A first of its kind cat lounge opened in New Orleans to a sold out crowd on its first day in business. And by that evening, NOLA Cat Lounge had already adopted one of its feline friends.
Kelly Johnson-Hill opened the business in Central City earlier this week. Guests can reserve a spot online to come hang out, pet and play with the cats housed there in partnership with the Louisiana SPCA.
Johnson-Hill moved to the Crescent City in 2021 and was surprised the cat cafe concept hadn’t been introduced and was determined to open one of her own.
“I saw the concept of a cat lounge going up across the country. They’re really popular in Florida and I’d seen a few in Georgia,” she said.
Inside, Johnson-Hill stocked the front room with snacks and beverages. She even has cat-themed apparel and New Orleans-themed cat toys like mini beignets, alligators and streetcars.
Donned with Mardi Gras beads and purple walls, the lounge itself is something of a cat playground. The room is lined with cat trees, interactive toys and plenty of space for humans to get comfortable, too.
“It’s a great place for people to come and hang out, for all ages,” she said. “We’re all about education.”
And it’s a pretty affordable experience. Thirty minutes costs $10 and one hour costs $15. Children under 3 get in free, and there are options to add additional time.
Johnson-Hill expects to get more cats in the coming weeks, and is expanding the lounge’s offerings with activities like cat yoga, game nights, Saints watch parties and paint nights.
Already, the lounge’s first cat yoga is sold out, but Johnson-Hill is working to schedule a second session.
“It’s supposed to be somewhere that’s just fun, where you can get away from the craziness of today’s world.”
If you go
NOLA Cat Lounge, 1029 Oretha Castle Haley Blvd.
Wednesday to Sunday 12 p.m. to 6 p.m.; closed Mondays and Tuesdays
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.nola.com ’
