House of Mews

When are yall open exactly? I’ve tried 3 times now and i’d love to come in, but the times posted on the website are not correct. Yall have been closed all 3 times. I have tried calling as well, and no answer.

Let me preface this review by stating I am definitely a cat person and the one time I applied to adopt a cat through here, I was approved. So yes, I am an actual customer (for wont of a better term) of House of Mews.
This place stinks, figuratively and literally. When you first walk in, you’re hit with this horrible smell. I get it, there’s cats in the place. LOTS of cats. But the entire place reeking of ammonia means they’re either letting cats use the entire place as a litter box or aren’t cleaning the litter boxes enough. Neither one is really a good thing, and given the cat I did get from here having a tendency to poop on the floor for the first year I had him*, I’m thinking the former.
The people in the store just have a bad attitude. I find it very admirable that they’re not going to send everyone home with a cat who brings in some little kid on their birthday. The application process helps both sides: HOM gets to make sure they’re good people, the would-​be adopters get a day or two to think about things and decide if they’re really up to the task of taking care of a cat.
But when you come in to get a cat — sorry, ADOPT a cat — you should be met with kindness. Not nastiness and almost looking for a way to deny your application, whether they don’t like the food you’re going to give it, how many cats you already have, etc.
Many of the cats in this place are sick. There’s nothing wrong with that, but it’s imperative to bring this up before a person decides to adopt a cat. They’re definitely not completely upfront with the number of sick cats they have. The cat I adopted was diagnosed with ringworm and when I informed someone of this, I was condescendingly told it could not POSSIBLY have come from their cat. Umm, okay. I guess my vet and the lab staff at their office lied to me for no reason, despite never having lied to me before or since? And as others have said, lots of cats they have look sickly, be it crust under their eyes or something else, and there’s nothing said about any of this. So even if you just want to go in to pet someone, be careful in case you pick something up and pass it along to your cats at home or something.
*I know pooping on the floor can be a sign of being sick, stressed, angry, or all sorts of things. It was none of these things.

Though House of Mews is a wonderful place for kitties to live while they are in transition before finding their forever homes; I feel customer service is far from hospitable. I wouldn’t say it is partially good, just downright mean. If they could conjure up a heart and start being nice to the people who walk through the door — House of Mews could easily expand and be a bigger and much better place than what it currently is.
The one true thing about running a nonprofit is gaining and retaining relationships with people within your community, especially when those very people are the ones who bring in the donations and their countless volunteer hours to continue supporting the cause at hand. If you chase these people away; it will get to a point of when your options run out. Words of wisdom that should be taken heed to.
I came in here and inquired about adopting before I adopted my cats Loxli and Emery from elsewhere. I’ve had my babies for 5.5 years now going strong. Since adopting my fur children, I have returned to the House of Mews several times since my initial visit with the lady. Unfortunately nothing has changed with the customer service.
I DO encourage you to go here and try and adopt, but just be aware of the possible scrutiny you might experience with the owner or others in the process. Check out the other reviews to see what I mean if this one isn’t enough evidence.

The cats were so lovely to play with, however you have to get used to the smell when you first walk in. You have to be careful of the that are sick, they are playful but you can’t touch them. Make sure to make a donation. It is a lovely place that deserves the help.

Great place doing great work just make sure you call before heading out there. We made the drive twice and they were closed during what was suppose to be their open hours. Of course they still do great work and have lots of great kitties that need homes!

Went here with my family to adopt a cat for my 7 year old sister’s birthday. My little sister made a connection with one in particular and said «I love this one! Can we get her?» After which an employee promptly scolded her for her verb choice: «You don’t just ‘get’ to have a cat. You can’t just ‘buy’ one of our cats. You ADOPT the cat. And you have to qualify as a worthy owner before you can adopt. We dont just ‘sell’ our cats to anyone who walks in the door.» Her tone was soaked in sanctimonious snobbery, and it was all directed at a little kid! Nevermind the fact that my family has owned happy dogs and cats for decades, and that our pets have a neighborhood reputation as being happy and well taken care of.
What kind of smug pet elitist gets their kicks by knocking a 7-​year-​old girl down a couple notches on her birthday? What self-​esteem boost do you derive from making a little girl cry? It’s not like we werent willing to comply with their adoption procedures, but at least allow a little girl to experience joy and excitement on her birthday as she gets to raise her first pet!
We since adopted a cat born in a barn on a rural farm and my little sister raised it so lovingly that the cat’s demeanor often wins over even the most stringent cat haters. Do yourself a favor and take your business anywhere else but this sanctum of snide.

I have visited The House of Mews in the past to play with the cats, but my last visit kind of threw me off. I visited this business during the Cooper Young Festival, & I paid my $ 1 donation to get into the establishment. I am an animal person, but I have always been raised around cats. I’d like to think that I can tell if a cat has an issue or not.
Many of the cats had crust in their eyes, one even had a greenish discharge coming their mouth, and another could not even be woken up. These cats seem well fed & watered, but there are other things that need to have attention given besides nutrition.
I doubt I would get a cat from this place because the cats seem ill, & from previous reviews, the owner makes it ridiculously difficult to even adopt.
I hope the best for those kitties.

