North Carolina Cat Cafes

UPDATED:  December 5, 2025

North Carolina is one of the leading states for cat cafes in the country! There are now seventeen North Carolina cat cafes. By the numbers, the TarHeel state ranks in the top five cat cafe states,  just behind Florida, Pennsylvania, and California.

The ambitious cat enthusiast could quite possibly visit a number cat cafes in one day. We suggest however a more leisurely tour, because, well, you could easily spend a whole day at each one! While all of the North Carolina cat cafes are in the business of saving and adopting cats, no two are the same. Some are fancy, some are homey. All are fabulous.

Beyond cat cafes, North Carolina is home to the wildly unique American Museum of the House Cat, tucked away in the Western North Carolina mountain town of Sylva. Yes, they have real, live cats too -see more details below.

Not a Cat Cafe: The American Museum of the House Cat

No discussion of North Carolina cat destinations would be complete without special mention of The American Museum of the House Cat. That’s right, a cat museum. This a one of a kind educational, historical, multimedia art collection devoted to cats! The museum is the creation of the late Dr. Harold Sims, who also founded the local Catman2 Shelter (by appointment only). The modest entry-fee to the museum helps support the cats.