Published Oct 3, 2026
NolaCatLounge.com
Imagine a place where you could hang out and play with a bunch of cats while supporting animal rescue. Or take a yoga class while cats wind their way through the room as you work on your cat pose. At NOLA Cat Lounge in New Orleans, you can do just that—and maybe even decide to adopt one of those sweet kitties and bring them home with you.
NOLA Cat Lounge opened its doors in March 2026 with the goal of offering a comfortable place where people could spend time with cats while helping those cats find forever homes. Visitors offer the cats important socialization—and might just leave with their newest family member. The lounge features charming and colorful Mardi Gras décor and cozy spaces where both people and cats can relax and feel at home.
NOLA Cat Lounge owner Kelly Johnson-Hill said her passion for rescue started when she was a teenager living in Pennsylvania, where she volunteered at local animal shelters. Once she moved out on her own, she began fostering animals in her home.
Kelly Johnson-Hill’s passion for animal rescue began with shelter volunteering as a teen and grew into fostering animals at home. NolaCatLounge.com
“When I moved to New Orleans, I wanted to find a way to combine that passion with my interest in small business,” Johnson-Hill said. “The idea for NOLA Cat Lounge grew from wanting to create a place where adoptable cats could be seen for who they really are outside of a traditional shelter environment. Here, people can sit with them, play with them, and really get to know their personalities.”
NOLA Cat Lounge partners with local rescue organizations to bring resident cats to the lounge. The cats are fully vetted before joining the lounge, and all are available for adoption. Guests pay an admission fee (ranging from $12 to $19) to enter and interact with the cats. Admission fees help support the daily care of the rescue cats, including food, litter, toys, and enrichment, as well as rent, utilities, and the maintenance of a clean, comfortable environment for cats and guests.
NOLA Cat Lounge is a small, family-run operation. The family doesn’t have any paid employees. Instead, Johnson-Hill, her husband, and her parents care for the cats, clean the lounge, help guests, run the shop, and handle everything behind the scenes.
Johnson-Hill and her family care for the cats, clean the lounge, help guests, run the shop, and manage daily operations. NolaCatLounge.com
This made things especially challenging when the lounge experienced a ringworm outbreak in August, forcing the family to close for two weeks while they removed infected cats, treated potentially exposed cats, and deep-cleaned the facility.
“Initially, we thought the ringworm closure was going to be a huge financial hit for us,” Johnson-Hill said. “We’re still such a new business that we haven’t had the opportunity to build up a financial cushion for an unexpected closure or a major expense like this. On top of losing our regular admission revenue, there was a tremendous amount of time, work, and expense involved in making sure the lounge was safe to reopen.”
According to Johnson-Hill, everything had to be removed and either thoroughly cleaned and disinfected or thrown away and replaced. Cats that were confirmed as having ringworm were removed and returned to the care of their rescue, where they could receive treatment. The remaining 19 cats who had potentially been exposed received two lime sulfur dips as an additional precaution before they were ready to return to the lounge.
“It was quite an undertaking, but our rescue partners were incredibly helpful throughout the entire process, particularly A Tail in Need Animal Rescue and NOLA Kitten Nursery,” she said. “They came together to help us through it, donated supplies, and helped make sure all of the cats were well cared for.”
Equally helpful was a highly successful GoFundMe, which raised nearly $9,000. When they started the GoFundMe, the goal was simply to cover the unexpected expenses associated with cleaning, disinfecting, replacing items, and caring for the exposed cats and to make it through the closure without falling behind on their normal bills despite having no revenue coming in.
Support from the community helped NOLA Cat Lounge recover and fund upgrades like window tinting and improved exterior signage. NolaCatLounge.com
“The community response was more than we ever expected and gave us peace of mind during a really uncertain time,” Johnson-Hill said. “We went into the closure worried about what it could mean for such a new business and came out of it realizing just how many people wanted to make sure NOLA Cat Lounge was still here when it was over. That meant everything to us.
NOLA Cat Lounge received enough support to cover its needs during the closure. Once the family knew they were going to be OK, they chose to close the GoFundMe. They were fortunate to have enough support left to put toward a few improvements to make the lounge more comfortable for guests, including window tinting to help with the New Orleans heat and improvements to the exterior signage.
Since the lounge first opened on March 1, 2026, 35 cats have been adopted, with three more adoptions currently pending, which will bring the total to 38.
“It’s been really exciting to see so many cats come through our doors, meet their people, and head off to their new homes,” Johnson-Hill said. “Every adoption is a celebration here. We’re incredibly grateful to our rescue partners, our guests, and everyone who supported us through the closure. Ultimately, everything we do comes back to helping more cats find loving homes.”
The next time you’re in New Orleans, NOLA Cat Lounge is worth a visit for some quality time with cats. Attendance is limited for the comfort of the cats. Reservations are recommended, especially on weekends. NOLA Cat Lounge also hosts private events for birthday parties, corporate outings, team-building events, and other private celebrations. Learn more, make a reservation, or sign up for a cat yoga class or one of its other fun events at Nolacatlounge.com.
