Feline fanatics in Long Beach will get its first cat cafe, a place for people to meet adoptable cats and grab a cup of coffee, in downtown next month.

The Feline Good Social Club – founded by three female entrepreneurs who are passionate about cats – is slated to open Saturday, April 27. The space at 301 Atlantic Blvd. will allow guests to socialize with up to 25 adoptable cats while sipping on coffee and tea.

“We’ve seen how cat cafes are really popular in Asia, they don’t have many in the U.S. so about a year ago we thought we should bring one here,” co-founder Erica Johnson said. “Over the past year, new cat cafes have popped up across the country, so we’re kind of following in that trend – it’s a great way to save lives. The euthanasia rate is really high in Long Beach so we’re saving cats from euthanasia.”

Orange County also got its first cat cafe, Catmosphere Laguna, in Laguna Beach in July.

The cats will come from Long Beach Felines, a nonprofit cat rescue founded 20 years ago by Johnson along with Pam Leslie and Tamara Trujilo. The Feline Good Social Club will run as an extension to Long Beach Felines, which currently operates out of one of their Long Beach homes for a dozen or so rescues.

“(The cats) will come from different places,” Johnson said, “because we’ve been in this industry for so long, we usually find out about them through word of mouth.”

Often, cats will come as strays, or from people who cannot care for them anymore. Depending on the cat’s behavior, Long Beach Felines will care for each animal ranging from weeks to years, until they’re able to go to a new home.

Also, for any pregnant cats who come to the cat cafe, there will be a private suite for the mother cat and her kittens. People will be able to watch the kittens nurse, but not touch any newborns.

Johnson said she’s excited about the cat cafe primarily because it will allow them to rescue more cats.

“This is such an incredible opportunity to save lives as well as provide a truly unique and amazing experience for people who love cats,” she said.

The nearly 2,000-square-foot space will feature three rooms. One will have a large “tree,” made of wood that reaches the ceiling for the cats to play on. The other will act as a working space with free WiFi for people with laptops or who want to read; and third room will have a forest theme.

While Feline Good Social Club can’t prepare food under regulations, Johnson said guests are welcome to bring their own snacks.