I've always wanted a cat. Dogs are entertaining, but they're high-maintenance and constantly filled with energy. Cats are a lot more my style—independent and sleepy. However, because of my dad's cat allergy, I've never had a feline of my own. When my friend told me about a cat cafe in San Francisco, I knew we had to go. Here's a look at what it's like inside KitTea Cat Cafe.
The Entrance
As soon as I walked in, I was greeted by a zen cat mural. He looked very peaceful and I knew I was in for a good time. The first section of KitTea is an actual cafe, complete with tables and chairs. The cat lounge is in a different area, but there's a large window for cafe-goers to peer through and watch the cats interact.
The Tea
If you buy a time slot to enter the cat lounge, you're given bottomless refills of their loose-leaf teas: Hojicha, Sencha, Kukicha and Genmaicha. I got the hojicha, which is a form of roasted green tea. It tasted flavorful without any additions so I drank it without any milk or sugar.
If you're new to Japanese tea, I would recommend the genmaicha. The hojicha has more of an earthy flavor, whereas the genmaichi has a calm and comforting taste that is the general essence of tea.
The Cats
These cats knew what was up. They gravitated towards food and the sun as any smart animal would do, which made them about 10 times more adorable than they already were. This little guy's name was Otis, and he loved cat-napping and wrestling with his fellow furry friends.
This pretty tabby was Ginny, a curious kitty who wasn't even a year old. She loved sitting in a giant wheel by the store's front window and soaking up as much sun as she paw-sitively could.
The Treats
#SpoonTip: Purchase some cat treats at the front desk to bring into the lounge.
If you want to interact more with the kitties, the cafe has salmon bits for $2. The cats absolutely love it. It's a huge feeding frenzy. Honestly, I wish I bought the salmon while I was there—the cats gravitated to whoever smelled like fish, and they didn't pay as much attention to everyone else.
For those of you who can't get enough of the awesome creatures, KitTea hosts events each week, such as Cats on Mats (yoga with cats), Caturday Morning Cartoons and Mewvie Nights.
If you're ever in the Bay Area, I definitely recommend visiting KitTea.. They're open every day except Tuesdays (they're closed for cat naps) and you can make a reservation online.