), with kids 7-12 needing adult supervision, and enjoy drinks like coffee, craft beer, or wine from the separate café area, where outside food is allowed but not drinks. All cats are spayed/neutered, vaccinated, and microchipped, with over 1,000 adoptions since the café began.

Rutherfordton, North Carolina

Whisker & Kettle Tea Room and Cat Cafe was a beloved community haven where guests could unwind with a cup of tea while enjoying the company of adoptable cats from a local rescue partner in a space thoughtfully designed to balance comfort and compassion. Featuring a tea room separate from the cat lounge, the café offered visitors a calming environment where purchases directly supported feline care, along with a wide range of events such as cat yoga, afternoon tea, movie nights, toddler time, birthday parties, and bridal showers. After facing ongoing sustainability challenges, rising operating costs, reduced tourism and foot traffic following Hurricane Helene, and uncertainty around its leased building, the café permanently closed on August 31st, 2025. In its final weeks it honored existing reservations and gift cards and hosted adoption promotions as it worked to place its cats in loving homes, and the owners expressed deep gratitude for the community that supported them throughout their journey.

Kernersville, North Carolina

Waffles and Whiskers Cat Cafe was a welcoming haven for feline enthusiasts and food lovers, offering a unique blend of indulgent treats and adorable cat companions in a cozy, vintage bakery–inspired setting with rustic wooden accents and soft, golden lighting. Guests once enjoyed freshly made waffles alongside artisanal coffee or tea while spending time with adoptable cats, surrounded by playful toys, scratching posts, and a relaxed, friendly atmosphere. With the help of knowledgeable staff, visitors could learn about each cat’s personality and adoption story while unwinding in a warm, inviting space. Like many small hospitality businesses, the café struggled during the COVID-19 pandemic and ultimately closed during that period, bringing an end to its in-person operations and community space.

Charlotte, North Carolina

Daily Mews Cat Cafe was a whimsical oasis in Charlotte, North Carolina, where felines and friends came together to unwind in a cozy space inspired by the charm of a French bistro, complete with plush armchairs, vintage décor, and soft jazz melodies. At the heart of the café was a spacious cat play area that housed more than 20 adoptable cats at a time, giving guests the chance to relax with specialty coffee, tea, pastries, and light bites while watching the cats play, nap, and interact. With its cat towers, scratching posts, and inviting snuggle nooks, Daily Mews became a beloved destination for animal lovers and adopters alike. After more than six years of operation and helping hundreds of cats find loving homes, the café permanently closed on March 31, 2024, bringing an end to its role as one of Charlotte’s most cherished cat cafés.

Charlotte, North Carolina

The Humane Society of Charlotte’s Retail Center and Cat Café, located at 1348 Parker Drive in Charlotte, North Carolina, offers a unique blend of pet adoption, shopping, and relaxation. This innovative space serves as both a retail hub where visitors can purchase pet essentials like treats, toys, and preventative medications, and a cozy cat café where adoptable felines roam freely, ready to mingle with potential forever families. Open Sunday through Thursday from 11 AM to 5 PM, Friday from 11 AM to 7 PM, and Saturday from 11 AM to 6 PM, the café provides a welcoming environment for animal lovers to unwind while supporting the Humane Society’s mission to improve animal welfare and strengthen the human-animal bond. With its focus on community engagement and pet adoption, it’s a purr-fect spot for those looking to shop, sip, and snuggle with cats in need of homes.