Koneko

Koneko America’s first Japanese-inspired Cat Café Koneko (“kitten” in Japanese). And a big, furry family of adoptable cats.
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Located on Manhattan’s Lower East Side, Koneko has an artisanal Japanese-influenced menu. We also have an architect-designed space, including a revolving exhibition of world-class artwork, and a first-of-its-kind outdoor Catio. Koneko’s central mission is to find forever homes for high-risk shelter cats from the city’s kill list. We currently foster cats from Anjellicle Cats Rescue.

We’re sharing some hard news today: after 11 years, Koneko will be closing its doors this summer. Our last day open to t...
06/03/2026

We’re sharing some hard news today: after 11 years, Koneko will be closing its doors this summer. Our last day open to the public will be July 31st.

Koneko began with one mission, and it never changed: to help rescue cats find loving forever homes.

We wanted that mission to live inside something joyful - a place that celebrated cats and cat people alike: playful and serious, meme-y and thoughtful, meticulous but not pretentious. We took a risk and aimed big in a city where just about everything feels like it’s been done - and looking back, we’re not quite sure how it all came together. Only that it did, and that it’s been a beautiful run.

To everyone who poured their time, energy, talent, and heart into Koneko - staff past and present, volunteers, fosters, donors - thank you. Koneko has always been made possible by the people who showed up with intention and real care - for the cats, and for one another.

We’re especially grateful to our two longtime rescue partners, and , who quietly do difficult and vital work that most people never see. We’ve been lucky to work with them.

And to everyone who walked through our doors - whether you adopted, marked a milestone here, brought the people you love, or just spent an afternoon with the cats - thank you. Your support helped so many cats find loving homes, and kept this little corner of New York going for more than a decade.

We’ll have more to share in the coming weeks. For now: we’re grateful to have been part of so many lives. 💛

05/31/2026

I just want NOVA 💕💕💕

05/29/2026

Our cats are not licensed therapists, but hanging out with 20 of them might still fix (some of) your problems!😘

Inspired by 🖤

05/27/2026

Bc every cat deserves a pet 🫶

05/26/2026

orr should we say purrfect 😜🐈☀️🌱💕 it’s gonna be hot tomorrow! come hang out with us on the catio!

05/25/2026

Nova is just That Girl 💅

05/22/2026

did you know that cats technically can move their eyes to track things but they “prefer to use their whole heads” 🥹🥹🥹😭😭

05/19/2026

what’s inside? delicious house made food, specialty drinks, and 20 adoptable rescue cats that roam 3 floors- including an outdoor area! 🐈🖤 come hang out with us!

05/17/2026

Congrats! If you’re looking for a bonded pair of sweet and social kittens, then you’ve been selected to adopt Sardine and Tetra. 🐟🐟 Sardine (black & white) is a super laid back, playful little guy, and his sister Tetra (grey & white) is a gentle, quiet kitten who loves head pets and snuggling her brother. They will need to go home together! 💛

To request the adoption application, you can email [email protected]! 💛

05/16/2026

Jasmine has a doppelganger! Meet Marnie 🖤🤍

Marnie is around 2 years old and can be adopted SOLO! She is a sweet, gentle, quiet girl with a secret weakness for wand toys. Unlike Jasmine, Marnie has a little ear tip- which means she was a part of a TNR program, and was too friendly and social to be left outdoors! Marnie can be adopted by visiting anjelliclecats.com, as can Jasmine and her grey sister, Chamomile💜

05/14/2026

Did You Know? 🚿🧼🐈

inspired by 🫶

Passionate about cats and have hands-on rescue or volunteer experience?We’re looking for a part-time Cattery Guide to jo...
05/12/2026

Passionate about cats and have hands-on rescue or volunteer experience?

We’re looking for a part-time Cattery Guide to join our team! This position is for 3-4 shifts per week, and requires reliable availability for at least 2 closing shifts (3:00–9:30 PM), with flexibility on which days those closes land.

The ideal fit is: reliable, present, great with people, detail-oriented and tuned into the small stuff.

Pay: $21/hour

Requirements: minimum one year of animal rescue or volunteer experience (this one’s non-negotiable).

If this sounds like you, send your resume to [email protected] - please include a note on what draws you to Koneko and a bit more about yourself.

for all the “second half of the year” babies…. (is there a name for us? there should be.)
05/11/2026

for all the “second half of the year” babies…. (is there a name for us? there should be.)

May’s cat of the month is DALLAS! 🤠🌵🎀 Stop in to try Dallas’s Calico Cowgirl Iced Tea: cold-steeped iced oolong tea with...
05/07/2026

May’s cat of the month is DALLAS! 🤠🌵🎀 Stop in to try Dallas’s Calico Cowgirl Iced Tea: cold-steeped iced oolong tea with a splash of lychee simple syrup and fresh citrus slices, inspired by sunsets out on the range.

Meet our littlest calico cowgirl!! 5-month-old Dallas rode in this month, and we are all so obsessed with her that she was immediately elevated to Cat of the Month. Can you blame us?? Look at that face!!!! Dallas is brave, playful, and packs the loudest, rumbliest purr around. She adores head scratches and has made quick friends with her cat pals- she’d love to have a cat buddy at home, too. Dallas can be adopted by emailing [email protected] 💛

05/05/2026

what’s inside, you wonder?

