A new spot for animal lovers: Denton’s first cat cafe is now open

Nestled into the unassuming corner of 3305 S. Mayhill Road’s shopping plaza lies The Bubble Cat Cafe, Denton’s first-ever cat lounge; a unique concept that invites visitors to play with sweet rescue cats, enjoy pre-packaged refreshments, and even find a feline friend to take home.

Despite opening their doors this year, co-owners August Wooten and Victoria Patterson had been considering the business opportunity for quite some time. After visiting multiple cat cafes, Wooten and Patterson would kid about starting one of their own, given their mutual fostering experience and love for animals. “[After] some period of time it stopped being a joke, and became ‘What would this actually look like?’, and then we spent the next two and a half years working on actually getting the place open,” said Wooten.

Location was an important factor for the duo: “I managed some Barnes and Noble’s in a bunch of different areas of Dallas and Fort Worth, and I very quickly realized where your location is [makes] all the difference in the world,” says Wooten. “It completely changes who your customers are, and how they react to everything and so, I immediately went ‘I want Denton’… [and] everyone there has been so supportive and so wonderful and just incredible that all the time we [say] ‘yeah, this is the place to be.’”

As an adoption center, The Bubble Cat Cafe works with fosters and vets that have decades of experience and medical knowledge. Additionally, independent trappers and organizations such as Dallas Cat Lady and Grand Prairie Cat Crew provide large numbers of the cats at the Cafe. Occasionally, Wooten and Patterson will also take in street cats, rescues, and surrenders.

Visitors interested in adopting should know that most cats at The Bubble Cat Cafe cannot be adopted alone and will need to go home with another cat, or the visitor must already have a cat. Despite the common belief that cats are solitary animals, they’re actually incredibly social beings who thrive when around other cats from an early age. There are a few exceptions, such as rescue cats that don’t get along well with others. Once you’ve found your dream cat, you can expect a streamlined and simple adoption process.

“Everyone interviews with me,” says Wooten. “If it goes well, we have people fill out an application, and we do a background check to ensure [the applicant] hasn’t committed any crimes against animals or people. Then, we check to [ensure] that all other animals in the house are up to date on vaccines. If that goes well, you pay and take your cat home whenever you’re ready!”

The Bubble Cat Cafe is open Tuesday through Sunday, with 30-minute and one-hour booking options. Visitors are more than welcome to book additional time once they arrive. For more information and specific opening times, visit The Bubble Cat Cafe website or contact them at 940-222-4372 and bubblecatcafe@gmail.com.