Purrington's Cat Lounge (sometimes Purringtons Cat Lounge or simply Purringtons) was a cat café and shelter in Portland, Oregon, in the United States. The establishment billed itself as "the first cat cafe and adoption center in the Pacific Northwest".[1] Purrington's was the first cat cafe in Oregon[2] and among the first in North America.[3][4][5]
Purrington's was a cat café and shelter.[6][7] Large windows offered ample natural light,[8] and the interior had an "exposed concrete and an industrial-chic vibe".[9] The business served food as well as coffee, tea,[10] beer, cider, and wine.[11][12][13][14] According to USA Today, Purrington's was the first cat cafe to serve alcohol.[15] The lounge accommodated 15 to 20 people per hour appointment.[15][16] Military veterans and senior citizens received a discount.[17]
Purrington's opened on January 24, 2015,[18] on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard in the northeast Portland part of the Boise neighborhood.[9][19] More than 300 people attended its opening.[20] The business was initially owned by Kristen and Sergio Castillo. Kristen was inspired to pursue the venture in October 2013, when she saw her friend share a video from Le Café des Chats in Paris.[20] She quit her job to seek funding for the project.[21]
Purrington's partnered with the Sherwood-based rescue organization Cat Adoption Team (CAT) to facilitate cat adoptions.[20] Approximately 150 cats were adopted in the first year,[22][23] and at least 600 cats were adopted between 2015 and 2018.[24][25] The business also offered yoga classes.[26][27]
The cafe was expected to close in November 2018.[28][29] However, ownership transferred to Garrett Simpson and Helen Harris in January 2019.[30] After being closed for nine months and undergoing a renovation, Purrington's reopened in early 2020.[31][32] The business was burglarized in January 2020.[33] Operations ceased temporarily in 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic.[34]
In September 2022, Simpson and Harris announced plans to close in November.[35][36][37]
Zachary Carlsen of Sprudge wrote in 2015, "I hope that when a cat cafe inevitably comes to a neighborhood near you, it is done with the degree of care, respect, and love evident at Purringtons."[16] Jamie Ditaranto included Purrington's in USA Today's 2017 list of nine "cutest animal cafes around the world".[15] In 2022, Emilee Lindner included Purrington's in Time Out's list of the "cutest cat cafes in the US for cuddles and coffee",[38] and Janelle Leeson included the business in Yahoo!'s list of "15 Must-Visit Cat Cafés, and How They're Changing the Way We Adopt".[39] Janea Melido of The Beacon said Purrington's was "the best part about going to school in Portland".[40] Willamette Week's Suzette Smith said the cafe had "surprisingly good snacks".[12] Purrington's inspired the establishment of a similar cat cafe in Las Vegas.[41]
