What Exactly is a Cat Café?
Cat cafés originated in Asia in the late 1990’s in large cities where residents often lived in small apartments & having pets was impractical for most. People would stop by the cat café to have a snack & spend time with the resident cats. Since then, cat cafés have gained popularity and begun opening in cities around the world.
Cat cafés have become extremely popular in the United States since the first cat café opened in New York City in April 2014. (There are five separate cat cafés in New York City alone!) ​
Most cat cafés in the United States are more of an “open-air adoption lounge,” where adoptable rescue cats can hang out and meet people in a cage-free environment. (The US has more stringent regulations around animals & food being in the same spaces.) Potential adopters can spend time with the adoptable cats in a more home-like environment. Other visitors who cannot have their own cat for whatever reason can spend time with the cats without the responsibility of permanent ownership. It’s really a win-win!
In the United States, the cat café is less about the “café” and more about the cats.
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About the Lazy Cat
I'm a bit of a history nerd, as well as an artist, so I've really created my dream space at the Lazy Cat. I'm a big fan of Victorian, Steampunk and cottage-core aesthetics, so I've tried to incorporate a lot of that into the design.
The gift shop features arts and crafts made by local artists, as well as fun items I've found and wanted to share. The baked goods are sourced from local bakery, Pizzelle Bakes. Our delicious coffee and tea is provided by Atomic Coffee in Peabody, MA.
My hope for Lazy Cat Lounge is that it serves as a relaxing, home-away-from-home space in the heart of downtown, where people can work, study, relax and interact with resident and adoptable cats. Visitors can reserve time in the cat lounge for an hourly fee, either online through this website, or when they walk in (as space allows)! $1.00 from every cat lounge admission will be donated back to our rescue partners. All adoption fees are also collected by our rescue partners.
I hope you'll enjoy the atmosphere as much as I've enjoying creating it. Please note that it is NOT lively party place! Kids may find it boring. The kitties tend to sleep a LOT. They are most active in the morning and later in the evening so choose your visit time wisely!
My Family & Our Cats
As an active animal rescue volunteer for more than 20 years, I’ve been dreaming about opening a “cat cafe” since 2017. I've worked a full-time desk job for the past 25 years, but always wanted to own my own business. For now, I'll be doing both so life is a bit crazy.
I love animals of all kinds, but cats have become my focus since I first volunteered for The Pat Brody Shelter for Cats back in 1995. Since about 2009, my family & I have fostered more feral cats, pregnant cats, and orphaned kittens than I can count. I really want the Lazy Cat to act as a giant foster home where I can dedicate my time to helping as many cats, and people, as I can.​​
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My husband Larry, daughter Samantha and I share our home with 6 rescue cats; Sally, Phil, Matilda, Jack, Kevin & Carl.
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Sally is a beautiful, talkative 17 year old tortie who we found on our neighbors lawn when she was about 4 weeks old. She's a total food hound and begs at the table like a dog. She also used to love to play fetch when she was younger! These days, she's just a gentle little old lady, enjoying her golden years relaxing on her heated bed. That's her in the top most picture.
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Phil is a 15 year old gorgeous black panther who came to us through a friend who entered assisted living and could no longer care for him. That's him under the picture of Sally. He has the sweetest temperament and is just the perfect cat.
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Matilda ("the menace") is a 13 year old long haired ginger girl who we initially fostered but decided to adopt. She is the cuddliest cat ever, (as anyone who has visited our home can attest to), but she drives us crazy with her antics! That's her in the lower left box with my daughter Sam. She was also in the picture with me on the cover of The Lowell Sun back in September 2024.
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Jack is a VERY mischievous little tabby, who came to us as a 10-day old orphaned foster kitten via Broken Tail Rescue in August 2023. That's him with the bottle in the photo at right and a bit older right below. We bottle-fed him for the first few weeks of his life & have had the joy of watching him grow. Jack tested positive for FIV, (Feline Immunodeficiency Virus), but it doesn't slow him down one bit. Never fear; FIV is not a death sentence and is only contagious to other cats through deep bite wounds or sexual activity.
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Most recently, we adopted the "ginger twins", Carl & Kevin from The Lowell Humane Society. We fostered them along with their mom in July 2024. It's kind of a long story, but basically Jack was miserable without his playmates when they went back to the shelter for their neuter surgeries. Their impending adoption fell through, so we ended up bringing them back home. We swore we were not adopting any more cats! :) You know how that goes...
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I’m so excited to share this journey with you & hope you stop by the Lounge VERY SOON! ~ Brandi Jong, Owner
