About

Chief Cat officer Linda McCarthy has loved cats since she got her first cat (named Nosey) when she was eight years old. Linda has fostered cats and kittens for decades, and is definitely known as a not-quite-crazy-yet cat lady among her friends, but opening a cat lounge might just put her into the actually crazy cat lady category. The Valley Cat opened in spring 2025 and is the first cat lounge in western Massachusetts.

In her “spare time”, Linda is a professor of sociology at Greenfield Community College. She lives in Belchertown with her partner and three foster failure cats.

We partner with Ella’s Feline Rescue Mission in Springfield, Massachusetts. By working with this amazing rescue, we are able to get more cats adopted into loving homes.

Reserve Your Spot Right Meow

Like most “cat cafes and lounges,” there is an hourly fee to enjoy the lounge. This helps us keep a roof over our heads and keep those felines fed. If you are interested in staying for more than 50 minutes, consider coming on Wednesday nights for “Study Meowr” ($25 with student ID) or reserve a 3 hour spot for a 15% discount. Our “50-minute hours” allow us to clean up between visitors and give the cats a short break.

While we may be able to accommodate walk-ins, to ensure you can snuggle with kitties at the time you want, reserve ahead.

Our cats need a break sometimes, and we like to do a deep cleaning at least once a week, so we are closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.