The best cities for cat lovers in the USA

Those who love cats know what it’s like to bow down to our feline overlords. To put it simply: cats are in charge. But the people of Talkeetna, Alaska, already knew that. In fact, they chose a four-legged friend to preside over their whole town. From 1997 to 2017, Stubbs, a cat, was mayor of Talkeetna, located halfway between Anchorage and Denali National Park and with 1,237 human residents. After Stubbs’ passing at 20 years old, brother-and-sister duo Aurora and Denali now handle all Talkeetna governing duties, specifically finding cozy spots to nap and assisting customers at Nagley’s Store.

Some people move to Miami for the beaches, but others move to The Magic City to live in a kitty cat wonderland. According to a study led by OneVet, Miami is the best city to live in with cats. Why? They’ve compiled stats from five ranking factors—number of pet-friendly rentals, number of veterinarians, number of cat adoptions, number of cat cafes, number of pet stores—and, yep, Miami holds the top spot. “Welcome to Miami”? More like, “Welcome to Meowmi!” There are plenty more cat puns to come, by the way, so buckle up.

Coming in at number two on OneVet’s Best Cat Cities rankings is Orlando. Is there something in the water in Florida? We’re guessing catnip. In Orlando, your soft spot for kitties will grow. Join Kindness for Cats to foster fluff balls until they’re adopted. Sip on some kit-tea at The Kitty Beautiful cat cafe, where you can mingle with cats of all ages. Learn about the Pet Alliance of Greater Orlando‘s Whisker Workforce program, which puts mousers to work on those pesky rodents. There are lots of humans looking out for their furry Floridian friends.

The cat lover population in Denver is quickly growing. The Mile High City had the most cat adoptions per 100,000 people in 2020, according to OneVet, and the city has plenty to keep its feline fanatics happy. Denver Cat Company started in 2014 as one of the first cat cafes in the country and has facilitated over 3,000 adoptions since then. Check out Gattara, an Italian restaurant with cat-themed decor (the name translates to “cat lady”). And finally, cap off the evening with some cat wine (with amazing names like Purrsecco and Pinot Meow) from Denver’s Apollo Peak.

If you’re moving, finding a cat-friendly apartment can be as challenging as trying to clip your kitty’s claws. Down on your luck? Try Atlanta, a.k.a., Catlanta, where cat-friendly rentals are 286.5 per 100,000 people—the highest in any city in the U.S., according to OneVet. Once you settle in and get the litter box set up, make friends by joining the Cotton States Cat Club (or just attend one of their cat shows). Take in a tourist cat-traction by visiting the Java Cats cat cafe. Or lock into your cat community by volunteering with Furkids, which even has opportunities for children to read to cats. Whether the cats are listening or not is another thing entirely.

Some cities boast about their Frank Lloyd Wright-designed houses, but only one has a Frank Lloyd Wright-designed cat house. In Alliance, Ohio, you’ll find a four-foot, modular kitty hut designed by the famous American architect in the 1950s. But that’s not all. At the Feline History Museum, scope out a room of cat dolls and Cosey’s silver Best in Show collar, won at an 1895 cat show in New York City. While in Alliance, you can also stop in at Mad Dogs and Crazy Cats pet boutique and cat cafe directly next door to the museum. Mad Dogs and Crazy Cats hosts weekly events, including meditation with cats, cat-themed tarot card readings, and pet-loss support groups.

Plenty of New York’s almost 9 million people are cat owners, with some filling their small apartments with cat trees and litter boxes. In a city this size, rescue organizations and veterinary care are usually only a short distance away (even if that distance feels longer when having to take your poor kitty on the subway). But New York is also a fantastic city for cat lovers to visit. You can find a new feline friend in random bodegas throughout the five boroughs or even at record stores and bookstores like Spoonbill & Sugartown in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. And don’t miss the cat cafes like Koneko, Brooklyn Cat Cafe, and Meow Parlor.

Cat towers can take over your apartment, house… and even a museum. Seattle’s Museum of Museums contemporary art space on Capitol Hill is hosting CAT TOWER!, an exhibition “exploring the cat tower as a sculptural object.” The towers aren’t just something pretty to look at, though. The fully functional towers are open twice a week to furry critics, whose expertise will be put to use in declaring an overall winner. The winning artist gets to choose a shelter to receive a $5,000 donation from the gallery. Seattle is also home to Seattle Meowtropolitan and NEKO, two cat cafes where you can pick up a coffee and a new adoptable kitty friend.

Many cities have their own version of ComicCon, but only LA (specifically Pasadena) has CatCon. Visitors come from all over the world to see the newest products to pamper their feline friends, and CatCon has also helped over 700 shelter cats find their forever homes. LA’s cat cafes are also second-to-none. CatCafe Lounge and Crumbs & Whiskers both offer time slots to play with the resident cats (and adopt one when you fall in love). The Iliad Bookshop in North Hollywood has two resident felines, Apollo and Zeus, who may jump onto your shoulders while you browse the books. You can even do yoga with adoptable cats with Me-Om at the NKLA Pet Adoption Center, where your yoga reservation fee can count toward taking home your new best friend.

We have all seen dog shows on TV, but why should dogs get to have all the fun? Houston has an answer for the Texan cat lovers with the Houston Cat Club’s annual Charity Cat Show. Over 200 cats compete either for breed standards for purebreds or uniqueness and health for mixed-breed household pets. After your kitty wins best in show, saunter over to El Gato Coffeehouse cat cafe for an Arnold Pawlmer before one of their amazing cat events like Yoga with Cats, Meowvie Night, and Cat Lovers Book Club, to name just a few. Don't miss out on the POP Cats festival, which features adoptions, music, cat-themed art, and more. Can we move to Houston right now?