Let me explain the low reviews before I profess my love for House of Mews.
None of these reviewers are lying, they just didn’t know what they were walking into (and the website IS dated with an annoying midi file). Here’s what you need to know before going in, whatever your reason for visiting:
DO take an anti-​histamine an hour before going! Even if you have mild allergies, pop a Zyrtec, Claritin, Allegra, etc.
DO understand that House of Mews is literally a house filled with cats.
DON’T think you can just walk out with a cat, even though they have tons. HoM has been open for a long time, and the owner is careful about the adoption process because there are a lot of really, really bad pet owners out there. The cats’ welfare is their top priority.
DO feel free to just drop in and pet some kitties! They are all rescues, all looking for homes. But even is you’re not in the market for a cat, you can help the cause by spending time with the kitties on the waiting list.
Lastly, do understand that this is a volunteer run establishment. They have a 5K every fall and rely on donations to keep their doors open. I have known three cats who were adopted from House of Mews, and the adopting experience was pleasant for all of my friends who adopted from here. This is a wonderful cause to support.

I’m giving this place five stars for excellent cat care and rescues. I love stopping in to pet the kitties!
I’ll never forget going here when I was a little girl with my brother who who couldn’t have been older than six and his walking up to the owner and saying the place was stinky.
But really, the place is a fantastic rescue. The cats have a safe haven until they’re adopted to new homes, and the location is great because the cats can roam freely in the windows and attract all the locals who need feline friends as they’re walking by in this hip district.
After all, what kind of writer would Earnest Hemingway have been without his cats? And in this district of artists and writers, these felines are bound to find loving homes where they can be someone’s muse.

Unlike many of the reviewers I’m both a cat AND a dog person. We just got a kitten and I was looking for a fairly specific type of stick toy.
I checked their website… let’s start there. Oh god. I like CATS (the musical) but any website that assaults me with a midi file of «Memories» no matter where I go on the page. But they did indicate that they had items for cats so off we went.
My son was sleeping so my husband stayed in the car while I ran in. Good thing he did. There were at least 70 cats. Some in cages, some in «penthouses» and several roaming freely about the store.
I could barely get in the door because of a very large ginger and white cat that was acting as a draft dodger.
When I opened the door besides a horrid odor (I get it, tons of cats there is bound to be a smell) I was met by a dirty look as I tried to get in around the cats on the floor without breaking my neck. There were maybe 2 items being sold there that weren’t cats to adopt. The woman behind the counter ignored me and went on talking to other people.
I would recommend that people read the filtered reviews before considering this place. 1 bad filtered review is 1 thing, but 19 reviews saying the same thing means there is more than a little truth to it.

While searching the Unilocal site, I landed on the House of Mews review page. Frankly, I was shocked at the negative reviews, all which were provided by people who clearly state they do not like cats or those that were declined for adoption. The biggest complaint seems to be the fact that the rescue is particular about who they allow to adopt their cats. I think it is wonderful that they carefully select who can adopt one of their kitties. It is obvious that when you work with these animals everyday you learn to love them. You would want to see them go to the best possible home. Not all people who want cats, not all people who enter the store, are able to provide the best possible home.
I have adopted 2 cats from the House of Mews, Reggie and Bojangles. I remember walking into the store and seeing Reggie in his cage. He was such a beautiful animal that he took my breath away. Although he had recently come to the store from the MAS, he was friendly and wanted to be loved. Needless to say I fell in love! As I was looking around the store, I spotted Reggie’s «friend» Bojangles. The two had been surrendered together at the MAS. As I stooped down to talk to Bo, he immediately rolled over on his back for a belly rub. Although I was initially only interested in adopting one cat from the House of Mews, I could not bear to separate them. I took them both! I have never regretted bringing both of these boys into my home. Both are seniors, 9 and 11 years old. I have read that seniors are mellow and quiet… not my seniors! These two boys run and play and chase each other through the house like kittens!
The adoption process at the House of Mews was simple. I filled out an application and answered a few pertinent questions. After filling out some paperwork, the boys and I were on our way home!
The House of Mews is an amazing place. They have been helping kitties for 16 years (they just had a birthday!). In these 16 years, over 9,000 cats have found their forever home. I hope anyone reviewing this page will not judge the House of Mews and their work over the negative experiences of a few. Go down to the House of Mews and see for yourself.

Sitting here watching my wonderful new kitten purchased yesterday, he’s just a delight. Thanks for all the care you give these beautiful and loving animals. Keep up the good work.

I’m a dog person. Cats make me sneeze. Plus they are somewhat pretentious and haughty. This is why I have never been interested in House of Mews. I do; however, have a cat-​loving friend. Who made me go in there with her. Ugh.
Now I would never wish any ill will on an animal of any kind so I agree with the basic concept behind the House of Mews. True caregivers should be screened before being able to take any type of rescued pet home. But I pretty much have to agree with some of the other reviewers that mentioned the very difficult screening process that interested adoptive owners must pass before bringing home a little kitty.
Difficult meaning almost impossible. I’m happy that my friend and others like her want to save animals. Just don’t drag me back into that store ever again.

