Lola on the Road: Catfé Lounge (Ferndale, MI) | Lola The Rescued Cat
Monday, January 28, 2019

Lola on the Road: Catfé Lounge (Ferndale, MI)

Welcome to the seventh post in our series, "Lola on the Road". Last summer I visited several cat cafés, and I've been sharing my experiences with my readers. Coffee and cats - two of my favorite things! If you missed the last installment in the series, you can read about Tiny Lions Lounge and Adoption Center here. And if you'd like to catch up on the entire series, you can do that here



It’s taken me a bit of time to complete my final post from last summer because, well, life just got in the way. But at long last, here it is.  I had such a great time visiting all the cafés and sharing my experiences with you. At my final stop in Michigan, I got to catch up with old friends (my good friend Sherry, who was my Michigan tour guide and host, and Sue of The Island Cats), and I got to meet a blogging friend for the first time (Vicky of Eastside Cats.) But don’t worry! This post summarizes my last stop of 2018, but my journeys will resume this year and I’ll continue to share the amazing things cat cafés do for both cats and their communities. 



So without further ado, today I bring you Catfé Lounge in Ferndale, MI. 



I was warmly welcomed by Deanne Iovan, Executive Director, and had the pleasure of chatting with her about the café. Catfé Lounge is Michigan’s premiere cat café. When they opened in 2015, they decided to have a different take on the cat café concept. Rather than partnering with a rescue, they are actually part of the Ferndale Cat Shelter, a 501(c)3 cat rescue. 



Catfé is situated in a storefront in the socially progressive town of Ferndale, MI. The landlord had recently purchased the property with the goal of opening a coffee shop. The community, which has a lot of musicians and artists, has really embraced the café. 



Once you're inside, the environment is very quiet and relaxing. The decor is adorable! 



In addition to some great catification where the cats have some awesome vertical space, there are cat-themed (what else?) murals painted on the walls in gorgeous, calming colors. 



How pretty! The murals were painted by Erin Brott, a local artist, and art teacher. 



This gorgeous girl looks like she approves of the decor. 



The cats have plenty of space to play and stretch out... 



... and places to hide when they feel the need. 




The cats were very relaxed, comfortable and happy. They enjoyed playing their visitors with their favorite toys (of which there were many!) 



This guy loved his catnip cheeseburger so much he even took a nap with it. 




There is an area in the café that is set up as a shop where visitors can purchase some wonderful souvenirs and other cat-related merchandise. 




The cubbies seem to be a pawpular hiding place!




I didn't buy one of these cute mugs, and I really wish I did. (I guess another trip to MI is in my future! LOL) 




Catfé has a great adoption rate. In 2017, 419 cats were adopted out and in 2018, as of my visit in August, 260 found their forever homes. Many adopters maintain a relationship with the lounge after bringing their new family member home. They give frequent updates on their cats and continue to support the rescue. 


I'm not sure how many cats were in-house on the day of my visit (I forgot to write it down!) but 50 were in foster. 





Ferndale Cat Shelter works diligently with others to take care of the local community. They collaborate with other rescues (such as Motor Kitty Rescue), and they purchase food for community cats as well as helping with their vetting. People frequently reach out to them for help with TNR and rescue

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The Lounge offers community members a fun place to take a break from the stressful world. In August they were hosting a Group Refuge Recovery Meeting twice a week, complete with Buddhist meditation, to aid in overcoming addiction. Other popular events are yoga, cat bingo (which is frequently a sell out), and Purrlates. 


Food isn't prepared or served in the Lounge, but visitors can help themselves to self-serve coffee, tea, or soda. 



You can also nosh on a biscotti. Donations for drinks and snacks are appreciated, but not required. 


Catfé Lounge is located at 821 Livernois, Ferndale, MI 48220



Business hours are: 

Monday:        12 pm - 5 pm
Tuesday:       CLOSED
Wednesday:  12 pm - 7:30 pm 
Thursday:      12 pm - 5 pm 
Friday:           12 pm - 5 pm 
Saturday:       10 am - 5 pm 
Sunday:         12 pm - 5 pm


A $10 suggested donation is appreciated but not required. More than $10 is great too! (Children under 7 must be monitored closely by their parent or guardian.) There is no time limit to your visit. 



All cats are available for adoption. You can read the adoption guidelines and see resident cats here.

I loved everything about the Lounge! It was immaculate and inviting. The staff and volunteers made everyone feel welcome while ensuring the cats were closely monitored and supervised. 





It's the purrfect place to grab a cup of coffee and unwind with some cute cats. 


If you'd like to help Catfé and Ferndale Cat Shelter with their mission, you can read about different ways to help here. Donations of cat and kitten food, cat litter, and new cat toys are always appreciated and can be dropped off at the lounge. 



I'd like to say a big "thank you" to Deanne for accommodating my friends and me, and for taking the time to share her passion. The work your organization does for cats and the community is amazing. 

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Don't forget to follow Catfé Lounge on social media: 

Twitter | Facebook | Instagram

Stay tuned for the next installment in our Cat Café series as Lola The Rescued Cat goes on the road. I haven't decided on the next stop yet, but I will plan that soon. In the meantime, don't forget to check back in a few days, because we're having a special giveaway of souvenirs from the cafés I've visited already! 

