Two Cat Cafes Purring Into Las Vegas

Cat scratch fever may finally arrive in Las Vegas if two different business owners have their ways. The restaurants, which feature cats as a main attraction, have already opened in San Diego, Atlanta, Chicago and Montreal. And now furry felines may rule the roost in Sin City.

Purrlieu comes from Mackenzie Smith, who recently launched a Kickstarter campaign for $20,000 to open a cat cafe near UNLV. “Las Vegas has a major problem with stray and feral cats. We hope to help by providing some lucky cats with a space to run, play, jump and interact with each other,” Smith writes on Kickstarter.

Visitors will be able to adopt a stray who fits their fancy. Smith plans to have between eight and 15 cats on hand at any time.

Smith anticipates charging a fee to anyone who wants to visit. Customers can order a drink or snacks, and then hang out with the cats. She wants to offer special events such as yoga with cats and art and kittens with painting and wine in the cat room.

She tells KTNV that even if she doesn’t reach her $20,000 goal on Kickstarter, she still wants to open, maybe by the end of the year.

Also on the horizon, Meow or Never. This location plans to be a coffee shop that focuses on older cats, especially black, and getting them adopted. No location has been announced.