Lancaster Cat Café Logo Contest Voting Now Open: 80+ Submissions Narrowed to 4 Finalists
Published On: 4/24/2026
Last Updated On: 4/24/2026
By Callie, Seymour, Yebba, Tucker, and Mama and our Hooman Ashley!
LANCASTER, PA — LanCATster Cat Café’s one-year anniversary logo contest has officially entered its final stage, after drawing more than 80 submissions from local artists across the community. Voting is now live. And if early response is any indication, this one is going to come down to the wire.
A Community Interpreting Itself
The premise was simple:
Design a logo that embodies LanCATster Cat Café.
Submissions were open to anyone—artists, customers, supporters—so long as the design included the café’s name and reflected its identity.
The result?
A wide range of styles, ideas, and perspectives:
playful and cartoon-inspired
cozy café-focused designs
cat-centered illustrations
bold, colorful interpretations tied to community and inclusivity
Each one approached the same question from a different angle:
What does this space feel like?
What the Contest Asked For
Participants were encouraged to create freely, with only a few guidelines:
must include the LanCATster Cat Café name
should reflect the café’s personality and values
could incorporate themes like coffee, cats, celebration, and community
ABSOLUTELY NO AI IMAGES
Top submissions will be narrowed down, with finalists voted on by the public.
The winner will receive:
a $50 gift card or five free cat sessions
recognition across the café’s platforms
their design featured on merchandise, including stickers and apparel
The Response Was Immediate
According to posts from the café, submissions came in quickly—and in higher volume than expected.
“We have so many logo submissions… and they’re all freakin’ BEAUTIFUL,” one update shared.
Even as the deadline approached, entries continued to arrive—reflecting both the enthusiasm around the space and the willingness of the community to contribute creatively.
A Clear Line on How the Work Was Created
In a follow-up update, LanCATster Cat Café clarified that all contest submissions must be created by hand—explicitly prohibiting AI-generated designs.
The decision reinforces a focus on originality, effort, and individual artistic expression.
In a contest centered around identity, creativity, and community, that distinction matters.
It shifts the focus away from speed or volume—and back toward the people behind the work.
Why That Matters
In a time when digital tools can generate endless variations instantly, choosing to center human creativity changes the tone of a contest like this.
It slows things down.
It places value on:
effort & intention
individual expression
And in a space like a cat café—where presence, connection, and environment matter—that choice feels aligned.
Where This Fits Into the Bigger Picture
We’ve seen this kind of energy before.
In cat cafés that double as adoption spaces.
In local fundraisers that bring people together around animals.
In small businesses that don’t just serve customers—but invite them into the process.
LanCATster Cat Café has been building that kind of space since opening.
And this contest is just another extension of it.
A Familiar Name in the Submissions
Our Stray Cat News hand drawn submission of heather the shop cat jumping out of a cake. Media: Watercolor pens, colored pencils, and alcohol makers on mixed media paper
Stray Cat News also submitted a logo concept as part of the contest—drawing inspiration from the personality and community energy that defines the café.
While our submission didn’t move forward to the final round, the full drawing process is included at the end of this article for readers who want to see how it came together.
From 80+ Submissions… to 4 Finalists
LanCATster Cat Café confirmed they received over 80 logo submissions from the community—each one bringing a completely different style, interpretation, and personality to the table.
That volume matters.
Because it signals more than participation—it reflects a community actively choosing to engage, contribute, and shape what this space becomes.
Now, after narrowing it down, four final designs remain—each one representing a different vision of the café’s identity.
How to Vote (And Why It Matters)
Voting is now open through:
📍 Head to LanCATster Cat Café’s pages to cast your vote
🗓️ Deadline: Saturday 4/25/2026 (Anniversary Day)
📣 Winner Announcement: Expected Sunday
This isn’t just a “like your favorite” moment.
It’s a decision that will shape:
The café’s visual identity
Future merchandise (stickers, shirts, branding)
How the space presents itself moving forward
The Bigger Impact
While this isn’t a traditional fundraiser, it still supports something meaningful:
a local, independently run cat café
a space that connects people with animals
a business contributing to the broader cat community
Spaces like this don’t grow on their own.
They grow because people show up—not just to visit, but to participate.
And this contest made that visible.
Final Call — Don’t Wait to Vote
If you’ve been following along—or even just discovering this now—this is your window.
👉 Head to LanCATster Cat Café’s Facebook or Instagram
👉 Review all four finalists
👉 Cast your vote before Saturday
Because after Saturday, voting closes—and the design that moves forward becomes the face of the café’s next chapter.
Above is our Stray Cat News submission for Lancatster Cat Cafes 2026 Logo Submission Contest.