18 adoptable rescue cats, delicious house made drinks and food, and three levels to hang out in, including an outdoor catio 😝 come visit us at 26 Clinton St! 🐈☕️

come de-stress with our rescue kitties! may 6-8 and 13-15, any 1 hour session is $15 for any students (high school or co...
05/05/2026

come de-stress with our rescue kitties! may 6-8 and 13-15, any 1 hour session is $15 for any students (high school or college) that show their student ID on entry! reservation link in bioooo ✏️

original cat line art by Nuutree (Vectorline Crafts) 🫶

your birth month, your silly cat 😛🐈 pt. 1
05/03/2026

your birth month, your silly cat 😛🐈 pt. 1

We said goodbye to Big Dutch today.Dutch passed in his sleep, in comfort, on his own terms, peacefully, in his comfy plu...
04/30/2026

We said goodbye to Big Dutch today.

Dutch passed in his sleep, in comfort, on his own terms, peacefully, in his comfy plush bed. We loved him so, so much.

He lived for a decade on the streets, and spent the last 6 months of his life indoors, being pet, held, fed, and loved. Unfortunately, he took a turn for the worse this week and stopped eating. He was tired. The vets suspect he had an aggressive form of cancer that was difficult to detect.

This is the reality of rescue. You can’t save every cat. But I think, even though he passed, we did save him. He had a home for the past 6 months. He was out of the cold. He ate whenever he was hungry. He loved Churu. He learned how to be an indoor cat and hung out in cardboard boxes and on couches. He was mischievous and silly. He never would have made it past the first, or second snowstorm. I try to remember that. We did not fail him. He was safe and he was loved, to his last breaths and beyond.

I remember him as the Dutch I knew first, a giant, fat tuxedo cat, sitting in my backyard, peering into my window. The first video here is the first time I pet him, before I even named him. My territorial cats would hiss and growl at him through the screen, and he would slow blink back at them with big, innocent eyes. He loved to roll on the concrete! He was so full of love. When I opened the door, he would try to come in every time. He just wanted to be loved and to be indoors. And we were able to give him both of those things.

Thank you endlessly to and for assisting with getting Dutch vet care. Thank you to my wonderful coworker and friend and her amazing partner for being such strong people, dedicated caregivers, and for opening their hearts and home to Dutch. Thank you to all of you, who donated to help fund his care and shared his story. Without all of you, I don’t know how his story would have ended. But the way it did end was peaceful, calm, happy, and comfortable. He knew he was loved, and dear fu***ng god did we love him.

Big Dutch Forever. 🖤🤍🖤

04/29/2026

Starring… MEEP as Gubgub, CHECKER as Sr. Beatdown, SARDINE as Halloween Joe, and TETRA as Evil Larry!

04/27/2026

‼️⚠️STOP⚠️‼️

This is a Stink Inspection!

Koneko is now proudly serving ! ☕️🐈‍⬛🤎We’re so excited to be serving the She Roars blend from Driftaway Coffee: a bold,...
04/23/2026

Koneko is now proudly serving ! ☕️🐈‍⬛🤎

We’re so excited to be serving the She Roars blend from Driftaway Coffee: a bold, rich, beautifully balanced roast, which you can read a bit about here:

She Roars is a 100% women-produced blend, sourced from women producers and producer groups across Guatemala and Burundi. Women play a critical role in coffee production worldwide, yet they are often underrepresented, underpaid, and overlooked in access to land ownership, financing, and direct market opportunities.

By intentionally sourcing this blend from women producers, we aim to help shift that imbalance and direct more value to the people whose labor and expertise shape the coffee. These coffees were selected not only for their quality, but for how beautifully they come together — creating a balanced, approachable espresso that reflects both craftsmanship and care at origin.

We’re so excited to be working with this amazing company! Come grab a cup of - we know you’ll love it just as much as we do!! 🤎☕️🐈‍⬛🤎

04/21/2026

Uhhhhh pretend we posted this yesterday…. 😜

inspired by 🖤

04/21/2026

Join us May 3 for the purrmiere of Sacred Purr Sessions with Jamie London Wollberg of Wake-In ( ) + Mercury of HOMeY1 ( )at Koneko Cat Cafe! 💜

Enjoy a guided Reiki-infused sound bath & meditation, surrounded by the purrs of our 16 adoptable cats 💘

2 sessions (10AM + 11:30AM), Sunday 5/3• 60 mins • 18+ •
Bring a mat or blanket + book via link in bio-limited spots! 🐈‍⬛🧘⛈️

04/19/2026

having a bad day? take some boops, they’re free!

inspired by ❤️

04/14/2026

Bonnie and her Churu Grippers🫶

Address

26 Clinton Street
New York, NY
10002

Opening Hours

Wednesday 9am - 9pm
Thursday 9am - 9pm
Friday 9am - 9pm
Saturday 9am - 9pm
Sunday 9am - 9pm

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