Pasadena’s Cat Café Turns Five, and the Residents Get the Presents

The gift-opening will be handled by the recipients. Tail Town, the nonprofit cat café and adoption lounge on East Washington Boulevard, is asking guests at its fifth birthday party Friday to bring wish list presents for the cats in residence and then watch them go to work on the wrapping paper.

The party runs from 6 to 8 p.m. and costs $25 for the two hours, open to ages 6 and up. Cupcakes and drinks are provided. Reservations are required. Every visit, the organization says, helps fund the adoption center’s work.

Tail Town opened in 2021 as a family-run operation and now runs on volunteers and community support. A registered 501(c)(3), it partners with Kitten Rescue of Los Angeles, housing 30 to 40 adoption-ready cats in a roughly 2,000-square-foot lounge where the animals roam free of cages. The organization says it has placed more than 500 cats since opening. Its stated mission is pulling cats out of high-kill shelters, off the streets and away from neglect, and preparing adopters for the long haul rather than the impulse.

The lounge caps visits at 20 guests at a time so the cats are not overwhelmed. Outside cat food, treats and toys are not permitted — the residents are on a specific diet — and no outside animals come in.

Regular visiting hours run Friday through Sunday, with afterhours programming on Fridays that has included painting classes, pilates and trivia nights. The building is single-level and wheelchair accessible. Street parking on the south side of East Washington is limited; surrounding streets are easier.

Tail Town’s fifth birthday party will be held Friday, July 31 from 6 to 8 p.m. at 1780 E. Washington Blvd. in Pasadena. Visit tailtowncats.com for reservations. Admission is $25 for two hours. Ages 6 and up. Reservations required.