Looking for the purr-fect way to spend the day? Seattle Meowtropolitan, Wallingford’s newest coffee shop, is not only a good place to enjoy a cup o’ Joe, it’s home to a friendly clan of resident cats and a few felines looking for their forever homes. Read on for the tail of Seattle’s first and only cat café.
photo: Helen Walker Green
Furry Friends
PAWS for a moment to look through the windows of Seattle Meowtropolitan and you’ll see cats climbing along wooden walkways, snoozing in prime sunny spots, playing hide ‘n’ seek in cardboard boxes and just watching life pass by. You’ll also spot humans drinking coffee and having a bite to eat, surrounded by several bewhiskered friends.
photo: Helen Walker Green
The Cat Lounge
You can pop into the café any time for a coffee, delicious eats and a little cat watching through the viewing window, but you’ll need to make a reservation to enter the cat lounge. Psst… walk-ins are welcome, but reservations are highly recommended. For $10 per person, you and your sidekick can spend an hour in the company of these fine felines while enjoying a free coffee or kid-sized drink.
Good to Know: You must be 8 and over to enter the cat lounge, but younger sibs can still enjoy viewing the kitties from the café or enjoying a game of Cat-opoly.
photo: Helen Walker Green
The Knights of Meowtropolitan
The cat lounge is a custom-built, kitty hangout complete with medieval cat castle—where cats with names like Robin Masked Maiden and Clouds Soft Paws patrol along aerial walkways and sometimes try to “pet” unsuspecting humans as they pass underneath. The Knights of Meowtropolitan (the resident cats) and Feline Travelers (kitties up for adoption) will be happy to greet you with enthusiastic purrs, head rubs and the occasional playful swat. Cat lounge residents include Penguin the Explorer, Nova the Nose, Django Silky Fox, Pink Skywalker and Lily the Lapsitter (all featured in our photos… see if you can figure out who’s who).
photo: Helen Walker Green
The Furrball Facts
Entry into the cat lounge starts ten minutes after the hour (if you make a reservation for 11 a.m. your cat lounge time starts at 11:10 a.m. and lasts until noon.). Psst… order your free drink from the barista first, then check in. You will enter the cat lounge through an enclosed entry way, so no furry friends can escape. It’s similar to entering or leaving a butterfly garden, except you’ve got to be on the lookout for cat hitchhikers (probably a bit more obvious, what with the claws n’ all, but you never know).
photo: Helen Walker Green
Cats Rule!
The cats have made their own rules for you to follow: “Dear humans, welcome to the Feline Kingdom of Meowtroplitan.” Their rules include, “gently stick out a human paw and let us smell you first.” There’s also a sign telling you it’s “your own choice to bring food or drink into the cat lounge and you must assume responsibility for consumables” – this is how Seattle gets to enjoy a cat café and still abide by all the rules and regulations of King County’s Board of Health. Any food and drink you take in has to be consumed in the cat lounge and can’t be brought back out.
photo: Helen Walker Green
Fluffy Encounters
Once you’ve settled in with your java and treats, and the kiddos have their hot chocolates (psst… be sure to ask for a cool cinnamon paw print on top!), you’ll be surrounded by felines of all stripes (and some with none). Feline Guardians (human staff) keep a friendly eye on things and cats can retreat to their cats-only room if they get tired of being social.
photos: Helen Walker Green
The Cool Cat Vibe
The cat lounge has a nice coffee shop atmosphere with wooden benches and sheepskins. You can pet the cats, play with them (cat toys provided) or simply relax and enjoy time spent in the zen-like presence of kitties.
photo: Helen Walker Green
Meowtropolitan’s cats are most active at the beginning of the day, after feeding time. If you’re free at 11 a.m. and want to play with furry bundles of energy, that’s the best time to reserve. But the café encourages everyone to be open to adopting cats who are not the most social and energetic. Some cats just want a loving home to relax in and enjoy sitting on your lap and being pampered.
photo: Helen Walker Green
The Story Behind Cat Cafés
Cat cafés got their start in Taiwan, when the Cat Flower Garden opened in 1998. They soon became a big hit in Japan where many big city residents could not have a pet in their apartments. Now, the cat café business has spread worldwide—you can sip coffee and cuddle with cats everywhere from St. Petersburg to Paris to Mexico City!
photo: Helen Walker Green
Good to Know: Pick up a Meowtropolitan stamp card—you’ll get a stamp for each drink purchased or cat lounge visit. Buy 8 and your 9th drink or cat lounge visit is FREE!
Seattle Meowtropolitan
1225 N. 45th St.,
Seattle, Wa 98103
206-632-2330
Online: seattlemeowtropolitan.com or map it
Cat Lounge Hours: Tues.-Sun., 11 a.m.-3 p.m. & 4 p.m.-9 p.m.
Note: The cat lounge is closed on Mondays, but the café is open and you’re welcome to come by and watch the cats relax on their “day off.” Visitors must be at least 8 years old to enter the cat lounge and all visitors under 13 must be accompanied and supervised by an adult. Walk-ins are welcome based on availability.
Have we purr-suaded you to check out Seattle Meowtropolitan? Did you have a paw-sitive experience? Tell us about your experience in the Comments below!
— Helen Walker Green
