When my roommate told me about a cat cafe in Gainesville, I knew I had to go. After a few Google searches, I found Feeline Good Cat Cafe and immediately booked a reservation. I stalked their Instagram page in anticipation of my upcoming visit. I instantly fell in love with all the cats. How had I not heard about this place before?
Feeline Good Cat Cafe is located in downtown Gainesville near the Starbucks. It opened earlier this year in June. The purpose of the cat cafe is to increase cat adoptions. For only $10 per person, you can have an hour in the cat room and play with all the cats you want. They recommend that you make a reservation because only six people are allowed in a room at a time, and walk-in appointments can be very difficult to accommodate. They take all types of cats regardless of age, breed or attitude. Some of the cats need extra time to adjust and are not too social in the beginning. The cats come from the Humane Society of North Central Florida. Every cat is spayed or neutered, microchipped and vaccinated. The adoption fee for an adult cat is $75 and $125 for a kitten.
The cafe has two floors. The first floor has a room full of cats and a coffee bar where customers can buy coffee, tea and pastries. The second floor is full of chairs and couches for guests to relax or study.
Feeline Good Cat Cafe gives people the experience of getting to know a cat before they adopt. The interactive playroom allows people to get to know multiple cats simultaneously so they can choose a cat that would be the right fit for their home. The room is full of toys and hang-out spots for the kitties to lounge, and I was able to see all the different personalities, from the young, orange kitten playing with a toy to the older, gray cat sprawled on the windowsill soaking up the sun. This was a great way to see if you may want a more energetic cat or if you just wanted a chill snuggle buddy.
The cafe is constantly receiving new cats to house. When I went, there were two new cats that had just arrived earlier that day. Since opening, there have been over 140 adoptions! And that number does not seem like it is going to slow down any time soon. I think that the cafe has such high adoption rates because it is so interactive. People want the chance to get to know the cat before they decide to adopt, and this cafe is the perfect place for that.
As I walked in, I could see all the cats playing in the room. I stopped at the front register and grabbed a latte and muffin and decided to go into the cat room. I was so overwhelmed at first. Some cats were running everywhere and playing with each other, and some were just napping. I didn’t know where to start. As I sat on the couch, a small orange kitten approached me. I picked him up and put him on the couch with me. I instantly fell in love. I started to make my way around the room to all the other cats— trying to gauge each cat’s personality and if they wanted to be pet or not. Most of the cats were very friendly and outgoing, but some new cats were adjusting to their new, temporary home or just have reserved personalities in general.
Overall, this was the perfect place to spend my, usually boring, Monday afternoon. The hour seemed to fly by as I was entranced by all the cats in there. I had to stop myself from walking out the door with a new furry friend and remind myself that I can always come back and visit whenever I want. If you and your friends are looking for something fun to do on a chill day, check out this café.