Cafe side with window bubbles on the wall that cats can climb into. Credit: Courtesy of Sheron Colbert.
Kitty Bubble Cafe and Bar at 5568 N. High St. opened in August with the goal of helping cats find their forever homes.
Ivy Hou, the cafe owner and a longtime animal lover who has previously worked with Colony Cats — a Columbus nonprofit that specializes in the rescuing and adoption efforts of cats — said cat cafes similar to Kitty Bubble Cafe and Bar were closed in Columbus due to COVID-19, presenting her with the opportunity to open her own.
“People can enjoy the drinks and play with the kitties and get to know them better, know their personality and then find the right one,” Hou said. “The kitty can choose the right person, the people can choose the right kitty.”
John Everett, the manager of Kitty Bubble, said it offers a coffee menu and an assortment of cat-themed beers — such as Hellcat, Aquacat and Cougar, Catnip and Meow-go Passion Fruit, according to the menu.
“We do have like your classic bubble teas. We have some fruit teas. We have some sparkling drinks as well, some lemonades — kind of a little bit of variety for everyone.” Everett said.
Everett said for those who may be allergic to cats but still want to enjoy the cafe in some way, there is a bar with a window view to the cat side and clear bubbles along the wall for cats to climb into.
Everett said the pink and blue cafe is decorated with a variety of cat designs, making the space welcoming for customers.
“If you’re looking just to get your coffee, a place to do your homework, kind of hang out, that’s what the cafe’s for,” Everett said.
Hou said the cafe keeps approximately 15-20 cats in the lounge, and it serves as a temporary home until they are adopted.
The adoption application is done through Colony Cats Adoption Center located in Dublin, Ohio, at 2740 Festival Lane, Everett said. The application includes a background check and can be done online.
“Let’s say someone does find a cat here that they’re interested in. They can put an application in through them, and then Colony Cats will notify us that they’re approved, and then they’ll come in, and we’ll start the adoption process,” Everett said. “We don’t hold the cats, but if the cat’s still here, they can take them home.”
Everett said the lounge provides private space for each cat and a place to interact with other cats and potential adopters.
“We have the showroom where they can go and play and hang out with the people, but then we have a back-of-shop space for them to go and decompress where their food and litter boxes and stuff are. So, it’s like they live in-house.” Everett said.
Everett said there is a fee to enter the Kitty Bubble’s cat lounge, and reservations are recommended.
“We keep a 16-people cap on the hour, and we do two types of sessions. We do it starting on the hour and on the 30-minute marker of the hour,” Everett said. “It’s $15 per person for, like, the whole hour, or $10 if you’re just wanting the 30-minute session per person.”
Everett said cat lounge entrance fees contribute to the cats and their space at Kitty Bubble Cafe. He said fees paid for adopting a cat are paid to Colony Cats.
According to its Instagram, Kitty Bubble has had 47 cats adopted since opening in August.
For updates, Kitty Bubble Cafe and Bar can be found on Instagram, Facebook or directly at its website.
