By Natasha Lovato

Cat Cafes first became popular in Japan, but the public’s love for adoptable cats in a cafe setting soon spread to Colorado’s Front Range. Each cat cafe in Colorado has multiple felines waiting to play, purr, and pounce into their forever homes.

In 2014, the first known Colorado cat cafe made its appearance on Tennyson Street in Denver’s Berkeley neighborhood. Denver Cat Co. owner Leila Qari feels in awe of how far the cat cafes have come and enjoys seeing other cafes pop up across the state, giving cats a shot at finding homes.

“I want to emphasize how privileged I feel to do the work we do, and how proud I am to have an immigrant- and female-run business,” Qari said. “I love to have that representation in the mix.

After nearly 10 years, Denver Cat Co. has one of the highest adoption rates in the state because of their unique ability to introduce adoptable cats to humans, a concept that helps give felines a fighting chance at becoming the perfect companions.

To support Denver Cat Co., stop by for a visit at 3929 Tennyson St., during their regular hours. Or join one of their many events like bingo, tarot card reading or craft night.

Here are three other Colorado cat cafes:

Boulder

The Purrfect Pause is a cat-themed cafe, boutique, and cat sanctuary located at 5290 Arapahoe Ave., Suite E, in Boulder.

The Purrfect Pause partners with Front Range Freedom Rescue to help provide medical care and foster families to help the cats socialize ahead of their debuts at the cafe.

This cafe offers hourly passes, beverage selections, and a store with cat toys and cat-themed gifts.

Denver-South Broadway

Teddy Cat is a cat-centric cafe that incorporates pet adoptions and handcrafted goods.

This cafe seeks to alleviate the pressure at animal shelters to help find more homes for adoptable kitties by focusing on shy cats, older cats, cats that have been at the shelter the longest, or bonded pairs looking for homes together.

This cafe’s mercantile features clothing, cat toys, curated gifts, art work and more.

Teddy Cat is located at 39 E. Florida Ave., in Denver, and recommends scheduling a visit online.

Loveland

The NoCo Cat Cafe offers small bites and beverages for guests to enjoy while visiting with the feline residents. All of the cats are healthy, spayed or neutered, vaccinated, and ready for adoption.

Guests are welcome to enjoy the ambiance of the cafe at 121 E. 5th St, in Loveland, while playing games, reading, and awaiting the attention of the ever-elusive kitties.

Walk-ins are welcome during regular hours Wednesday through Sunday. It’s closed Monday and Tuesday.

Natasha Lovato is a Colorado native with a love for her cats, writing and a cold Holidaily Blonde Ale.