Two Popular Minnesota Cat Cafes Are Up For A Big National Honor

If your perfect morning involves a hot cup of coffee, a cat, and a sunny windowsill, then you're probably already well aware of what a cat cafe is, since it puts all of that under one roof.

Cat cafes started overseas, with original cafes in places like Japan featuring permanent resident cats. Recently, cat cafes have become extremely trendy and mainstream across the U.S. In fact, there are now over 230 active locations nationwide.

The vast majority of cat cafes in the United States not only pair a regular coffee-shop menu with a lounge full of cats, but they also partner with local shelters and rescues, making adopting a cat possible. So, your latte can easily evolve into gaining a new family member.

Recently, USA Today's 10Best Readers' Choice Awards set out to find the best cat cafes in America. First, an expert panel nominates a longlist of 20 contenders, and then the final top-10 ranking is left up to readers.

Impressively, two Minnesota spots have made the cut, and you can vote once per day for one or the other to help them finish at #1 or #2, if a two-way tie at #1 is too much to ask for.

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Two Minnesota Cat Cafes Getting National Attention

USA Today named The Wired Whisker in Duluth and The Cafe Meow in the Twin Cities among its 20 nominees for the best cat cafe in America. The Cafe Meow holds a bit of state history, too, having opened Minnesota's first cat cafe back in 2018.

The Wired Whisker

The Wired Whisker, which only opened in 2024, sits just west of the Lake Superior shoreline in Duluth. In its write-up, it was noted that while the cats are the main attraction, the venue also offers an impressive food and beverage selection, with breakfast burritos and pancakes alongside a wide array of caffeinated drinks.

The cafe has quickly become a community fixture. Its cats are adoptable through partnerships with Animal Allies Humane Society, Pet Haven, and Carlton County Animal Rescue, and owner Misha Smith has even organized a neighborhood "walking cat tour" — a three-mile loop where residents show off their cats from windows and porches.

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The Cafe Meow

In the Twin Cities, The Cafe Meow earned praise for offering "top-tier coffee and friendly cats in one fell swoop," according to its write-up. With locations in New Hope and Roseville, the cafe lets guests grab a beverage before heading into a dedicated cat lounge stocked with felines available for adoption.

How You Can Vote

Voting is open now, and fans can cast a ballot once per day through 11 am CDT on Monday, June 22.

Winners will be announced Wednesday, July 1. If you would like to help put a Minnesota favorite on the national map, you can vote at the USA Today 10Best site.

Whether you are a devoted cat person or just someone who appreciates a good cup of coffee and a little company, both of these Minnesota cafes are worth a visit — and right now, your vote.

Here's how to vote for Minnesota's nominees daily, before the June 22 deadline.