Check It Out: Feline Good Social Club

STORY AND PHOTOS BY JADE LEW

GET GIDDY WITH A KITTY

(562) 900-6127 | felinegoodsocialclub.com 301 Atlantic Ave., Long Beach

Originating in Taiwan in 1998 and gradually spreading to the rest of Asia and Europe, cat cafes are establishments where people can interact with cats while enjoying a drink or a small bite to eat. The trend extended to North America in 2014, where there are now over 100 cat cafes and related establishments, according to the cat cafe directory site Meow Around.

Despite the growth in popularity, no cat cafes had ever been established in Long Beach—until Feline Good Social Club opened in August 2019. Owner Pam Leslie realized that a cat lounge would be the purrfect environment to introduce rescued cats to potential furever homes.

Feline Good Social Club gives people a chance to interact with cats, and cats a chance to be adopted into a furever home. For a small admission fee you can “get giddy with a kitty” by booking a 30-minute or 1-hour lounging session to relax and cuddle with the cats. This fee helps to buy food and toys for the cats, keeps the lounge operating and pays the cats’ rent.

Unlike your typical cat cafe that serves food and drinks, the lounge does not offer any refreshments (for humans), but you are more than welcome to bring your own. Do so at your own risk, though—the cats will pawsitively swarm you for handouts.

“This place is really nice,” says Erich Banaag, a customer visiting the lounge for the first time. “I already have two cats of my own, but this makes me want to adopt a third cat!”

The creatively-designed and spacious lounge is a heaven for cats, filled with soft pillows, numerous toys, cat perches on the walls and cat trees. Every inch of the space is designed to keep the cats comfortable, safe and entertained. There are also plenty of bean bags, cushions and chairs for humans to use as well—just make sure before sitting down that the spot isn’t already occupied by a napping feline!

You can learn all about the residents of the lounge by checking out the wall of purrsonalities by the front entrance. Here, pictures of the cats and their adorable quirks are on display to help you get acquainted with each of them.

One of the most easily identifiable kitties you can see strutting around is the lounge’s purrmanent resident, Fancy Feet, a dashing tuxedo cat dubbed the establishment’s “Director of Entertainment,” who fittingly loves to entertain visitors by taking a few spins on the large cat wheel.

Should you meet an adoptable kitty you’re pawsitively smitten with, you can apply to adopt your new furry friend via Long Beach Felines, the non-profit cat rescue organization that the lounge’s cats come from. Simply head to their website, longbeachfelines.org, to fill out the adoption form and a staff member will be in contact with you shortly.

The space also hosts a number of special sessions each month. Some of their most popular events include Cats & Mats Yoga, where you can experience a yoga session guided by a certified yoga instructor, as well as Paints & Purrs, where you can have fun painting—all while in the company of the lounge’s pawsome kitties.

Feline Good Social Club was closed at press time due to stay-at-home orders. Please check their website for updates.