Sep 30, 2022 - Things to Do

Columbus' only cat cafe

An orange cat sits on a cloud-shaped wall perch

Precious, a 2-year-old tabby cat waiting for her fur-ever home. Photos: Alissa Widman Neese/Axios

👋 Alissa here with what's paws-itively the most adorable business I've ever entered.

Driving the news: Kitty Bubble Cafe & Bar, Columbus' only cat cafe, opened to three straight sellout weekends.

Why it matters: The cafe houses adoptable cats from Colony Cats (& dogs), with proceeds benefiting the rescue group. Already, 14 have found homes.

My take: The attention to detail for both cats and humans is what makes the place so special.

  • The cafe features cat-shaped chairs, clever drinks like "pawty on the beach" and wall-to-wall paw print decor, because toe beans are a work of art.
  • The drink lids — for when a cat inevitably knocks them over — have ears on top.
  • The cat lounge is beach-themed with kitty-sized lounge chairs, comfy hiding spots and lots of wall perches for stretching and climbing.
A turquoise and pink cat cafe with pink tables and cat-shaped chairs and a wall mural that says "Stay Pawsitive" above cat paws
The cafe side of Kitty Bubble Cafe & Bar, empty only because it was closing time.

The intrigue: A wall of plastic bubbles separates the two areas and serves as a window.

  • That means guests with allergies or who don't pay lounge admission can still enjoy the cafe.

Yes, and: The coffee is so good I'd stop by if that were the only attraction.

On that note: I must confess, I'm headed back today to cowork with Mary Jane.

  • 😸 … I should just buy that $150 yearly pass now, huh?

What's next: Owner Ivy Hou tells me the business will eventually offer alcohol but, for now, she's taking some time to settle in after a hectic opening rush.

  • "We are slowly finalizing stuff. Just a bit more popular than we expected. I guess [it's] a good problem to have," she said via Facebook.

If you go: 12-9pm Monday, Thursday-Friday. 10am-9pm Saturday-Sunday. Closed Tuesday-Wednesday. 5568 N. High St., just south of Worthington.

  • $10 for 30 minutes, $15 for an hour. Reservations recommended.

😴 Pro tip: Go early. At my Saturday evening visit several kitties were tired out from too much play time.

Editor's note: This story was corrected to note that Kitty Bubble Cafe & Bar is Columbus' only cat cafe, not the first.

A calico cat on a fluffy white perch looks into a bubble window
Tish, an adoptable 3-year-old calico, peeks at cafe guests from her perch.
An overview of the cat cafe from the business window, with cat-sized lounge chairs and beach theming
A view of the cat lounge from the business' window after it closed Saturday night.
An orange cat curled up sleeping on a donut-shaped cushion
Joey, a 1-year-old tabby, tuckered out well before closing time.
A plastic coffee cup with cat ears on top and a "Kitty Bubble Cafe & Bar" sleeve on it
A 24-ounce vanilla latte ($6) with a cute — and spill-proof — cat ear lid.
A calico cat licks its paw while closing one eye
Tish, an adoptable 3-year-old calico, during bath time on her perch.
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