Did you know October 29 is National Cat Day? I’m a dog person myself, but I can appreciate feline friends. Today we’re sharing purrfect places to find cats in Knoxville…read on right meow!

  1. Scruffys Café
  2. Knoxville Area Transit
  3. Zoo Knoxville
  4. Marble Springs State Historic Site
  5. The Maker City
  6. East Tennessee History Center

Scruffys Café

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1. Scruffys Café
Knoxville’s only cat café that hosts adoptable cats, runs a hot beverage bar, serves local treats, and supports local artists.  What’s not to love!?

Knoxville Area Transit

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2. Knoxville Area Transit
OK not a “CAT” but a “KAT”!  KAT (Knoxville Area Transit) is our city’s bus and trolley system.  Y’all, the trolly is so cute and it’s free!  Hop on the green line to get around downtown and the Old City.  The blue line is great for getting to attractions like James White’s Fort, the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame, and the Knoxville Civic Auditorium and Coliseum.  The orange takes you to…the University of Tennessee, of course!  Click the link above for a trolley map.

Zoo Knoxville

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3. Zoo Knoxville
No housecats here, we’re here for big cats!  Specifically tigers.  More specifically, Malayan Tigers at Zoo Knoxville – they have three and their names are Arya, Bashir, and Tanvir.  Oh and they’ve got lions too!  Upepo is one of their new residents who recently joined Jimmy and Zarina.  You’re guaranteed to have a “wildly fun” time visiting these beautiful animals!

Marble Springs State Historic Site

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4. Marble Springs State Historic Site
Like most people, we love shop pets, whether they be pups, cats, a ferret, whatever.  In this case, maybe this is a farm pet?  A historic site pet?  Not sure but either way we hope you’ll visit Marble Springs, which is the last remaining home of John Sevier (Tennessee’s first governor).  This is one of Knoxville’s seven Historic Homes, and you’re sure to find Cinnamon lounging on the grounds.

The Maker City

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5. The Maker City
The Maker City has several artists who have an animal-centric focus.  The image above is from Goodnight Squirrel who specializes in watercolor pet portraits, and The Enchanted Mountain and Laura Heisler Studios do them too. For a unique twist on portraiture, Tanbryn Creations does them in the art of quilling.  For pet portraits made out of wood, check out With Bear Hands.  And if you need a stuffed felted kitty or cat pin (who doesn’t), then Zuparoo! is for you!

East Tennessee History Center

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6. East Tennessee History Center
This one is a STRETCH, but you KNEAD to know about this one (get it? I’ll see myself out).  This time we’ve found a “Catt” instead of “Cat”.  The envelope in the second image above contained a letter written by Mrs. Febb Burn in 1920 to her son Harry Burn, statesman about to vote on the 19th Amendment (the right for women to vote).  In it, she reminded him “to be a good boy, and help Mrs. ‘Thomas Catt’ with her Rats.”

Having previously voted against the amendment twice, shock fell over the legislature when Burn, with the letter from his mother in his pocket, changed his vote to an “aye.”  The next day, Burn explained his vote by saying, "I knew that a mother's advice is always safest for a boy to follow, and my mother wanted me to vote for ratification.”  The 19th Amendment went on to be officially added to the U.S. Constitution on August 26th, 1920.  Read more about women’s suffrage in East Tennessee here.