Lola on the Road: The Catcade (Chicago, IL)

Welcome back to "Lola on the Road."  I'm back to bring you another cat café I visited on my trip to Chicago in July for Meow Meetup. It was a little tough fitting in a couple of cafés, but I couldn't leave the Windy City without stopping by them. My second stop was at The Catcade. 

After our group of cat bloggers finished up at The Windy Kitty we Ubered over to The Catcade. It was another packed house, and also because I was with a group, unfortunately, I wasn't able to sit and speak with anyone.

Photos were a little challenging because of the crowd. And if there's one thing I've learned from my cat café tour, it's that people take their time with the cats very seriously and do not like their selfie time interrupted! I did my best, so I hope you like them. 

The Catcade is located in a storefront in the Lake View section of Chicago.

When you enter, you're in the lobby, which has a comfortable space for you to wait until your reservation time. 

The Big Bang Theory was on the television, which I thought was a great show to be playing. If you're familiar with TBBT, the characters are big gamers, which fits in perfectly with the lounge's theme (more about that later.)  

While you're in the lobby you can buy a t-shirt or another cat-inspired goody. I may or may not have bought a t-shirt for another swag giveaway. You'll have to stay tuned to find out!

It's a fairly busy street, so there is lots of action and passersby for the kitties to watch. The windows were a popular spot with the resident cats. 

When you enter the lounge area, you are in a very large 600 square foot room with an arcade feel to it. The Catcade is a non-profit, arcade-themed cat rescue and lounge. I think this is a great idea to not only be attractive to the younger crowd, but it's really an innovative idea! 

It is decorated with arcade games that the cats love to sleep and play in. (Don't worry, there is nothing in there that the cats can get caught or hurt in.) 

If you look closely, you'll see a hiding cat. Wait for it.....

"Surprise! Here I am!" 

There are also working games that visitors can enjoy playing, and you never know, you may find a cat on your lap while you're playing! 

There are chairs where you can sit comfortably to play, placed right in front of the cat tree. 

Speaking of the cat tree, there is a huge, multi-level cat tree in the middle of the room that would make every cat jealous. 

This cutie enjoyed watching the crowd from up high. 

Even the windows had shelves for people watching or napping. 

The Catcade was started by fellow cat lovers, Chris Gutierrez and Shelly Casey. They had one mission in mind when creating their concept and that was their love of felines and the need to “save all the cats”. After discussing the idea of starting a cat cafe for years, they came up with the Catcade concept.  The doors to The Catcade opened on August 19, 2017. When I visited they had 700 adoptions! 

Even the cats enjoy playing video games! 

There are usually 20 - 25 adoptable cats available for adoption at any time. All are adoptable except for Leo, who is the lounge's resident cat. 

The cats in the lounge come from various places. While they do pull from Chicago shelters, many of the cats come from areas with high euthanasia rates, such as Southeast Kentucky. Cats have also been rescued from Alabama, Indiana, Iowa, and even the US Virgin Islands. 

Adoption fees are $100 per cat over 6 months and $150 per cat under 6 months. The adoption fees help with the medical cost of vetting. All adoptable cats are spayed or neutered, vaccinated, tested for FIV and Felv, microchipped, and given flea preventative and at least one round of dewormer.

 Adopters must be 21 or older, show proof of residency, and all members of the household must agree to have a cat. If renting, proof of landlord approval of a cat must be presented. 

The Catcade is located at 1235 W. Belmont Avenue, Chicago, IL  60657.  Business hours are: 


Monday:        2 pm - 7 pm Tuesday:       2 pm - 7 pm Wednesday:  CLOSED Thursday:      12 pm - 8 pm Friday:           12 pm - 8 pm  Saturday:       10 am - 3 pm/4 pm - 8 pm Sunday:         11 am - 3 pm/4 pm - 7pm
I love how the cats are given a break from the crowd on weekends!

Reservations are recommended and can be made online here. (Walkins are welcome, but only if there is room.) The cost is $15 per hour per person, and guests must be at least 7 years old. For more information, you can contact them via email at info@thecatcade.org.

Other ways you can help the Catcade with their mission to save cats' lives include: 

• Purchasing items from their Amazon Wish List. 
• Making a one-time donation. 
• Joining Friends of Leo, a monthly donor program. Levels range from $10 to $100 per month, with perks including foil stickers, t-shirts, an annual open house party, newsletter from Leo, one monthly visit, and the opportunity to name a rescue cat. 
• Volunteering

All donations go towards providing a safe, clean and healthy environment for the cats. 

Pin Us! 

I enjoyed my time at The Catcade. Next time I'm in Chicago I definitely want to visit again, and I hope I have more time to stay. 

Don't forget to follow The Catcade on social media: 

             Facebook      |     Instagram     |     Yelp

I hope you enjoyed this series in 2019, and I look forward to bringing it to you again in 2020. Next year I'll be staying closer to home, and the next café to be featured will be PURRsonal Space in Palmyra, New Jersey. 

Tell us about a cat café you've visited!

Dawn