Soft Jazz music played in the background, the lighting was subdued and the interior design was an eclectic mix of vintage, mid-century modern and Asian Zen den. Two large spaces showcasing distinct personalities and then, of course, there are the cats.
My fellow Pulse writer Joseph Mosman and I booked an hour at the Naughty Cat Café. When I originally booked the visit, I thought spending an hour with frisky felines and purring meows would feel drawn out.
I was undeniably and frustratingly wrong. The hour flew by and I could have stayed much, much longer. When you step into the first room it was like stepping into an intimate lounge with couches, dim lighting, a few cat trees and all the lovely cats taking up their spots on their favorite chair.
I think my co-worker said it best when presenting his thoughts:
"Located in the heart of St. Elmo is one of the coolest and most Zen spots in all of the greater Chattanooga area, the Naughty Cat Cafe. And you wouldn’t know that from the name alone. Tickets are $17 an hour, though that allots you one hour inside with over 44 cats, and a free coffee or non-alcoholic beverage of your choice. My colleague and friend, Patty Leon, reserved our time slot in advance and filled out a waiver online, so once we arrived, we were ready to go.
Once inside, you are transported into a serene, calm, and jazz-like environment, with ornate lamps, rugs, and vintage furniture scattered throughout; an aesthetic so Zen and peaceful that it has to be experienced to be fully appreciated. My colleague and I thought it was so Zen that they should start incorporating massages into the experience, or possibly a dedicated nap area.
Time flew by inside, and at one point, I had three cats on me all at once, just peacefully exploring and climbing on me, nudging my leg with their little faces. Sipping on my coffee and watching everyone else enjoy the cats as much as we did made this an unforgettable experience. The cats there are also up for adoption, for a $100 fee. However, according to their website, 100% of every adoption fee goes back to the partner shelter the cat originally came from, in an effort to continue their mission to place animals in responsible, loving homes.
Overall, this is a truly unique experience that cannot be missed for animal lovers, and especially cat lovers. And while I have always been more of a dog person myself, I can say confidently after leaving Naughty Cat Cafe that I am a cat person now, too. Reserve in advance, and don’t miss a chance to witness one of St. Elmo’s most eclectic and unique cafes."
What Joseph said is spot on. I enjoyed the backroom where the cats had their own window shelf with the sign “Cattanooga”. The cats were seated along several shelves, welcoming the public to come in and play. A running water fountain offered cool sips of water. You’re not allowed to pick up the cats, but that’s okay. Just have a seat and they come to you. At one point Joseph did have three cats on him like he had a pocket full of cat nip.
The Naughty Cat Café has been open for seven years by owners Whitney Sickles and Heath Hanson. When they moved to Chattanooga, they discovered there was a cat overpopulation problem.
The Naughty Cat Café offers a nurturing solution.
“In our travels we had gone to different cat cafes and really liked the concept,” Whitney said. “I used to work at the shelter when we lived in Hawaii. We created this space to give them an alternative. A place where you can get exposure outside of a kennel, in like a home-like environment so people can see their personalities better.”
There were personalities galore, the frisky orange kitty pouncing and obviously annoying the older cats. The cat who was making biscuits on the lap of another visitor. The all-grey cat lapping up water like it was an all-you-can-drink chocolate fountain.
Whitney said they chose cats because they love them and dogs in shelters are given more opportunities to experience the outdoors, attend adoption events and provided time to run and release some energy.
“With cats it's a little bit harder because you can't really take them out and so they sit in their kennel and have to wait for people to come to them,” she said.
Whitney said they feel fortunate to have such a large space.
“We’ve visited a lot of cat cafes and most of them are not as large as this one,” she said. “We were really lucky, and we also wanted to make it a place that was not only comfortable for the cats, but for the people as well. So that people would want to come back. It’s a place for both cats and people to sort of shed stress and relax.”
During our visit there were about 44 cats lounging around the building. As Joseph mentioned should a visitor decide to adopt a cat, they fill out the forms corresponding to the shelter agency the cat originally came from.
Whitney said their cat partners are the Humane Education Society, Felty’s Feline Friends and a group called Scratch. And they take the safety of their cats seriously. Applicants must be at least 23 years old, show proper ID, and live within 150 miles of Chattanooga. It takes 3-5 days to review the application process.
Whitney said if a cat gets adopted, they reach out to their partners to let them know there is room for another at Naughty Cat Café.
The cats at the café are spayed or neutered, up to date on their vaccines and microchipped. While they wait to find their fur-ever home, they get to live the life of a luxuriously spoiled cat.
“They're just literally decompressing,” Whitney said.
Whitney said they try to not house more than 48 cats at the café and right now they have no plans to expand.
“It's just the two of us,” she said. “It is a lot of work, so we don't want to stretch ourselves too thin,” she said.
Naughty Cat Café helped 1,436 cats get adopted so far.
“It’s good,” she said. “But people should spay and neuter to their pets. There's just too many of them.”
A limited number of guests can be inside, typically 15 people per hour.
“Go online and book ahead,” Whitney said. “We do tend to fill up on the weekends. And of course, times like this, spring break and summer. I hate turning people away, but we have to for the cats’ sake. We try and keep a nice, calm environment with the lighting and music and not too many people.”
Book your visit at www.naughtycatcafe.com