Whether it’s the sweet look on their faces or the gentle purring, there is something therapeutic about cats. The Tiny Lions Cat Lounge in Ann Arbor (5245 Jackson Rd) gives you an opportunity to unwind in the presence of 15-20 lovable and adoptable felines.
Cat lounges are a relatively new phenomenon. They started in Japan a few years ago, and slowly they’ve been popping up in the United States. The Tiny Lions Lounge is the brainchild of Tanya Hilgendorf, CEO and President of the Huron Valley Humane Society. “We were filled to capacity with adoptable cats and we needed to find a way to make room for more cats,” Wendy Welch said, the Huron Valley Humane Society’s Marketing Director.
After raising over $15,000 through a crowdfunding campaign, the Tiny Lions Lounge was up and running by May of 2016.
Sure, all of the cats are available for adoption, but what really makes Tiny Lions Lounge different from many other adoption facilities is the fact that people don’t actually have to adopt the cats. Four or seven dollars grants you the opportunity to relax with the friendly cats and enjoy their company for either 30 or 60 minutes with no pressure to adopt. (There’s even a punch card to save you money on multiple visits.) Though you can drink a cup of tea or surf the web at any coffee house, Tiny Lions Lounge also allows you the company of very well-behaved cats. Visitors can interact with the cats, or you can just sit back on a comfy chair or couch and take in the scenery.
Yoga with cats, stories with cats, beer and wine and movie with cats!
Tiny Lions Lounge offers a series of unique events. For young children there is “Cat Tails Storytime” for five dollars per child. (Adults attend free). Care to stretch out with the felines? Yoga with cats is offered for $10 a class. Family movie nights with the cats are seven bucks per person and include popcorn. There’s even a “Big Cats Night Out” that includes 2 beers or 2 glasses of wine and popcorn for adults 21 and over for $15. “Our Big Cats Night Out and Trivia Night are absolutely a great way to meet people with similar interests and make a connection. You might even fall in love (with a cat or a person),” Welch said.
Adopting a Kitty
All the cats at the Tiny Lions Lounge come from the Humane Society of Huron Valley. Each cat undergoes a behavioral assessment to determine their sociability with people and other felines.
The cost to adopt a cat at the Tiny Lions Lounge is $80, which includes spay or neutering, an initial health check, vaccines and a microchip (in case you get lost and your cat cannot find you).
Tiny Lions Lounge
5245 Jackson Rd, Ann Arbor, MI 48103
Tuesday-Saturday 10am-7pm Sunday 10am-5pm
734-661-3530 | www.tinylions.org
