Looking for a Cat Cafe in Norman? Meet Big Cat at Wells Christmas Tree Farm.

We see the searches. People look up "cat cafe Norman OK," end up on our site, and — here's the thing — they're not entirely wrong to land here. We're not a licensed, official cat cafe. There's no reservation system, no menu of adoptable kittens, no fee to come pet one. We're a Christmas tree farm with a coffee shop on it. But we do have a cat — a famous one — who has spent ten years treating The Pines like it's his own personal cat cafe, and at some point the distinction between "has a cat" and "is a cat cafe" starts to feel pretty thin.

How Big Cat actually showed up

Ten years ago, back when we lived on the farm ourselves, Katy was out walking around the property one day when this enormous cat came wandering up out of nowhere. He looked, by her account, genuinely dangerous — the kind of size that makes you rethink your route. Instead he walked straight up to her, leaned into her leg, and started rubbing against her, tail swishing the whole time like he'd been waiting for her to show up.

That's the origin of his other name. Officially he's Big Cat. To anyone who's met him in person, he's just as often Swishy Tail. He's been part of the family for a decade now, and he never really stopped doing the thing that got him adopted in the first place — walking up to total strangers like they're old friends.

He didn't come alone, exactly

Big Cat has two younger brothers, Willie and Hank — Willie's the orange one, Hank's the tabby. All three share the same swirled, marbled markings down their sides, though you have to be close to notice; from a distance they mostly just look like farm cats. The difference is what happens when you get close. Willie and Hank will watch you from a respectable distance. Swish will walk straight over and lie down at your feet like he owns the place, which, at this point, he basically does.

That one personality trait is the entire reason he ended up famous and his brothers didn't.

The rumor we have to keep correcting

Big Cat has a way of positioning himself near the counter right around the time your order comes up, which has led more than one customer to genuinely ask if he's the one pulling the shot. He is not. We have actual baristas for that, pouring actual Clarity Coffee. Big Cat's job, as far as we can tell, is supervision — and collecting compliments, which he accepts constantly and never seems to get tired of.

He's probably the closest thing to a cat cafe in Norman — minus the reservation, minus the entry fee, plus twelve acres of Christmas trees out the window. We made a short video setting the record straight — "Come get a coffee and visit Big Cat, we promise he is not actually the one making your coffee" — and it did better than almost anything else we've ever posted. Twenty thousand views and counting, and the comments are exactly what you'd expect from a farm full of regulars:

• "We ❤️ Big Cat"
• "You mean this majestic boy?!?"
• "Big cat wth dude" (affectionately, we assume)

People tag their friends under his posts. He has his own highlight on our Instagram. Ten years in, Big Cat has a bigger personal brand than most of our tree varieties, and we've stopped fighting it.

So... are we a cat cafe or not?

Depends who you ask. Officially, no — we're a working Christmas tree farm, twelve acres of Virginia pine, with a year-round coffee shop called The Pines in the middle of it. There's no cage of adoptable kittens, no booking fee, no cat-cafe business license. Unofficially, we have one extremely famous, extremely affectionate cat who has personally run this coffee shop like his own cat cafe for a full decade, with the social following to prove it. If you're searching for the closest thing to a cat cafe in Norman, Oklahoma, this is probably it.

So if what you actually searched for is a coffee shop with a resident cat who'll wander over and say hi while you drink your latte — congratulations, you found it. We just also happen to sell Christmas trees. If you come out during tree season, you might see him supervising that too, from a safe distance from the saws.

Either way: it's coffee, trees, and one extremely photogenic cat who would like you to know he is not on the clock, but he is always working the room.

The Pines Coffee Shop is open year-round, Tuesday through Sunday, at 4091 E Franklin Rd, Norman, OK — about 5 miles east of I-35, roughly a 7–10 minute drive. Big Cat's schedule is his own business.

Slow down on the farm.