Looking for cat cafes in Illinois?
At the time of publishing, there were a couple of cat cafes in Illinois. Not enough, but both are certainly worth you making the trip to.
Here is a list of those cat cafes and their contact details:
Cat Cafes in Illinois
| Cat Cafe | Tel Number | Address | Website |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Catcade | NA | Chicago, IL | thecatcade.org |
| Tree House Cat Cafe | 773-262-4000 | Chicago, IL | treehouseanimals.org |
The Catcade
Address – 1235 W Belmont Ave, Chicago, IL 60657
Phone – NA
Website – https://www.thecatcade.org/
The Catcade is something special, it’s a non-profit, arcade-themed cat rescue and, lounge. If you like video games as well as cats, you’re in for a treat.
Their mission is, “to rescue cats from life-threatening situations such as high-kill shelters and to find friendly, quality homes for them through our adoption program.”
Tree House Cat Cafe
Address – 7225 N. Western Ave, Chicago, IL 60645
Phone – 773-262-4000
Website – https://treehouseanimals.org/
As part of the Tree House Humane Society, which has helped more than 28,000 cats over the last 50 years, the cafe provides the perfect storefront to help this cause.
The Tree House Cat Cafe states its mission is, “to empower our community of caregivers and ensure that every cat thrives.”
What to Expect at a Cat Cafe
If you’ve never been to a cat cafe before, you’re in for a real treat.
Basically, you get to enjoy drinks and food while being surrounded by cats. Personally, I can’t think of why there aren’t more cat cafes!
One really important thing I will point out is that you should always visit the website of the cafe you’re planning on going to before you arrive.
You will almost certainly need to book a time slot, as cat cafes can only allow a small number of people in at a time to ensure the cats are not stressed by the amount of foot traffic.
Some cat cafes will also ask you to sign a waiver of some kind. This is just to ensure the safety of their cats – and you – from a legal standpoint, it’s completely normal.
When you’re in a cat cafe, it’s up to you to enjoy the drink, food, and cats. Every cafe is different, you never know how many cats will be there, but there’s usually plenty.
Something else to keep in mind is that most cat cafes are also pet adoption facilities. They take in at-risk cats in need of a home and usually have them up for adoption.
It’s a great way to generate some interest in these cats and either give them a happy new home in the cafe or ultimately at the home of someone who comes through the door.
How Cat Cafes Help At-Risk Cats
There is sometimes the misconception that cat cafes are there for the entertainment of customers and to make as much money for the owners as possible.
This couldn’t be further from the truth.
Every cat cafe I’ve reviewed had formed partnerships with local rescues and were taking in at-risk cats and giving them a new home.
Not only that, but most cafes make it simple to adopt any of their cats so you can give them a forever home.
Combine this with the fact that it’s harder to make a cat cafe profitable than a regular cafe and they make donations to local cat rescues, and you can see why cat cafes are a great, ethical, business idea.
So, if you want to do your part for the local homeless cats in your state, whether you can adopt a cat or not, by dropping in at a cat cafe you’re donations are going to a good cause.
Find a Cat Cafe Near You: State Listings
If you want to find more cat cafes near you or across the US, please click any of the states below to see a list of cat cafes in that state:
| Alabama | Arizona | California | Colorado |
| Connecticut | Florida | Georgia | Illinois |
| Indiana | Iowa | Kentucky | Louisiana |
| Maryland | Massachusetts | Michigan | Minnesota |
| Missouri | Nevada | New Jersey | New York |
| North Carolina | Ohio | Oklahoma | Oregon |
| Pennsylvania | South Carolina | Tennessee | Texas |
| Utah | Virginia | Washington | Wisconsin |
| Alaska | Hawaii | Mississippi | Montana |
| Nebraska | New Mexico |
*All information was as correct as possible at the time of publishing. If you can see any of the information is now out of date, please drop me a message and I’ll update it, thanks!
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Image credits – Photo by Reba Spike on Unsplash
