I have always been a lover of coffee shops, even if I haven’t liked coffee my whole life. So when I heard of the Nine Lives Cat Cafe I knew that I had to go. Now I love all animals, but I have a slight problem with cats. Allergies. Not deadly allergies, but allergies all the same. My mom is friends with the owner, so she went to the pre-grand opening and gave me the scoop. She told me it was a really cute and a definite go-to place, also that my allergies should be fine considering the room is sanitized, so I went.

The appeal of the cafe that makes it unique from every other coffee shop in Indy is that you can go and spend time with adoptable cats, as well as sipping coffee or tea. All the cats sent to the cafe are chosen and sent from the humane society, who makes sure the cats are sociable. Now you can’t walk in, and then walk out with a cat. The paperwork is online and you will be contacted and have an over the phone consultation. You can definitely start the adoption process on the cat you want.

Nine Lives is located on the corner of Shelby and Orange St. in Fountain Square. When I got there I had to park on the side Orange and walk to the corner about 20 feet to the door. Inside, there were a set of double doors on the right leading into the cat room which is separated from the coffee shop itself by a row of windows and a wall. On the wall to the left of the windows, held by string are pictures of all the cats that had been adopted since they opened on January 28. Straight ahead from the front door is a narrower room with square wooden tables and four metal chairs surrounding them. The whole cafe has a very rustic vibe. The entire wall connected to the cat room is wooden. Above the door to the cat room and the door out of the cafe is a metal chandelier, tall metal poles about a foot in length  with bulbs between them at the center.

I ordered a small mocha and one of their cat-shaped sugar cookies from the friendly barista. While the coffee wasn’t the best, the cookie was perfect. After I finished my treats, I headed into the cat room. It was about three dollars for a half hour and five for a full hour. Once inside, I surveyed the room. There were two cat sized beds and about nine places to sit. There were only three cats when I went and was offered a chance to schedule to come again when they had more but I decided to stay. Normally there are around 10 cats and a 12 person limit in the cat room.

Overall I would rate this cafe a 9/10. I loved the vibe and the cats, but the coffee was a little lacking. However, I am definitely going back in the future. Also as a person allergic to cats, I experienced no trouble during or after my visit.