With finals fast approaching, campus is filled with collectively anxious students drowning themselves in books. UTD’s library and other study spots are typically full of stressed individuals cramming for at least a passing grade. But amid this chaos, there is a safe haven near campus: cat cafes. These cafes not only provide the calming companionship of friendly felines but also provide space to quietly study or simply decompress. Students can enjoy visiting cat cafes to relax or study, while also supporting their local small businesses and helping their local animal population stay happy, safe and healthy.
Studying on campus is difficult when prime study areas become crowded and especially when students’ stress increases from the anxious energy all around them. One can only lurk on the UTD subreddit or explore campus for a study spot for so long until it becomes exhausting. While I do enjoy studying in a secluded spot on campus, I know I’m not the only one who also enjoys studying there and thus, the neighboring rooms will be easily crowded at the start of exam season. Getting off campus to study will save both time and stress for students that need to focus on their finals.
A 2019 study showed that students relieve their academic stress and improve their overall mood by spending time with cats and dogs. To get away from the chaos of the library, I started visiting cat cafes to spend an afternoon observing and entertaining the animals. As a cat lover, interacting with the cats or simply spending time near them created a more relaxed and positive environment which increased my productivity and overall mood, and fellow cat lovers will doubtlessly experience those same benefits. Furthermore, UTD is no stranger to using animals as stress relief for students. Toward the end of each semester, UTD hosts an event called Paws Before Finals. The event primarily consists of therapy dogs, snacks, raffles and other crafts. When I went to the event at the end of spring 2024, I thoroughly enjoyed petting and playing with the therapy dogs. When I start to miss such events throughout the semester, I tend to visit my local cat cafe.
While cat cafes are a perfect way to leisurely spend an afternoon, these small businesses also help the animals they keep find a permanent home. While it does depend on the business, some cat cafe models are designed to allow customers to spend time with foster cats and hopefully succeed in adopting one. These types of cafes serve as a bridge between an animal adoption agency and potential adopters by highlighting the adoptable cats to any visiting feline lover. In doing so, customers, such as UTD students, can either inquire or share the cats’ adoptable status with their peers. While the decision to adopt a cat depends heavily on a student’s free time, experience and commitment toward the responsibility, college students can still help these cats find a proper home through their connections or their continued patronage, which increases the cafe’s revenue and helps it care for and adopt out more cats. One cafe that I have recently visited with a business model like this is Whiskers and Soda in Dallas. Since these persuasive cats are open to adoption, customers can inquire for further information and potentially provide a forever home.
Every student should experience a cat cafe during their college years. I encourage students to visit DFW-area cat cafes such as Whiskers and Soda and The Charming Cat Cafe. Both cafes’ cats are fantastic and enjoy spending time with people. As a stressed UTD student, visiting a local cat cafe is the best way to have a relaxing afternoon and help support small businesses as well as increase pet adoption inquiries in the DFW area. The friendly and welcoming environment is captivating, especially for an animal lover who is often too busy to make time for a furry friend.