I’m not a cat person– in fact I am allergic to the creatures and will never be able to own one. I also much prefer dogs and their lovely, needy personalities. However, I am a lover of all things animal and have been known to donate (quite generously I might add) to animal shelters, humane societies and have adopted all my previous animals from the above mentioned places. In fact, my 2 current fur-​baby pups were both rescues and sit at my feet as I type this review.
When I passed the House of Mews I was intrigued at the sheer devotion that has gone into this place. It is quite adorable and the kitties looked so peaceful in their little baskets. I decided to wander in and deal with the allergies so I could get some info and at least give this place a good review or a cash donation to help them along in their cat-​loving journey.
Sakes alive! The woman that runs this place is the devil! She was so rude and firing questions at me as though I was an evil cat-​hating freak that would shove all 3 dozen of her cats under my shirt with the sole purpose of lighting them on fire as I left her establishment. I couldn’t even obtain any info on Mews because she wouldn’t let me get a word in edgewise. I quickly left at the first lull in her questioning with the intention of going home to research the info I was looking for– as she left me armed with no info on adoption or how to donate.
I visited the website (The horrid classical version of «Memories» that rang through my speakers was also quite a turn off) and found the following statement «House of Mews is a nonprofit community service organization currently being operated by an all Volunteer staff. We exist solely on support through donations from the people in this community.» Well dear House of Mews, perhaps if you had treated me with a little more respect you would have received a cash donation. I find it hard to imagine that if you treat everyone who walks through these doors the way I was treated you will stay in business much longer. Sure, I had no intentions of adopting, but I would have thrown some cash your way and sent some cat-​loving friends to your storefront. After this experience I won’t be doing either.
I’ll give you 2 stars simply because I can see you take painstakingly good care of these cats and obviously the owner feels passionately enough about the cause to screen people ad-​nauseum (ones who aren’t even in the market for a cat). I can respect the efforts to make sure these animals go to good homes. I just advise that in the future you try to remain friendly to the folks who just want to donate or give you a fair review.

On an awesome vacation to Memphis, my husband and I stopped in, since we were early for our reservations at Beauty Shop (a great restaurant down the street of this cute neighborhood).
The storefront is packed with cats looking for adoption, and we enjoyed out time with the owner, who explained a bit about the way she runs the nonprofit. She was friendly and helpful, and clearly the cats were healthy, well-​groomed and very loved.
We left, making a donation, and have since been on the mailing list — which I recommend. So many nonprofits take your personal info and use it to spam the heck out of you, or sell it to other organizations. Elain has always respected the privacy of her donors, which is so refreshing! We only get email updates when there’s something notable (a special event) or the cats have an urgent need.
I was moved to write this review because I know that the current economic times have been rough on the House of Mews. They have kept up the high level of care for the animals, but in a time when so many pets are being surrendered at shelters and donations are drying up, it is surely a huge challenge for Elain and her all-​volunteer staff. If you’re in the Memphis area and looking for a new kitty, I think you could do no better than to drop in. I actually find it encouraging to read the below reviews mentioning that she’s picky about who brings the cats home — those who are able to provide a good environment for a pet should have no problem.

This place is the place to go if you’re a cat-​lover, especially if you’re looking to adopt an older cat. The interior is a hybrid of Willy Wonka meets your grandma’s house, and it’s the perfect sanctuary for animals who are waiting to be adopted. Baskets filled will slumbering felines reside in the windows in this Midtown shop, and adults and children alike mill around, petting the (mostly) lovable cats that reside in the place. Be prepared — the smell is strong, but that’s to be expected. The perfect place to find your next family pet, House of Mews adds heart to the heart of Memphis.

My fiancé and I had walked past the House of Mews a couple of times and looked at the cats. We both like animals and she mentioned that she wanted to get a cat. So for her birthday we went there and spent some time playing with a couple different cats. Eventually we decided to get an older tabby with the name Majik (which we changed as soon as we got him home). He’s a lovely cat with a great personality. We didn’t have any problems with the adoption process. We both have owned cats in the past and were realistic about what type of animal we wanted at this point in our life (we were both a little too busy to have a kitten at home). The cat was a little nervious at first but adapted pretty quickly to life in our home… in fact he’s sitting on my lap as I write this!

I was across the street at the health food store this weekend when I saw little pointy ears in the storefront across the street. My eyes roamed to the awning where I read the store’s name… «House of Mews». NO WAY I thought as I screamed across the street to press my nose against the glass of the closed cat rescue shop where at least 20 cats rested in baskets in the window. Behind me, my fiancé shouted THEY’RE EVERYWHERE! And they were. Hundreds of cats living in this Midtown Memphis storefront. I wish I could have been there when it was open so I could get my pet on (closed S-​M) but if you’re in this neighborhood with so many cute urbanite restaurants, check out the kitties!