Only Seven Months In, Oakland's Cat Town Cafe Plots an Expansion

If the success of Oakland's seven-month-old Cat Town Cafe is any indication, the nation's current run of cat cafe mania may end up becoming a permanent fixture. Cat Town, which earned the honor of being America's very first brick-and-mortar cat cafe when it opened last October, is now planning an expansion into the neighboring space (formerly a tattoo parlor) to house even more felines.

Co-founder Adam Myatt tells Inside Scoop that Cat Town has already been going gangbusters when it comes to adopting out cats: the euthanasia rate at its partner shelter has declined from 41 to 21 percent, and 184 cats have made the transition from the cafe's Cat Zone to permanent homes. Cat Town is planning to double down by using the added space to foster more kittens, which need additional attention and bottle feeding, as well as a second Cat Zone for expanded kitty playtime.

Since Myatt and partner Ann Dunn are a nonprofit operating on a tight budget, they're hoping to beef up the offerings in the cafe portion, adding hot food, a wider variety of coffee drinks, and more workspace for those who want to have the cafe experience, minus the cats. To help raise funds, they're throwing a cocktail party on June 19 (tickets are $50). If all goes as planned, the Cat Town expansion should be in place by their first anniversary, in late October. Meanwhile, SF is still gearing up for its own feline experience: KitTea, a cat cafe which has been in the works for nearly two years, should debut in the next month or two in Hayes Valley.