As a diehard cat person in a world full of dog lovers, I was ecstatic to learn that Georgetown was opening its very own cat café this fall. The phenomenon that originated in Taiwan has spread around the world: in a cat café, you pay to spend time with cats that are typically up for adoption, and in some locations you can enjoy tea, coffee, and food while you do so. Crumbs and Whiskers, situated right next to Wingo’s on O Street, offers cat lovers (or cat likers) an oasis full of feline friends, just a short distance from campus.
After making an hour-long, 15-dollar-per-person reservation online and signing an electronic waiver where we promised to play nice with the cats (and also not bring our own to the café), my friend and I made the short trip to Crumbs and Whiskers in the late afternoon. The atmosphere itself was a Tumblr-blog incarnate. Chalkboard and white-painted brick walls, white tube lights, fuzzy rugs and decorative pillows were scattered about the floor. Tunes by Ellie Goulding and Ed Sheeran, among other upbeat coffeeshop songs played from the speakers.
The online waiver reminds you that this is not a BYOC café.
I was immediately overwhelmed by the scent in the café: a combination of pet-shop and chai tea. The cinnamon/vanilla smell was misleading however, as the café has not started serving actual food and beverages— they are still awaiting the health inspector’s go-ahead.
And, of course, from the second we stepped into the café we could see cats in baskets, cats on chairs, and cats playing with toys in the center of the room.
A few of the felines enjoying their time at Crumbs and Whiskers.
We started by exploring the upstairs of the two-story café, which was a bright and open space. Most of the cats were asleep— whether it was a result of our timing or a result of feline laziness in general, we were not sure. Picking up cats is not allowed, but we could still sit next to the sleeping ones and pet them with moderate amusement. The upstairs also contained a selection of cutesy cat-themed books, games, and puzzles, which offered some light entertainment throughout our hour timeslot. Petting cats is fun, but doing it for an hour straight is a lot, even for me.
After petting the cats for half an hour (the maximum we could tolerate), we returned to the downstairs to learn more about the café itself. The employees were especially friendly and eager to talk about their business and their cats. All 22 of the cats are eligible for adoption, and since the café opened about a month and a half ago, it has averaged two-to-three adoptions per week. While the friendliest cats are selected by the Washington Humane Society to live at the café, some seemed a little introverted (“They can have a bit of an attitude,” as the staff put it).
One of the less-social cats sits in a lounge area.
While we spent the better part of our time at Crumbs and Whiskers chilling on rugs next to resting cats, the last few minutes were how I expected the whole experience to be: when my friend and I went downstairs, we were able to play with the more active feline residents. Some of the cats were again, just sitting there, but petting an awake cat was many times more fun than disturbing a sleeping one.
Overall, I am glad to have visited Crumbs and Whiskers. It’s not only a different kind of leisure activity, but it is also conveniently close to campus and has excellent Insta-potential. I don’t know if $15 was worth it to sit in a café and pet semi-conscious cats for an hour, but if you’re someone who misses cats from home, lacks recent social interaction, or you’re just a curious passerby, I would recommend you make a reservation to meet Georgetown’s newest furry neighbors.
Photos: Katie LaScaelia, The Georgetown Voice
