Walk into the lounge at Tail Town Cat Cafe in Pasadena, and you're liable to be met by the persistent meows of Freddy. The ginger and white feline has what cafe operator Gwendolyn Mathers calls "that classic ginger characteristic."
"He's definitely vocal," she says. "He'd like to be the boss of the lounge. He's very loving and very people focused. He'll greet you at the door and not let you leave ever again."
Freddy is among 37 cats playing, sleeping and vying for a visitor's attention on a recent morning at the storefront on Washington Boulevard. They range in age from four months to eight years old, with "lots of different personalities."
"This is a great space to just come and enjoy some cat time, some cuddles or some play," says Mathers, whose mother was a veterinarian. Her childhood responsibilities included bottle-feeding many a kitten.
She says Tail Town opened as a business in July 2021 and is transitioning into a nonprofit while partnering with Kitten Rescue in Los Angeles to provide adoption opportunities and quality cat time for customers. It’s open Fridays through Sundays for people to interact with the residents or join events such as Kitty Bingo, Meow & Paint (the Black Velvet Edition is Oct. 20) and trivia nights.
Cats play and rule the roost at Tail Town in Pasadena.
"They can hold them in their laps, play with them and really get a sense of who the kitties are," says Mathers, whose aim is to find homes for the felines. "The purpose of Tail Town is to help get kitties out of kennels, out of that traditional shelter environment that is stressful. It's unhealthy for the cats, both physically and psychologically."
A few small tables and chairs are provided, and drinks are sold in the lobby. But it's mostly about the cats in the 2,000-square-foot space. The brightly-lit lounge features couches, cat beds and shaggy throws for residents to curl up on or crawl under. Green laser dots from a projector skitter across a cement floor scattered with cat toys. Music plays.
We have some long term residents who have been here about a year, but we know the right home will come along soon enough.
"They can live here as long as they want until they're adopted," says Mathers. "We have some long term residents who have been here about a year, but we know the right home will come along soon enough."
A visitor inquires if there have been some cats that the staff hoped would stay forever.
"Yes," Mathers replies. "Everybody has their favorites and we've had some kitties for a long time. It really feels like we're losing part of the family when they go. But gosh, when you get those photos in their new homes with their new families, it just makes everything better."
Conversely, were there some that she wasn't particularly sorry to see carried out the door?
Mathers laughs. "We'll have some loud or chatty cats or some troublemakers that we still adore but they're into everything. They steal toys and food. We're chasing them through the lobby. When they go, you know, we're happy -- we're happy for everybody involved. It makes things exciting."