Have you ever been to a cat café? Tell us about your experiences! What do you think of this series?

Dawn 

Would you like to comment?

  1. This sounds like such an awesome place! They created a kitty space that works so well with the community.

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  2. That sounds a great place and looks lovely too. That is an impressive adoption rate too. I love the photo of the cat hiding behind the ceramic cat!

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    1. Me too - I would have taken her home in a heartbeat.

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  3. That cafe looks wonderful and the resident kitties sure look happy and healthy!

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  4. What a wonderful place! Everything looks just right for cats.

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  5. OH OH OH! Mommy and I LOVE this. Thanks for telling me. We're subscribed to you but...we may have missed its so very glad to be here and read about another good Cafe.

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  6. The mom has been to the Catfe Lounge several times...but it was most fun for her to be able to meet up with you there!

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  7. That place looks amazing and the town sounds fun too. Such beautiful kitties. I would love a sisal cat tree like that in my house.

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  8. Thanks for sharing the lovely photos of this place. It looks like a place we could never leave. Love the kitty with the cheeseburger and then taking a nap with it is too cute. Have a wonderful rest of your week. Great post.
    World of Animals

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  9. What a fabulous cafe with kitties! The decorations are amazing, the kitties are adorable and that big sisal tree is awesome! We need one of those in our house!

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  10. The Catfe is such a great place! So nice to visit with the kitties and chat with people there.

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  11. L & L; what a soooper grate cafe yur mom getted ta vizit ....wavez two everee one ther N heerz hopin each oh ewe haz a place ta call for everz home by soooper bowl SUNday ....best best best fishez ~~~ ♥♥♥☺☺☺

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  12. I LURV The Catfe' Lounge! I always buy something there, and of course playing with the kitties is the best part!

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  13. Sounds like a wonderful cat cafe! I love the murals on the walls. So creative and fun! I can't wait to see where you go next.

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  14. The decor is amazing and fun! I'm thinking I should get my cats a cubby thing like that.

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  15. The decor is amazing! I love that places like this are popping up and offering animals for adoption. I feel like seeing the cats play in the lounge and being able to really interact with them is so much more personal then going to look at a wall of cats in cages.

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  16. Love this cafe!! It must have been so fun for you to visit all these incredible places, and learn so much about the dedication to helping cats get adopted. It's a great idea to promote it is a place to relax, I can't imagine being more relaxed than hanging out with some kitties for a few hours. Wish I had a cafe like this near me!!

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  17. What a fabulous place! It's so beautiful, I love how it's artfully decorated and designed just for cats. The name is pawsome as well, the Catfe Lounge - I love it. Terrific photos and videos.
    Love & Biscuits,
    Dogs Luv Us and We Luv Them

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  18. I so love this idea and love the color scheme of this place and the art work is just amazing. It is such a great concept to help with adoptions and of course help the rescue also. WOW to the amount of cats adopted and I think others could learn from this concept.

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  19. I love the murals! And the kitty with the catnip cheeseburger was hilarious. I don't think he was going to give it back. Looks like a wonderful place! We have a new cat cafe in Chicago. I haven't made it there yet, but can't wait. They also offer kitty yoga, which I want to try out.

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  20. What a furabuluss place!!! Mee an LadyMew are furry impressed!! Those catss sure have a wunderfull place to live till they find a fur ever home!!! Well dun Catfe Lounge!
    ***purrsss*** BellaDharma
    Pee S: Wish wee had a place like that here fore catss like us Lola.....

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  21. What fun decor! I'm super allergic to cats but I can totally see why this would attract feline lovers! We have a wheel like that ... for the little dogs!!

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  22. Looks like paradise! I've been to a cat cafe in Rahway, NJ. It seems like such a fabulous way to truly get to know a cat before adoption. I wanted to take home at least three of my new kitty friends, but my dogs wouldn't allow it.

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  23. I've never been to a cat cafe - they look so inviting! I'll have to mention this idea to my cat-loving relatives. I think my niece would really love them - and I'm sure they have some in California.

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  24. Haven't been to Ferndale in ages - my husband and I grew up in Michigan! It's so nice to read about the Cat Cafe lounge - it's a wonderful way to get to know the kitties and consider adoption!

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  25. I LOVE the cat cafe and NEED to visit Ferndale Right Now.

    The owners commit 100% of these places and each one is unique and different. Brilliant report! I am thinking of starting a collection of cat cafe Tshirts for each one I visit!!

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  26. What an awesome, fun place. So cool that there are so many cat cafees out there.

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  27. You are so lucky to be able to visit so many cat cafes! When are you going to come down South and visit some of the cafes in SC?

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  28. I love all of these cat cafes that are popping up. This one looks so cute with the gorgeous colorful murals too! I also love that the cats have so many options of places to hang out, some that are out in the open for those that want attention and then a plethora of hiding places for when they need some alone time.

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  29. What an adorable place! I'd be wanting to get coffee there everyday. Fun twist to the cat cafe theme too to actually have the shelter running it as sort of a drop in center rather than an actually coffee shop with food and all. Probably makes the health inspections easier.

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  30. I love the idea of cat (and dog) cafes. The murals are fabulous! As a coffee nut, I'd be at these cafes all the time if I had any here! Great pics, too!

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