Cat Cafés seem to be the latest and greatest instagrammable fad, one that I personally hope is here to stay. Columbia, SC has been lacking that necessary cat café, until recently, when the first cat café in Columbia opened. It's named Catitude, and is about to become your new favorite place to enjoy a cup of coffee with some fur babies. Reservations can be made by the hour, which is probably the best way to really spend quality time with all the kitties. Located on 118 State Street, this two-story coffee shop is home to twenty-seven cats, three of which are full time residents. You can order your coffee downstairs--it’s included in the cost of a one-hour visit--and then head upstairs for plenty of play, cuddles, and kitty love.
When you first arrive to the café, you’ll be greeted by the friendly, yet grumpy face of Gravel, the resident old lady. She doesn’t get along with the other cats who reside upstairs, so she spends her time reclining on the plaid couch, visible when you walk in. I sat with her towards the end of my one-hour stay and I would venture to say she’s sweeter than she appears. As I mentioned before, three of the cats live at the café nearly full time. Two of these fuzzy friends are the owner's pets, and I can definitely see why. These two are the cuddliest, sweetest cats I’ve ever met, and I’ve met plenty of them. In addition to these two, there is a resident cat named Kissy Face and, sadly, these three are not up for adoption. However, you can spend as much time with them as you want--they’re definitely always down for some pets and cuddles.
All other twenty-four cats are up for adoption. Each of them has their own personalities, and in a one-hour visit you’re sure to see them all and get to know several of them. For example, I met Artic, who usually isn’t a lap kitty, but took my lap over almost immediately. Fudgey is a huge, furry black cat and the biggest cat at Catitude. He’s incredibly sweet and will let you know if he wants a back rub. Binx loved to just lay near me and get pet. He was a sweet, tiny thing and loved getting attention, as I’m sure he will when you visit!
All of these kitties have huge personalities and if you take some time to get to know them, they won’t disappoint. If I haven’t already convinced you to give them a visit, they offer a student discount for a one-hour visit. Their website has all of the information you could possibly need to set up an appointment. Whether you need a companion for an hour or two, you need somewhere to study (they have white boards upstairs), or you’re thinking of adopting, then this is somewhere you need to visit. I’m sure you’ll fall in love with it, as did I.
