Is there any combo more comforting that a warm beverage and a purring cat? No, no there is not. Am I biased? Yes, yes I am. As I write this, I’m sipping hot tea from a mug covered in illustrated catheads while my own cats nap or frolic nearby. Having three cats in my house is about all I can handle, but does that mean I can’t handle more cat cuteness? Of course not. I also have tea and coffee here, but does that mean I never go to a café? Pshaw.
Drink Coffee. Pet Cats. Repeat.
Enter Cattfeinated Cat Café, one delightful location for all your cat, coffee, and confection cravings. Located in downtown Greensburg, about 45 minutes from Pittsburgh, Cattfeinated opened in November 2019.
The café offers a coffee and tea bar with freshly made pastries. There’s also a small boutique and in-house thrift shop, but the stars of the space are the cats, of course. Cattfeinated features two cat lounges, one for the kittens and one for the adult cats. At any one time about 20 cats are in residence—and all are available for adoption.
Visitors can reserve time in the cat rooms in increments of 45-minutes. Booking ahead of time is recommended, but walk-ins are welcome if a time slot isn’t filled. (Due to the pandemic, decreased room capacity and safety protocols are currently in place.) If you’re a cat-lover who wants to visit with someone who isn’t so fond of felines or is allergic, not to worry: the cat lounges are separate from the main café space, so your heartless—I mean allergic—pal can hang out in the cat-free area.
But let’s be honest: “Everything’s kind of geared to the crazy cat ladies of this world. We can all unite. It’s a place that you can feel accepted and welcomed,” says Katelynn Jones, who founded and owns the café along with her husband Rob.
How It Started
Coming from Katelynn, the label “crazy cat lady” is definitely a compliment. When they were dating, she and Rob bonded over photos of their cats. They eventually got married in Key West, Florida, at the Hemingway House, which is famous for its dozens of six-toed cats. (The wedding guests included 17 humans and 52 cats.)
In 2015 the couple started Wayward Whiskers, a non-profit, no-kill rescue that places cats in volunteer foster homes until they are adopted. The rescue has found permanent homes for more than 2,000 cats. It’s also provided trap-neuter-release (TNR) programs for more than 3,500 community cats.
How It’s Going
Katelynn and Rob decided to open Cattfeinated Cat Café to give the community and cats another way to interact. Instead of confining them to cages, the cats can play, nap, and roam freely in a comfy, cat-friendly environment, which helps them to feel relaxed. “People see them in a home environment rather than being in cages,” said Katelynn. “This is their life, they’re used to living here, and people can truly see their personalities.”
It seems to be a great set-up for both the cats and cat-lovers. So far, more than 280 cats have been adopted after taking up residence at Cattfeinated. (This is in addition to the other 600 adoptions Wayward Whiskers did in 2020 alone, which Katelynn said was the rescue’s best year yet.)
“We can’t keep cats in these rooms anymore. Any cats that come in here, they usually have a pending adoption within the week, which is awesome,” Katelynn said.
In addition to the café and cat lounges, Cattfeinated features a small boutique of cat themed items, as well as a (non-cat themed) thrift shop called the Thrifty Kitty, which sells new or gently used donated items, with all proceeds going to support the cats.
During my visit, I met several adorable felines, including a super friendly black cat named Soy Sauce and a robust cutie named Chonky, who came here all the way from Kuwait through a Pittsburgh-based rescue organization called Bridges from Kuwait.
Cattfeinated regularly hosts fun community events and unique fundraisers. Check their Facebook page for upcoming events. They also offer private “CAT-astic” party packages for birthdays and special events.
Know Before You Go: Cattfeinated Cat Cafe, Greensburg, PA
Website: www.greensburgcatcafe.com
Address: 159 E Otterman St., Greensburg, PA 15601
Hours:
- Thursday – Saturday 11 a.m. – 7 p.m.
- Sunday: Noon – 6 p.m.
- (closed Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday)
Parking: Lot parking at café
Cost: $7 per 45-minute cat lounge visit; schedule in advance online (walk-ins welcome if space allows)
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