Purringtons Cat Lounge: Portland, OR, USA
Contact Information
Address: 3529 NE Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Portland, OR 97212, USA
Phone: +1 503-334-3570
Hours: Tues-Sun 12:00 - 20:00
Entrance Fee: $8/hour
Ratings
Website / Social Media
Website: purringtonscatlounge.com
Facebook: @purringtonscatlounge
Instagram: purringtonscatlounge
Twitter: @purringtons
Cat vs Cafe (60/40)
Space Kitty: Review of Purringtons Cat Lounge
Usually, when I visit cat cafes, I’m with my partner or alone, so it was a fun to experience it with someone new.
We were in Portland visiting my relatives, but after nearly a month in Japan, I was still in full-on cat café mode. While we were having lunch, I was thinking about how I could steal away to Purringtons Cat Lounge. Luckily, my cousin and her two school age daughters were as excited as I was and happily agreed to walk over later that afternoon.
The café is located near the Alberta Arts District, an area filled with hip restaurants and shops, which made for an enjoyable mile long walk on a hot summer's day.
Arriving at Purringtons, the building looked fairly standard from the outside, but inside found the space to be marvelously modern with an industrial vibe featuring glossy concrete floors, tall ceilings and exposed air ducts/wood beams. Large windows help fill the space with natural light that warms the gray pallette.
Purringtons has two areas separated by a glass wall- a cafe and a cat lounge. The cafe boasts a spacious bar where you can order from a large assortment of beverages like beer, wine and coffee. There is also a limited selection of bar-type snacks such as hummus and chips/salsa. A seating counter opposite the bar with allows you observe the action on the cat lounge side while sipping a beverage.
This ended up being fortuitous as we arrived just as the evening ‘adults only’ happy hour was starting- meaning the girls were not allowed inside the cat lounge. Fortunately, they were good sports as they watched us through the glass while they sipped sodas.
Fee of $8/person paid, we stepped into the colorful cat lounge featuring a large mural with a ‘space cat’ motif. Sitting down, I noted the room felt lived in and loved, with lots of cat beds, toys and pillows scattered amongst the tables and chairs. Most of the cats were snoozing, but the friendly attendant pointed out who was awake, giving names and personality info.
All of the cats at Purringtons are rescues, and finding forever homes is their mission which they have been extremely successful at doing. I believe the most recent adoption count as of November 29 is 449! Their positive results are in large part attributed to the mindful approach used in socializing new arrivals. Rookie cats are kept in a separate back room for a period of acclimation before joining the rest of the gang in the cat lounge. As a result, the cats are more confident and playful, which helps catch the eye of prospective adopters.
I was particularly impressed with the staff of Purringtons who are clearly cat lovers and great with humans, too. While we played and took photos in the cat lounge, the kind barista showed the girls the kitties in back. The age limit was recently lowered from 8 to 6, but hours are restricted from 12:00-4:00 pm. Check the website to ensure you have the most up-to-date details before visiting!
Portland is known for its coffee, craft beer and wine (nearby Willamette Valley) and Purringtons doesn't disappoint in that department either. Everyone in our group was happy with the quality of their beverage and I admit I was envious when I saw the cheese plate at the table next to me.
Overall, Purringtons is a top-notch cat cafe and when you factor in the number of kitties that have found forever homes, these fine folks deserve high fives all around. Be sure and prioritize a visit (or two!) on your next trip to Portland.
Date Visited: 6/19/17
