The Black Cat Market

This is a secure, accessible, and friendly cat cafe with excellent management, cat-centered protocols, and opportunities for adoption. There’s also a nifty-gifty shop up front with fun clothes, kid-friendly products, and pleasant hand-crafted products.

It’s good to make an appointment first, as it’s a busy and popular spot. A half-hour session with the cats is $7 per person. The cat room is full of kittens and cats of all kinds, and a few other cat lovers who are generally pretty gentle and friendly. We had a blast and almost adopted a cat even though we have five already (!).

I can’t say enough about the responsible, approachable, and knowledgeable staff on site. We learned they placed over 700 cats with families over the last five years.

We really wish we lived closer to this fun and friendly cat world.

I’m a cat lady through and through, so I have very high standards for how they’re cared for. It’s clear that Black Cat Market is motivated by a deep love and respect for cats, and not by profit.

The cat room is large and well maintained. A calm atmosphere is top priority, so they cap the number of visitors each hour. There are tons of toys to play with, scratch pads, cat trees, windows to look out of, and places for the cats to hide away and relax. The staff go to great lengths to make sure the cats are happy, healthy, clean, and comfortable. They know their needs and personalities well, so you can be sure to find a companion that fits your lifestyle.

I adopted my sweet cat (pictured below) from Black Cat Market in January! The application process was straightforward, yet thorough and professional. They were happy to answer any questions I had. The fee was very reasonable, with multiple options to pay including Venmo. Upon pickup, I was given a folder with medical records, proof of vaccination and spaying, and instructions for activating my her microchip which I really appreciated.

In addition to a bunch of cute, adoptable cats, Black Cat Market hosts gatherings and BYOB craft nights and sells a variety of gifts and cat products. They also support important initiatives in the East End (and beyond). There is even a library of free children’s books which was so wonderful to see.

This is an organization I feel really good about supporting. Highly recommend a visit. ❤

10/10 would recommend coming here either to hang out with friends, on a date or to get a cat! I live relatively close by so I come somewhat frequently. It’s basically a room with ~10 cats that want to play and be pet, what more can you want? I got my one cat penny from here and she is a great cat.

I didn't have any coffee, but I loved our visit here. Wonderful souvenirs, cat related local artists work, and beautiful cats. 😍 I won't say some details to leave some surprises, but I'll say some of these kitties have some special talents. They all seemed so happy, have a clean environment and it was such a fun group activity when visiting family. We'd love to adopt one of these precious babies and are not ruling it out in the future!

This cat cafe is amazing! I visited 4 years ago and I haven’t stopped thinking about since. I recently visited two days ago and they added so much more to the place! These cats are so loved and taken such good care of! You HAVE to visit!

Fun place to come and sit among cats. A lot of cats. Be warned: it smells like cats! I made an appointment for my kid and her friend and the three of us hung out with the cats for half an hour. Some cats played with us, some hid, and some looked at us as though we were beneath their time or interest. Overall, it was a very cat-like experience. I left feeling calm and happy, and very centered.

There is a small assortment of cat-related gifts by the front desk. The cat room is in the back. It has human-sized chairs and benches. Appointments are recommended.

Cats are all cared for and well-fed. When not here, they live at a rescue shelter. They have all their shots and medicals up to date, are all clean and seem well-adjusted socially.

The cats are available for adoption. Visiting cats here is a cool way to see the animals as they might behave in a home environment, rather than just a passing glance at them in a shelter cage or using the shelter playroom for a few minutes. You can sit with them in an open space and get a sense of their personalities. Super cool.

Was visiting Pittsburgh for work and decided to stop here for a break. Setup the reservation online, no problem. The staff was friendly. I feel lucky as I was the only person in the cat room while I visited, so I got a lot of attention from the cats. All of the cats I met were friendly. There were a lot of very playful kittens as well. The only complaint I had was that there was no coffee or food for sale, which is something you expect when you google "cat cafe" and this pops up.

We’ve visited The Black Cat Market a number of times. Such a great place to chill out with some cats. I love what they do for kitties. This black cat, Reuben, is such a sweetie.

I have come here many times over the last year and never had a bad experience. Cat cafes involve a large number of animals living in a single area, and with that taken into consideration, the smell is reasonable. There are two bathrooms that are always clean and well-stocked. The check in process is smooth, and the reservation system is easy to navigate and doesn't require a deposit, so people can pay in cash. The cost of a visit is affordable, and the options for frequent visitor passes are even more so. I have always been happy with the number of other visitors in the room at the same time--it feels like the occupancy limits are logical, and they are enforced. It's never so crowded that the cats seem stressed or that I leave feeling like I didn't really get to interact with a cat because there was a crowd or something. Highly recommend! Also, I've attended an event (a paint night) and it was well-run and worth the price.

Such a pleasant experience! The staff member is friendly and approachable and made our visit welcoming. Not only are there at least 10 cats, but there’s a variety of items for cats and humans (t shirts, candles, stickers, lanyards).

Love love love my kitty cuddles. When I'm stressed or just need some fuzzy loving, I head to Black Cat. For a small fee, I can enjoy 30 minutes in the cat room, loving on at least 10 fur balls, who've had a hard knock life. The staff is courteous and always has a plethora of kitty stories. Also, all their fur balls are adoptable.

I absolutely love this place!! It's obvious that the cats are well taken care of and adored by the staff. Black Cat Market and Frankie's Friends (the rescue that provides the cats) are doing amazing things for these cats. There's also a ton of cat merch from small/local businesses available to purchase. The only negative thing I have to say is that it's lacking in the coffee/cafe area, but I think it's deserving of 5 stars regardless.

Beautiful little spot to visit with sweet kitties. I’ve been in a few times and the staff is always friendly and very knowledgeable about the different temperaments of the cats, and of course the cats themselves are 12/10, excellent at being cats.

If you’re looking to adopt, it’s a great way to see cats in a less stressful environment than a shelter, and if you just want to soak up the kitty vibes it’s great for that too.

The black cat market is incredible!! We adopted pancake and Levi together because they suddenly bonded at the cafe, and the entire staff was so kind to us and the kitties. We love our babies so much and we’re so grateful we found this place

This cat cafe / adoption center is fantastic. Mingle with some cats and/or browse their selection of cat themed items. Working with a local amamal shelter they've found forever homes for over 1,000 cats ❤

Can't rate the food, since it's (atm) just a small coffee machine, but the atmosphere and service are FANTASTIC. The owner is deeply passionate about making sure these cats get good homes, and it's incredibly therapeutic to spend time with these lil' fuzzballs.

Purrfect place to interact with cats and adopt one if you want.

I found my soulmate in the version of a cat here, her name was Love. She was so full of playfulness and love that I actually just kept her name as Love, haha. Everyone was really nice, even though I had no idea what to expect in a cat café. They had very cool merch like buttons, stickers, prints from local artists (as an artist myself, that's nice to see). They were kind, informative, and honest about their cats which shows how much they want their cats to find the right home. <3

This is honestly one of my favorite places in Pgh. The staff is so welcoming and kind and the kitties are just adorable and loveable! I go here once a week to help out a local business, cuddle with the kitties, and for a little bit of self care for me! I can't say enough positive things about Black Cat Market!

Lovely cats and staff! Great place to come to when I need a serotonin boost :)