The Shabby Tabby Cat Cafe & Kitten Lounge — Restaurant in Town of Islip

The Shabby Tabby Cafe is the best place any cat could hope to land before finding a forever home. I’ve personally been to this location and have nothing but positive things to say about it. The owner, Ryan, is extremely hands on, as well as all the staff and volunteers. They all take pride in keeping the environment clean, fun, positive, and making it a great home for the cats. They are partnered with The Golden Paw Society who rescues cats from kill shelters. They give cats a second chance and new lease on life that they wouldn’t have had otherwise. Many people want tiny brand new kittens, but The Shabby Tabby knows every cats life is valuable and they take the senior cats too and cats who may have issues, which they are very honest about. Every cat is absolutely taken care of and if any medical issues arise they will get the cat the proper care it needs before letting it be around other cats and being adopted out. Getting to see the cats in an environment where they are free to roam around and be around other cats is actually a better way to see the cats personality than locked up in a cage in a shelter. Also, if you adopt an older cat you can already have a feel for that cats personality compared to a kitten. Some of these cats were abused or abandoned and were set to be euthanized prior to being rescued and they may not look as cute as a brand new kitten, but any true animal lover and someone who is experienced with cats would understand that and accept that. Just because a cat doesn’t look as pretty or handsome as you would like does not mean it does not deserve to be loved and won’t give you unconditional love. All these cats are very well kept and they get cute collars and bow ties and the royal treatment there. Not only is The Shabby Tabby a wonderful concept to adopt out cats that wouldn’t have had another chance otherwise, they are also a very fun and unique place that you can go to for game nights, paint nights, bingo, and build your own outdoor cat shelter for stray cats in the winter. The owner puts all her money, heart and soul into this place, and is absolutely selfless. This is a great place to come visit to just spend some time with the cats, do a fun activity, and perhaps find your next family pet. I know the next time I want to adopt a cat I am going straight to The Shabby Tabby. If you haven’t already visited there, please consider doing so, you won’t regret it. You can like and follow them on Facebook for the most adorable up to date photos and information on their cats and events, and also donate to their amazon wishlist. It takes a lot to run an amazing place like this and those cats and owner can use the help of donations so they can continue doing the good hearted work they are doing. I’ve only been there once and plan to go again soon, and I always enjoy seeing all the funny, well written Facebook updates. This place is a must go and see for your self one of a kind experience! Thank you to The Shabby Tabby and The Golden Paw Society for all of the amazing work you do, and keep up the good...

Already know I am going to be getting a response from these people because they have no self-control and have to prove that they’re right. But… They’re wrong and take no responsibility. I adopted my kitten from shabby tabby about three weeks ago. The kitten room had just opened up. The day I took my kitten home I noticed tiny lesions on both of his ears. The lesions eventually spread thread throughout his whole body. I thought it might’ve been cysts from hair follicles. I had no idea what they were. So, I took him to the vet. The vet diagnosed him with ringworm and a parasite called giradia cysts. Both highly contagious to humans and animals. I have two other cats at home. I left a voicemail at shabby tabby. They never answer their phones. They eventually messaged me on Instagram and accused me of attacking them. Meanwhile, I just called them to let them know my kitten had all these problems, and I was concerned for the other kittens. I don’t understand how my kitten who supposedly had a “clean bill of health” could come home with all these problems. Second, this place is hardly a café. Yes, they have coffee, but it’s just as good as making it at home. No food either. Admission is already so expensive the least they could do is up the quality of their café. Lastly, the day I was adopting my kitten, my parents were interested in adopting a senior kitty with one eye. He had just gotten his eye removed 1 week prior and had dental work done. The cat was on no antibiotics at all, and they claimed that he was perfectly fine. My parents were confused to how the cat had major surgery and had no medicine or no cone around his neck. Not only that, but this cat was also FIV positive. My parents called their vet and and the vet said to not mix FIV positive cats with negative. Shabby tabby said to us that most vets do not have knowledge in FIV. HUH?? Instead, they told us to do our own research.Either way my parents were denied adopting this kitty because they were told they had “no knowledge about FIV.” Regardless, I am concerned for the health of the cats. I am strongly, considering calling the Board of health to check on these cats. Shabby tabby also told me that they can’t check on all the cats who are “supposedly” 100% healthy (I have the messages to prove that they said that). If you’re looking to save a cat, then definitely come here because you really would be saving their lives. I recommend to never adopt a cat from this place. I don’t think Shabby Tabby will pay for my...

This is such a special and important place. It is and forever will remain close to my heart. I donated often when the pandemic first started, and continue to buy things off of their amazon wishlist to send to the cats. The cats are rescued from kill shelters, and are given a chance too live outside of cages in what felt like, a very loving environment thanks to the owner, volunteers and guests who play with the cats.

My brother, knowing that I LOVED cats but could not own any in my previous apartment, told me about the cafe. It sounded like a great place for cat lovers like me to go and hang out with cats...really all I wanted to do.

My fiancé and I finally bought our own house a few months ago. As soon as we closed, I started looking for potential kitties to fill our new home with. I saw two sisters up for adoption who were newly added to the website. I called, made an hour appointment, and let them know that I was interested in the sisters.

As soon as I arrived, I was treated by the wonderful staff who were excited about me potentially adopting the sisters. My fiancé and I picked up the girls and held each of them...WE WERE IN LOVE!! I made arrangements with the owner and the golden paw society to pick them up on that Friday. Everyone who worked/volunteered there expressed how happy they were that we were taking them, and how much they adored getting to know them. We showed up on Friday with a cat carrier, they took our picture with the girls, and left to start our new journey as a family together!

I made a vet appointment to make sure they were ok very soon after. They both had a clean bill of health! They are also very loving, love pets and don't mind being picked up...I attribute this to the socialized environment of the Shabby Tabby.

I am a member of their Facebook group Shabby Tabby Graduates, and post pictures of the girls often. The owner and volunteers always comment about how big they are getting...it's so nice! They also do bingo, raffles, host parties, and are selling masks that they hand made themselves! They really go above and beyond.

In conclusion, the Shabby Tabby is a special and important place. The people there TRULY care deeply for the cats. I continue to recommend them to anyone who is looking to adopt a cat!...