Upon walking into the cafe portion of Meowtropolitan, one will notice they are aiming to set a particular mood. It was small but open with a lot of natural light shining in on every quaint little detail of their feline inspired decor. From the paw print path leading to the coffee bar to the portraits of cute kitties hung up on the walls, the entryway is welcoming and calming.
There were two sections, the cafe and the cat lounge. The lounge requires an online reservation and costs $10 for an hour with the cats as well as a drink of any size, reasonably priced if you ask me. The cafe portion is open to the public during their normal business hours and there is even a booth and windows set up facing the lounge so anyone can spontaneously go get a cup of coffee and watch the cats do cat stuff.
The two baristas that were working when I came in were clad in adorable cat ears that fit perfectly with their kind personalities. Every employee I encountered was nothing short of helpful and open to conversing with customers, which invites one to feel comfortable.
Nothing is better than coffee and cat puns so I ordered the Catppuccino. The consistency was wonderfully foamy with the dark espresso flavor accented perfectly. Also, I couldn’t help but try out some desserts that were patterned with paws. My favorite was the fondant brownie, the dank chewy outer portion was dense with no lack of flavor and was filled with luscious chocolate fudge.
Since their baked goods were so well made I decided to ask where they come from. Lo and behold one of their suppliers is Fuji Bakery, which used to have a location down the street from Bellevue College was a favorite place of mine to get quality, low priced pastries. The other supplier is I Can’t Believe It’s VEGAN, so there is something to eat for everybody.
The cat lounge itself is spacious and clean. There were tons of little nooks for the cats to nap, shelves for them to hop on and overpassing bridges for them to patrol. With all the cat toys and people around, the cats can get a little overstimulated, but don’t worry, they can take their respite. The cats have 24/7 access to a separate room in case they need a break from their adoring fans.
Not only was my overall personal experience fantastic, but the positive impact that this cafe has on the community is priceless. All the adoptable cats that are brought in come from Regional Animal Services of King County. With the overabundance of cats filling up shelters, many may never find their forever home, especially if they are older in age. Meowtropolitan opens the doors to their cages and gives them the opportunity to interact with people, and to possibly find a family.
All of the money received from adoption fees go directly to RASKC. This process of Meowtropolitan acting as a medium to get cats out there has been so successful that they have to limit the amount of adoptions to one per week, truly an amazing accomplishment.
It’s important to keep in mind before making reservations that cats are cats and they are not going to want your attention constantly. Some may sleep the whole time while others may run around playfully. This is a place to go when you want to have a unique and relaxing time surrounded by friendly felines, but the cats need space every now and again.