Pop-Up Cat Cafe Sessions

Guests buying session tickets, plus venues that pay or share revenue for the extra foot traffic. Corporate teams and party hosts can book private sessions.

Ticket sales per time slot, a share of drinks sold by the host venue, and private event bookings. Some pop-ups also sell small merchandise.

• Comfortable handling cats and keeping them calm
• Organizing bookings and a smooth guest flow
• Building partnerships with rescues and venues

• Health department rules for animals near food, and whether temporary event permits apply, so check your county
• General liability insurance that covers animals and event activity, and whether the venue also requires its own cover
• Stress on the cats: keep sessions short, with hiding spots and rest breaks
• Local rules on transporting and displaying animals, and on advertising adoptions, so check with your city or county
• Waivers for allergies, bites and scratches, plus age limits for children

Startup costs are typically around $2,000 to $10,000, depending on your set-up equipment, insurance, marketing and how many sessions you plan. These are estimates, and not having your own lease keeps costs lower than a permanent cafe.

Monthly revenue is typically around $1,500 to $7,000, depending on how many sessions you run, ticket prices, guest numbers and any private bookings. This is revenue before costs, and it is only an estimate.

Check health department rules for animals near food, and whether temporary event permits apply in your county. Also check local rules on transporting and displaying animals, insurance that covers animals and events, and whether the venue requires its own cover.