About Meowter Banks Cat Café
A family-friendly cat café rooted in kindness, rescue, and community
Meowter Banks Cat Café is a privately owned and operated, veteran-owned, and woman-owned small business, and the first and only cat café in the Outer Banks. I’m Brandi-Marie, and after a 22-year career in the U.S. Coast Guard, I spent nearly a year and a half at the OBX SPCA as a cat care technician. I loved caring for the cats, advocating for them, and “showing them off” so they could find their forever homes.
Over and over, I heard people say they felt guilty they hadn’t come in sooner to meet the cats. That stuck with me. I started dreaming up a place where the cats could have more presence in our community where people could meet them in a calm, welcoming space, and where we could educate visitors and locals on what cats are really like: smart, social, cuddly, independent, and so much more than the stereotypes about feral colonies.
Today, we foster adoptable cats from OBX SPCA, Currituck Animal Shelter, and Brenda Barks Rescue, and we’re proud to represent and collaborate with local small businesses whenever we can. We’re also a family-run operation, supported by my husband, John, our daughter, Eva, and our loyal team member, Shannon.
One thing that’s important to know: we don’t “rotate” our cats. I believe that once a cat arrives here, this is their transition home until they find their purrfect person. Going back and forth to a shelter can be stressful and confusing, and we want their time with us to feel consistent, safe, and supportive.
Mission
To create a boutique, community-centered cat café that helps more cats find furrever homes through education, connection, and compassionate care—while serving as a welcoming space where locals and visitors can slow down, feel supported, experience the joy (and calm) cats bring, and to provide boarding that prioritizes each cat’s comfort, routine, and well-being.
Vision
To be the Outer Banks’ most trusted adoption-forward cat café: a chic, family-run sanctuary that changes how people understand cats, strengthens local rescue partnerships, and expands our impact through community events and collaborations.
We envision Meowter Banks as a place that also champions mental health awareness, helping to destigmatize seeking support, creating more opportunities for healthy connection, and highlighting the comfort animals can provide (including a future therapy cat currently in training).
