Since as early as 1998, cat cafes have been cropping up all over the world, like tiny little precious kitten-filled havens for the tragically cat-less. Originally, cat cafes were meant to be a place for people who, distressingly enough, were unable to keep cats in their homes, for whatever draconian reason. The first-ever cat cafe, suitably dubbed the “Cat Flower Garden” opened it’s doors in Taiwan nearly two decades ago. It’s no surprise then, that my native land of Philadelphia would eventually be blessed with such an innovation. I was sent to do the dirty, dolesome work of reviewing one such establishment, the Kawaii Kitty Cafe. Life as a cat columnist can be hard sometimes, and when it comes to field work such as this, you can imagine the duress I’ve endured – going to a place where I was forced to EAT FOOD and DRINK STUFF and PET CATS. Unfathomable. Ineffable. Those are my LEAST favorite things to do, obviously. But don’t worry guys, I really took one for the team this time. Anything for you, dear reader.
Cats Abound!
To start off, the Kawaii Kitty Cafe is situated comfortably near many of my favorite South Street haunts; Crash Bang Boom, Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens, etc. Upon rolling up and seeing the white and orange kitty mascot on the front window I could already FEEL the heart palpitations. I knew what was in there. There were kitties in there. And I was going to get to pet those kitties. It was just a matter of time, just a matter of time. I took a deep breath and prepared myself.
From the moment I entered this fine establishment, I knew I was in cat heaven, which is a lot better than regular heaven, because it has cats. There were cats, just, everywhere. Cats on the walls. Cats on the shelves. I even went to the bathroom, partially because I needed to pee and partially just to see if there was more cat stuff in there for me to look at. And guess what – THERE WAS.
How Kawaii Kitty Cafe Works
In case you’re not in the know about how cat cafes work, here’s the scoop: $10 at Kawaii Kitty gets you one WHOLE hour to socialize with the wee babes in the cat room. You have to book your reservations *online* ahead of time, but walk-ins are typically accepted depending on how booked the room is. While you’re there, you can order anything off their SUPER PRECIOUS menu. (You don’t need a reservation to enjoy the eats, by the way.) I went for the Banana & Nutella “Sushi” Rolls – oh lawd, oh lawd, delicious as they were adorable, those rolls – and the Dirty Almond Chai Tea Latte. Five stars all around for both, especially if you’re a coffee connoisseur. Or a banana connoisseur, you know, whatever sets your boat asail.
We came in a few minutes before our reservations were scheduled, so I did the only thing I could do and pressed my face and hands against the cat room glass, starring deliberately at all the cats and all the people in the time slot before me. I fogged the windows with my breath and wrote the word “SOON” backwards, so that the cats knew I was coming for them, ready to pet them, and rub them all over my face. (I wouldn’t recommend doing that though, as it’s not, like, the most polite thing you could do when you’re in a business establishment. So yeah maybe don’t do that when you go for your visit, which you will, because after reading this article, HOW COULD YOU NOT.)
The Cat Room
The purpose of Kawaii Kitty, besides serving DELICIOUS FOOD AND BEVERAGES OH, MY GOD, is to find homes for all the babies in the cat room! All the babies are from *PAWS Adoption Center* in Philly, and every single wee honeypudding frumpdumpling in the cafe is adoptable! I know. When it was finally my turn to be let loose in The Cat Room, I didn’t know where to begin. Which cat do I pet first? Where do I look? What do I do? There was so much. It was a sensory overload. I wanted to do ALL THE THINGS, and pet ALL the cats, all at once.
After coming to terms with my situation, I finally opted to mosey on over to a big fat grey cat called Professor Pizza (oh my GOD) sleeping by the window. (Do you just love the name though? DO YOU LOVE IT? These names are something straight out of, oh, I don’t know, some *article*) I think I saw somewhere.) He was fat and lazy and patient and I loved him. I loved him so much, with my whole heart. After that I spotted a wee tortoiseshell kitten named Tina Twinkletoes (I know). She was so small and perfect and beautiful and I loved her, so much, with my whole heart. You can maybe imagine what happened next, when I saw the little all-black baby, and the long-haired tabby baby, and the orange and white baby. THEY WERE ALL PERFECT AND I LOVED ALL OF THEM. WITH MY WHOLE HEART. One especially dashing young gentleman, dubbed One-Eyed Willy (I KNOW), sat very patiently with me and let me smother – nay, DOUSE him in kitten smooches. I loved him. With. My. Whole. Heart.
Put A Cat On It!
But the experience doesn’t end with just the presence of cats, though that alone is enough to send me spiraling into a tizzy of dopamine, serotonin and oxytocin-saturated joy – a psychological plane of existence where the colors look brighter and the smells smell sweeter. No, friends, the feng shui of The Cat Room is equally as comforting as the cats themselves. I’m talking CAT DECORUM, my darling fellow cat-enthusiasts. You want that #teamzissou Life Aquatic cat portrait? You got it. Bowie cat? Nailed it. HELLO KITTY? Bruh. Just get in on this lavish interior. Soak it up, friend. This is my aesthetic, I’ve arrived.
Not only that, but the cafe also features many awesome pieces by local artists. Their signature kitty-in-a-cup design was produced by Lawren Alice of *Arch Enemy Arts.*They even have neat little kitty-related trinkets for sale! And WHO DOESN’T LOVE TRINKETS?
But does it end there? HA. If for whatever reason you get BORED (???) of petting cats for one solid hour, Kawaii Kitty offers you a diverse selection of reading material. All cat-related, of course. Not only that, but there are plenty of activities to keep you entertained, such as some cat-filled kitty coloring books.
Unfortunately, time is a cruel mistress, and her passage eventually lead us to the end of our hour. Though it seemed like no time at all had disappeared into thin air since I passed the threshold into nirvana, we were ushered out just as we were invited in. Such is the nature of things. Time flies when you’re falling in love with a room full of cats. (Due to the graciousness of our hosts, we were even allowed a few extra minutes for saying our goodbyes, since ours was the last reservation of the day.) I, of course, needed to be grabbed by the ankles and pulled out with loving, but stern force, as I cried and clawed at the floor. No one was surprised.
The Verdict
The final review: 10/10, would visit Kawaii Kitty Cafe again, immediately if at all possible. Everything was perfect, and my only complaint is that I don’t live there. I also feel that like, it would totally possible to fit at least 600 more cats into the cat room, but I’m sure that’s against some ridiculous law about “fire hazards” or WHATEVER. SO, if you want my advice, and I know you do, get thee to the Kawaii Kitty Cafe, THIS INSTANT!
