Northern Minnesota’s First Cat Café Shares Update On When They’ll Open, What To Expect

Back in July, I shared that there were plans in the works for a cat café to open in Duluth. This would be the first business of its kind in Northern Minnesota, and one of only three cat cafés in the entire state - with the other two located in the Twin Cities area.

Following this initial news in July, the ownership of this new business got zoning approval in August for the space in Duluth's Endion neighborhood they intended to convert into the cat café. Since then, Wired Whisker has been very active on their social media, sharing a variety of cat-related things as they work to convert their new business space into the upcoming café.

Wondering how the project is going and when they'll be opening, I reached out to Misha Smith, the owner, to learn more about when Wired Whisker will open and what to expect when they do open.

Here's what to know:

Where will Wired Whisker be?

Duluth's first cat café will be opening at 1823 E Superior Street in Duluth, located in a primarily residential area, near Amazing Alonzo's bookstore. Wired Whisker will be right on the bus line, and in close proximity to UMD and St. Scholastica.

Previously this location was a daycare, which they are now converting into a space with two different areas.

What will the Wired Whisker layout be?

When the renovation process is complete, the business will have two different areas.

One of the areas will be the designated café space. The owner explains that this café will be much like most other coffee shops, with food and beverages being served up and a seating area to enjoy those food and beverage items as well as visit with friends while visiting Wired Whisker.

One notable difference between Wired Whisker and other coffee shops is that there will be large viewing windows into the other space - the cat lounge.

The cat lounge will be a separate space where adoptable rescue cats will live on-site to provide some furry affection to visitors of the cat lounge.

What will the Wired Whisker Cat Lounge be like?

Misha described it like this: "Imagine a Barbie Dreamhouse for cats...#goals!"

The space will be designed to provide the cats that live there with important mental and physical stimulation, featuring things like cat bridges, climbing walls, exercise wheels, and other features to keep the kitties happy.

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People will be able to spend time in the cat lounge either to just enjoy some time surrounded by felines or to get to know a cat better that you may be interested in adopting.

Wired Whisker says they hope to work with animal shelters like Animal Allies to provide a new space for adoptable cats to spend time until they find a "furrever home". The cats in the lounge will be fully-vetted and ready for adoption, but will also be a friendly and welcoming presence for people just looking to spend some time with a cat or two for a while while in the cat lounge.

What will be on the menu?

The owner says they will offer a variety of baked goods, both sweet and savory, from Positively 3rd Street Bakery in Duluth. The café will also serve a selection of both caffeinated and non-caffeinated beverages.

They also plan to offer beer and wine, and during the warmer months, Wired Whisker also says they will welcome food trucks to provide a variety of great food beyond the café's normal offerings.

Alright, so when is Wired Whisker Cat Café opening?

Misha explains that the process to convert the 1,820 square-foot space from a daycare to a cat café is underway.

Going through the process of purchasing the building and permitting process and now getting into the commercial construction process is not a quick endeavor. That said, she says it will definitely be worth the wait!

As of right now, Misha says they hope to have the space ready for a grand opening in the early spring of 2024. A little something to look forward to for cat lovers to get you through this winter!

LEARN MORE: Here are more details about Wired Whisker and cat cafés

We'll keep you updated with more on when Wired Whisker will open as we get closer to the opening date.

Will there be any special events at Wired Whisker?

Misha says they are excited to offer some special events when they open. Among the events they look forward to offering to the community are paint-your-pet classes, cat yoga, and wine-tasting events.