Attention all cat lovers!

Have you longed for a kitty companion but you’re unable to have a pet?  Have you been looking all over for the perfect cat to adopt?  Do you love cats but prefer a limited-time relationship?  Look no further!  Meow Parlor in New York City is the answer to your prayers.

Meow Parlour is New York City’s first cat café, a place that combines sweet cats and delicious sweets!

Okay, how can anyone resist that?

Before you ask, yes, apparently cat cafés are a real thing and they are enormously popular in Asia, Europe and the Middle East. But finally, at long last, rentable kitty-time has come to the United States.

At the Meow Parlour, you get to hang out, with snacks and beverages, in a room full of free-roaming felines.  You can come alone, with a friend, with your children (see FAQ for details), or even rent the place for a private party!  I tried to convince my department at work to make this our next team outing, but apparently we are not all cat lovers here.

Lest you fear that the kitties are at risk for maltreatment, check out the pretty strict rules at this place. I’m a little disappointed to see that you can’t pick up a kitty without supervision, and woe to you if you try to wake a sleeping cat.  I had envisioned a room where I could be literally covered in fuzzy, purring cats. Instead, I now picture a room with cats lining the floors while I tempt them with a toy or pat them sedately on the head. (In my head, I am also sipping tea with my pinkie sticking out and my ankles primly crossed.)  In other words, my visions of fun kitty hilarity have been replaced in my mind by more sterile observe-only images. That said, I do honestly think that the next time I’m in NYC I am going to have to spring for a half-hour visit just to satisfy my curiosity.

*Actual cats may vary.

All of the cats at Meow Parlour are adoptable. They are partnered with the no-kill shelter KittyKind to take care of rescue cats until they are adopted. If you look at this as a unique way to interact for a while with a kitty you might want to adopt, the idea is pretty cool. After all, it’s much more personable than the cold metal cages of a shelter, and the kitties themselves are well-socialized while they wait for their forever home.

If you see this as a luxury, the feline equivalent of a spa treatment, then…well I’m not sure what to say to you.  You pay money to pet cats.  And people say the economy is bad?  I’d say that if you have cat-petting money, you are probably pretty well set financially.

Prices start at $4/half-hour and you can stay up to five hours. $40 for 5 hours of bonding with a rent-a-kitty! While eating snacks!

You really can’t put a price on that.