House of Mews

Interacting with bucket cats. ERooker0126 (Atlas Obscura User) (Used with Permission)

House of Mews is in a small, unassuming building in the heart of Memphis’ hippest Midtown neighborhood. It’s aspiring cat-lady or cat-gentleman’s paradise; the studio apartment full of cats so many of us dream of, but can never realize because of social standards, city code, or the ability to buy 50 pounds of cat food a week.

House of Mews is a cat adoption sanctuary that functions as a branch of a non-profit called Puddy Tat Protectors, Inc. The founder of Puddy Tat Protectors, Elain Harvey, is the only full-time staff member at House of Mews.

When you walk in, open the door carefully so as not to let the cats out. Cats roam freely through the building. Many can be found sitting in the windows, spread out on various couches and chairs, or climbing on the counters and up the walls.

You are welcome to sit and play with them as long as you want. House of Mews provides toys for you to play with the resident felines, and you can also find information about all of the cats inside. It’s a little stinky in the building because there are 50 cats living there at any given time, but it’s totally worth it. If you ask a volunteer to let you in and quickly sanitize your hands, you’re able to enter the “kitten room” which is a blocked-off section where the baby cats live.

House of Mews aims to function as an alternative to government-run adoption shelters, and actually doesn’t buy or sell cats at all. They adopt homeless or abused cats and give them away to anyone in the community who will give them a loving home. They only ask you to cover the cost of the neutering or spaying.

House of Mews has existed in this Memphis neighborhood for over 20 years, and is a favorite place of locals to stop in and de-stress a bit. There are plenty of great coffee shops within walking distance, so grab a latte and head over to pet some cats.

Know Before You Go

This is located in the Cooper-Young neighborhood of Memphis, TN. It's not very hard to find, it has a green awning that says "House of Mews" and a bunch of cats sitting in buckets in the windows. It is directly across the street from a restaurant called Alchemy. If you can't find parking directly in front of the building, keep going south on Cooper St and park in the First Congregational Church parking lot.

It's completely free to visit House of Mews, but there's a donation box if you want to leave a little something to help feed the cats. You can also purchase cat collectibles, cat t-shirts, or and a variety of weird kitty trinkets as well as regular cat supplies for your feline at home.