Frequently asked questions

What is this place? Do you really have cats in there? 

Simply put, we are a full-service café and foster-based cat rescue—but in reality we are much, much more! We have an extensive menu that features coffees, hot and iced teas, Boba, smoothies, and more. Unfortunately we do not have decaf coffee options, but we do have a whole lot of non-coffee options for those who like to be a little less caffeinated! We also serve our signature sandwich specialties, known as Purrninis, which are available every day to be eaten in the café side of the building only (for obvious reasons). The drinks, however, are fine to go into the lounge as long as it’s got a lid and you promise to keep a close eye on it around the cats. That’s right, I said cats—as in, real, live, free-roaming, adoptable cats! The cats are the big deal around here, so if you’re looking to visit them you are going to have to pay admission (keep scrolling to find out why) and we recommend making an advance prepaid reservation (again, keep scrolling for the why)! 

Where are you located?

3265 Falls Pkwy Ste V Branson Mo 65616—Inside the Falls Shopping Center (look for the blue roof!) next to Creation Tattoo!

What is your phone number? 

Unfortunately, we do not currently have a phone number available to call for general information. We are a very small operation and we prioritize the care and attention of our in-store guests over everything. Since we have no services that can be rendered over the phone and don’t have the staffing to field calls for general information purposes, all calls are routed straight to an indirect line primarily used for outgoing calls and do not go to the café. Reservations can NOT be made over the phone at any time and we are not able to tell you on the phone if we have availability, even if you’re on your way here. 

Do you take donations? 

Cat litter is our love language! We aren’t picky on litter, but we do prefer anything clumping! Food is also a big hit but please keep in mind that food is perishable so please do not bring large quantities that are close to their expiry date—we always share resources with other rescues if we have been blessed to abundance, but please give us the opportunity to distribute the goods, which might take a couple of weeks! Our preferred food brand is Purina Cat Chow Naturals (in the green bag). Please note that we cannot accept food donations that have been opened and donations are not tax deductible.

Do I need a reservation? 

Technically no, but I really really recommend it. If you’re not familiar with Branson just remember that if you’re here on vacation, likely so are about 10,000 others, and with a very limited human occupancy in the cat lounge, it is HIGHLY recommended that you plan your visit as early as possible to keep from being disappointed. Once a reservation is finalized, admission is not refundable so please do your best to plan as far in advance as possible. Once your reservation is finalized, we can’t guarantee we’ll be able to “squeeze in” Cousin Jackie who changed her mind last minute, or accommodate Grandpa Joe who thought the concept was way sillier before he saw it in person. 

Why do I have to pay to pet cats? Do the proceeds go to the cats? 

This is one of the most frequent (and most frustrating) questions we get asked on a regular basis, and I’ll tell you why. OF COURSE you have to pay to pet the cats, how else could we do this? Though nobody is planning to get rich from animal rescue, our staff still have families to feed, bills to pay, and lives to lead—there is no way we could ask them to do what they do every day for no money! And believe me, they’re more than worth it! In addition to the payroll, there are a lot of other expenses that go into operating the cat lounge, such as rent, utilities, basic supplies, etc. While we do accept donations in the form of litter and food, we can’t rely on that and when we don’t have that resource, we incur the cost of that as well. So yes, in a way the “proceeds” go to the cats—indirectly—but as we are not a nonprofit organization, we don’t have proceeds, we have revenue, and the revenue we generate goes to the operating expenses of our business. 

Are drinks included? 

Food, drinks, retail items, merchandise, and cat lounge admission is all priced separately. Lunch items are available starting at 11:30am and there is NO discount available on cat lounge admission with purchase of food or drink. 

What are your hours? 

Our current hours of operation can be found on Google. We keep this up to date so if Google says we’re open, we’re open (unless there is an emergency situation of course!)

Where do you get your cats? Can I bring my cat?

We partner with Branson Humane Society and all of our cats come from them! They cover the medical expenses, the spay/neuter, vaccinations, FIV/FeLV testing, etc and the majority of the adoption fee goes back to them. Please do not bring your cat – I cannot tell you how much your cat would not like that, and I’d bet you probably wouldn’t like it either. The cat lounge is a great place for you, but it’s only a desirable life for the cats who aren’t already in loving homes. Trust me, Fluffy would rather you just tell her about it when you get home. 

Can my kids come? Do I have to go in with them? 

Your kids can absolutely come! In fact, if they’re ages 4 or under we won’t even charge you for them! However, with all kiddos but especially those in the free ages category, we do ask parents to keep an extra close eye on them, listen carefully to your Cattendant, and make sure everyone in your party is observing the posted and verbalized rules and being respectful to our cats. If the cats’ fear thresholds are pushed too far or if anyone’s behavior is disruptive to the cats or other guests, you may be asked to leave the cat lounge. Well-behaved kiddos ages 12 and up are always welcome to visit the cats while the guardian watches from the viewing window! 

Do the cats bite? 

As a general rule of thumb, I always recommend the assumption that if it has claws it can scratch and if it has teeth it can bite. Here at Mochas and Meows, most cats we get through have claws and almost all of them have teeth. We are a behavior-based rehabilitation facility for rescue cats and it is our responsibility to provide them with the safest, lowest stress environment we can while they’re with us – if your behavior is a threat to that feeling of safety, it is the cats’ natural instinct to protect itself and you should expect that it will absolutely do so through scratching and biting if necessary. Your Cattendant will provide you with the necessary information you need to have the best possible experience with each individual cat. 

Why do I have to sign a waiver? 

I’m going to refer you to the information above to answer this. Unfortunately, even though we’re sure you have cats at home, have been around them your whole life, know exactly what to expect, and would never fault us for the actions of our cats, we have to protect ourselves, our cats, our adoption partners, and our business. If you don’t want to sign the waiver, you definitely don’t have to – but you won’t be able to enter the cat lounge until you do. If you enter the lounge without a signed waiver, you will be asked to leave immediately even if you’ve already paid. And no, we don't issue refunds to policy-breakers.

Can I see your adoptable cats online? 

Unfortunately, we do not have an online gallery of our current adoptable cats. We’ve tried different variations of this since we first opened our doors and ultimately decided that it just doesn’t work for our business. As great as it sounds to be able to virtually “meet” our cats before you come into the lounge, there are times when we just don’t have time to keep it up-to-date, and since we won’t even consider accepting an application for adoption before you’ve met the cat it would be an unnecessary waste of time that could be spent doing something that could really get our cats into loving homes, like engaging our guests in conversation about specific cats of interest so they can decide if that is the right fur baby for them! 

I missed my reservation time, can I get a refund or reschedule? 

Unfortunately, if we weren’t given at least 24 hours’ notice about a cancellation, we still held the spot, denying other guests the opportunity to visit the cats during this time. If we were to allow a refund or no-cost reschedule, we would not only potentially be turning away guests but also losing money on the back end by then giving away what we had earned by upholding our half of the proprietor-customer agreement by holding your reservation or by potentially denying future guests to put your group into a reservation at no cost.