Cat Tales Cat Cafe — Local services in Chapel Hill

The selfish part of me loves the idea of a cat cafe and this one is charming and clean with a wonderful staff. Plus they serve cava.

But I am a cat person and care more about the actual cat than I care about my need (desire) to pet and snuggle every purring feline that slinks my way. And I argue this:

Living in a cat cafe = A cat's nightmare

Think about it. Think about this quote from mashed:

"Anyone asked to name a social, loving animal who revels in having attention showered on them is probably not going to name cats as one of those animals, and that's at the heart of the problem with cat cafes."

It's true and I think most people would admit this. Cats need stability and they thrive on routine. This type of environment offers neither of these things.

A steady stream of cooing strangers reaching out hands to rub their human scent all over a cat's soft fur is stressful to the cat. (You KNOW it is!)

And while cats can and do get along together and can form alliances, most prefer to be solitary.

My observations of the cats at Cat Tales confirm my opinions. I saw two or three cats displaying aggressive behavior to other cats: hiss, scratch, hit. (Cats are territorial.) Over half of the cats bit both my husband and me when gently rubbed rubbed on their cheekbones. (Tired perhaps of the 200th different person petting them?)

Also they currently have an old, injured cat named Wendy that needs to be removed from public display and access immediately. Having her in this environment is, if not cruelty then,...

Really fun place to spend an hour or so. The rates are fairly reasonable ($12/hour per person) and they said they had a dozen cats in the space while I was there. There's a bit of luck involved (or just good planning) when it comes to how many cats are going to be completely zonked out and sleeping.

The cafe is set up into two sections: the exterior cafe (with drinks and merch) and the interior (where the cats are). This interior has a downstairs (a couple chairs), a stairwell (which the cats seem to love) and an upstairs with multiple couches, boxes, cat towers and other cat accoutrements.

You can't pick the cats up (though they can and might climb in your lap if you let them) though you're free to pet them and there are multiple toys around you can use to try and entice them.

Overall I had a lot of fun there; the cats weren't all very excited (most were really sleepy) and one was hidden almost the entire time, but I'd definitely like to go again since it was fun just getting to hang around a bunch of cats and also help out a good cause.

There are multiple drinks available in the cafe, from coffee to wine to beer. Prices weren't bad and my friend seemed to enjoy the coffee.

Staff were very friendly and loved sharing stories about the cats with us; you can tell that they do really care about the cats...

This business is impressive!!! They have around 12 cats at max but sometimes less because they are all up for adoption. When I went, there were ten, and that was plenty! The cats are healthy and very energetic, and playful! All with different personalities. They live in a pristine and clean two-story cat mansion paradise with all a cat could ever need and more. I found myself wishing I could play with them all simultaneously because they all wanted attention! Order the gourmet pecan ice cream cookie sandwich to make your already elevated oxytocin levels shoot through the roof! The staff was such sweet and excellent caretakers. If you’re ever sad or need an uplifting hour go here! A few things to know: You need a paid reservation because most of the time, they are booked. You cannot eat or drink inside the cat area. Snacks and drinks, so don’t expect a meal here. There is unique good merch, cat toys, treats, stickers, headbands, etc., for cat owners and lovers. You can’t pick up the cats, but they will snuggle you and let you pet...