MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The first cat cafe to make its home in the Mid-South is now open in Southaven, where patrons can enjoy coffee and pastries with a side of cuddle time.

On its website, Fancy Cat Cafe is described as a cozy, relaxing space where visitors can enjoy coffee, tea, and snacks while spending time with adoptable cats.

WREG’s Mike Suriani visited this unique new business and talked with visitors.

“It’s wonderful,” said Kristi Ising. “I’ve never seen a place like this before…ever.”

Saturday, Ising brought her granddaughter Berti from Senatobia to get a close up look at what the Fancy Cat Cafe has to offer—loads of furry felines up for adoption.

Fancy Cat Cafe said it wants to promote animal adoption and encourage responsible pet care, creating a unique and heartwarming experience for both visitors and cats.

“It definitely lowers our blood pressure to just sit here and relax and pet cats,” shared Ising.

Fancy Cat Cafe is unique in the fact it’s a cat adoption center, lounge, and coffee bar—a first for the Mid-South and already getting rave reviews.

“The community has absolutely been amazing with their outreach and their desire to have a wonderful family friendly environment like this, where they can adopt cats that are ready to go their forever home,” explained owner Matt Stephens.

The cafe, located at 5078 Getwell Rd., opened on Tuesday, Jan. 13 and announced the first adoption two days later.

Southaven to welcome Mid-South’s first cat cafe

According to a social media post, the first kitten to find its forever family was Tiger.

“Tiger is a kitten who loves to curl up and play the lone wolf, until someone shows her a little love. Then she instantly transforms into a full-on purr machine!,” the post said. “Her new family truly found a diamond, and now Tiger will always be safe, cherished, and loved.”

According to the owners, they partner with Pet Compassion Centers, an organization that works with a wide variety of rescues and local shelters to perform a variety of medical care including spade and neutering. That organization works with rescues and shelters to find home for the felines. Fancy Cat Cafe is part of that process to help the cats in the lounge find homes.

The cafe is made up of two spaces, the coffee bar section and the cat lounge where visitors book time to interact with cats.

Time in the cat lounge should be booked online. The cafe limits the number of people in the lounge to 15 people to cut down on any undue stress for the cats.

Cat lounge appointments can be booked in 30-minute and hour-long increments.

Cats are fully up to date on their shots, spayed or neutered, micro chipped and ready for adoption with the paperwork and adoption process handled on-site.

A visit Saturday was a must for Antroya Harding’s daughter, friends, and family.

“This is my daughter’s idea. She is turning ten, so this like part of her birthday party,” Harding explained. “She looked up the cat cafe, she told me about it, told me where it was, and she encouraged me to book her to come here.”

Fancy Cat Cafe said booking isn’t necessary to visit the coffee shop for a morning brew and pastries, with even better views.

“I think it’s awesome; it’s really cool,” said Hannah Wolcott from Southaven. “The little coffee shop. I’m a coffee addict, so having a little coffee shop at arms length while petting cats is pretty perfect.”

The coffee shop is open Monday – Friday from 6 a.m. until 6 p.m. and on the weekend from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. The cat lounge is closed on Mondays, but opens Tuesday – Sunday from 11 a.m. until 6 p.m.

Click here to learn more about the Fancy Cat Cafe.

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