Welcome to Purradise! That’s right, Florida is the #1 state for cat cafes in the Unites States. With twenty cafes (including a unique mobile cat cafe), Florida sits at the top of the cat cafe tree. In fact, Florida has a full 10% of the cat cafes in the United States.
Florida Cat Cafe Trends
Since Orlando Cat Cafe opened near Disney as the first Florida cat cafe in 2016, year-by-year growth has climbed steadily. 2023 saw a record six cafes open in Florida.
Prior to 2023, Florida saw an average of over two cat cafes opening per year. Bucking a national trend, 2020 was a blue ribbon year for Florida cat cafe growth, with the opening of five cafes.
Why Is Florida #1 in the Number of Cat Cafes?
Just as Florida has led the country in population growth the past several years, the Sunshine State also leads in cat cafes. But population growth is only a partial explanation for the state’s cat cafe popularity. We get a fuller picture from Desiree Lamb, owner of the new Catnip Cafe & Lounge in Plant City. Desiree explains that cat cafes have emerged as a creative answer to the state’s large stray cat population. A vibrant rescue community has partnered with cat cafes and the cat-loving community have embraced them.