The Cat Lady Cafe South Bend — Restaurant in South Bend

The Cat Lady Cafe is truly a special place. After losing our beloved dog of nearly 15 years, we were hesitant about bringing another pet into our lives. As self-proclaimed “dog people,” the idea of adopting cats—and not just one, but two—seemed completely out of character. With young children and a busy lifestyle, a puppy simply wasn’t an option, but our seven-year-old had been asking for a cat for over a year. Meanwhile, our three-and-a-half-year-old, who is still learning to be gentle, made us cautious about introducing any new animals into the family.

We knew if we adopted, it would need to be a pair of littermates, and we had to be certain our youngest could handle the responsibility and respect the animals.

Enter the Cat Lady Cafe. Not only did they serve an excellent latte (and adorable “coffee” — aka milk in coffee cups — for the kids), but they gave us the perfect environment to observe our children’s behavior around cats. The cafe offered us a calm, cozy space to connect as a family and really consider what pet ownership would look like. We visited at least four times before making a decision. The mix of ensuring our kids were ready, finding cats with personalities that matched our family, and taking the time to think it through gave us the confidence to move forward.

Ultimately, we adopted two brothers—now named Goose and Maverick—who are settling in beautifully and already quite spoiled! I believe the cats at Cat Lady Cafe are well-adjusted to noise and people, which has helped them socialize quickly in their new home.

Kim, the owner, clearly has both a vision and a passion for what she’s created here. I love that we were able to adopt, not shop, while supporting such a thoughtful and meaningful endeavor. The Cat Lady Cafe gave us not just two new furry family members, but also a sense of confidence that this was the right decision for us.

If you’re considering adoption or simply looking for a peaceful hour surrounded by cats, good coffee, and a welcoming environment, I highly recommend visiting. Goose and Maverick...

A friend of mine introduced me to this place about a year ago and I’ve been hooked on it ever since! Kim and her crew of baristas and employees are phenomenal and the constant influx of cats to see from the Humane Society are amazing and so adorable. The coffee is fantastic, the little snacks are delicious, the cat memorabilia shop is so creative, and the time spent with the cats is to die for🥹. I have been coming about twice a week for a little over a year and wouldn’t trade anything else for it. The cats are well taken care of and I’ve fallen in love with many of them. The people complaining about the $11 for the reservation don’t know what it’s like to own a business and have to understand that cats can easily get overwhelmed with tons and tons of people in a single place if they were free roaming around the entire cafe, not to mention that it might be easier for them to get lost or find hiding places if their kittenhood wasn’t the greatest. What Kim is doing for them is giving them a temporary home with supervised visitation until they find their forever home :). Kim has made a forever returning...

We did not know what to expect when we entered, but we were surprised. Let me first say, this place is very cute. The idea of a cat cafe is amazing in theory, but my issue is one thing and one thing only.

They charge you to actually interact with the cats. Which we found to be a turn-off.

It turns out this specific place is associated with the Humane Society. So what happens basically is you enter the cafe and are able to purchase food, drink and items if you choose. There are some tables in the back to sit at if you would like. The cats are in a separate room, there are windows all around so you can see them visually but they cannot be touched unless you pay to go in the room with them, and it wasn't cheap in my opinion. They charge per person by the hour if I remember correctly. I just remember when she told us the cost, there were 6 of us, and it was way too much to pay just to sit in a room with cats. I would advise if this is something you're interested in doing to call in advance so you know...