By Amy Wong via The Daily of the University of Washington

For many students, going to college means reluctantly leaving your hometown, your family, and most importantly, your pets. I’ve often found myself longingly staring at people walking their dogs on campus, desperately wanting to cuddle up to the next animal I see. Luckily, Seattle’s first cat cafe, Meowtropolitan, is just a quick bus ride away.

Combining two of life’s greatest joys, cats and coffee, Meowtropolitan provides a unique experience that lets you spend some quality time with local feline friends. For a flat fee of $10, you can order one of several espresso or tea based drinks and then spend an hour hanging out with some of the cutest cats you’ve ever seen.

I had the chance to taste the appropriately named Meowca and Catpuccino, made with coffee beans from locally owned Herkimer Coffee. Upon request, the barista served the drinks with adorable cat coffee art, perfect for a few Instagram shots. The coffee was very light, making for a nice Catpuccino but unfortunately a lackluster Meowca.

In addition to drinks, the cafe also displays a case full of cat themed desserts, ranging from paw print stamped cakes to cat shaped macarons. The vanilla macaron has a sweet white chocolate filling, making it as tasty as it is cute.

The real experience of Meowtropolitan, however, lies in the cat lounge. The cat lounge houses between 15-18 cats, seven that live there permanently, and the rest of which are available for adoption through a partnership with the Regional Animal Services of King County. Guests are free to sip their coffee and play with the cats, most of which are happy to get a nice head scratch. During your visit I’d highly recommend getting a lid for your coffee; I had one cat that made several attempts to get a sip of my Catpuccino.

The Meowtropolitan staff is more than friendly, ensuring that visitors have a good time while also caring for the cats. Their priority is making sure that the cats are safe and loved, which is the most important part of any experience with animals.

Meowtropolitan is probably not the best place to study or catch up with old friends because you’ll be so distracted by the cats, but the cafe does offer free Wi-Fi if you feel the need to constantly update your Snapchat story with cat pictures.

If you ever want a new coffee experience, take a trip to Seattle’s best cat cafe. Meowtropolitan is the purr-fect place for cat and coffee lovers alike.