Published August 17, 2026 | Updated August 17, 2026

You may be familiar with Felius Cat Cafe. While it’s been open for several years, it wasn’t until the new mural on the western facade of its home at 50th and Dodge went up that I decided to visit.

Felius is unique to Omaha as the area’s only nonprofit cat cafe. What is a cat cafe, you ask? It’s a hybrid cafe that offers a variety of drinks including coffee while also operating as a cat shelter.

If you’re coming from the west, you can’t miss it, with the entire side of the building serving as the canvas for an orange, pink, white, and black cat-themed public art display designed by Bryan North and painted by Craig Lee. The cats on the mural are real. Each one was sponsored by someone in the community who paid to have their pet immortalized on the building.

After arriving, you can park across the street and enter through the lower-level entrance where a patio sits out front. If you’re unsure, look for the door with an arrow pointing to it that reads: “There’s like a lot of cats in here.” Once you enter, you encounter the cafe with its bright tile counter that makes it feel more like a coffee shop than a cat rescue. The space is open and airy with exposed ductwork, concrete floors, hanging plants, and a little gift shop with cat-centric stickers, magnets, shirts, toys, and the like.

It was quite busy during my visit, so if you want to play with the cats, I’d suggest making a reservation online. The counter is where you can check in and order coffee and a snack. The menu includes coffee, cold brew, espresso, cappuccino, tea, dirty soda, beer, and wine, as well as a few snacks including cookies and donuts. I ordered a cold brew and my son a giant cookie. Keep in mind that while drinks are allowed inside the playroom, food is not.

From there, you head to the enclosed playroom next door. The long, narrow playroom is a shared space with other guests, but there’s plenty of room to move about and a number of chairs, stools, and tables though most visitors sat on the floor. There’s no denying the focus is on the felines, with lots of toys, wooden cubbies, hidey holes, a tower with beds, a hanging papasan chair, a massive cat wheel, and a large orange acrylic silhouette shaped like a cat. It was here that a pitch-black kitten was hanging out and sizing us up during our visit. Within the playroom, there’s a smaller room that looks into the cafe and offers a quiet space the cats can retreat to as needed. It’s a pretty chill atmosphere, and while time goes by quick, thirty minutes was enough for us.

Founded in 2018, Felius runs a shelter program that takes in strays and surrenders. In addition to providing the care that they need, they offer a cage-free environment where the cats wait for their forever homes via its adoption program. The nonprofit also maintains a free cat supply pantry for those feeding strays or going through a difficult time.

Felius moved to its current location in Dundee in 2024, taking over space that was previously occupied by Bad Seed Coffee. The building faced with buff brick started its life in 1953 as a dental clinic, medical office, and apartments on the upper floors and basement. To help with its mission, it hosts a number of fun events including trivia nights, free microchip clinics, kitten kindness workshops, cat yoga, and more. I also noticed flyers for its 2nd Annual Black Cat Gala at The Omar on October 22 from 6-10 pm. The black-tie optional event is billed as “a spooky, elegant night of cocktails, food, and Halloween fun” to help raise funds for its open-concept shelter.

We found it to be a fun change of pace, especially for a family like ours that doesn’t have cats. It was a win-win as my son got plenty of play time while falling in love with a kitten he named Sneezy, and I enjoyed the cold brew. You won’t confuse the coffee with Archetype or some of the other top-notch coffee shops in town, but it’s better than you might expect. It’s also worth noting that you can stop in for just a coffee if you don’t want to play with cats, as purchases still support the cause.

Felius is located at 5015 Dodge Street. Hours are Tuesday through Sunday from 9 am to 7 pm, closed Mondays. Check out its website to reserve time to play with the kittens, adopt, learn more about its mission and events, or to see its menu: https://felius.org/

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