Crumbs & Whiskers is D.C.’s first and only cat cafe. Situated in Georgetown on O St., guests can enjoy coffee, tea, maccaroons and of course – cats.
When I walked through the door of Crumbs & Whiskers, I was greeted by a nice woman clad in cat accessories. Inside, the space looks and feels like someone’s home. The cafe is pretty small, just an upstairs and downstairs, but it made it feel that much more cozy. The woman ran through the rules, but I could barely pay attention because of all the cats. Big cats, small cats, orange cats, black cats – all types of cats just roaming around. It was a dream. I placed an order for a chai latte and a pack of macarons (a bit overpriced, but hey I wanted to impress the cats), and ran in.
Aside from being the coolest cat hangout in town, Crumbs & Whiskers is also an adoption center. Each of the cats are up for adoption through the Lost Dog & Cat Rescue Foundation. They’ve fostered over 50 cats since they opened in June 2015. Needless to say, it was hard to resist the urge to bring a furry friend home, but that’s dorm life for you.
The downstairs space is a bit dark and empty, so I ventured upstairs. The upstairs space is bright and big. The room is decorated with trendy lighting, cat-inspired artwork and comfy chairs. The cats wandered about the room, some completely uninterested, and others ready to play. One fat grey cat climbed onto one of the tables, and plopped down in the middle of a group’s game of Cards Against Humanity. Unfortunately, you can’t pick the cats up :(, but you can pet them and vie for their attention with snacks and toys. About 15 minutes into my reservation, an employee delivered my latte and macaroons, which were both sweet and delicious. Everything on the menu is prepared at an off-site kitchen, so I didn’t have to worry about accidently swallowing any cat hairs.
I should have listened to the woman at the front desk because it turns out that each of the cats have color-coded tags on their collars that describe their personalities. I made the mistake of trying to pet a white cat wearing a purple tag, who violently hissed and swat at me with its claws. Aside from the mean white kitty, I had pleasant experiences with the others. There was a black and white cat who was energetic and eager to play with every toy I teased him with. A plump striped cat was super photogenic and let me take pictures of her. There were about 15 cats at the cafe on the day I went so I made lots of friends.
Crumbs & Whiskers also hosts cool cat-themed events like Cat Yoga
and Netflix and Cats with hot chocolate, popcorn and a movie. What more could you want?
Reservations will cost you $12, which I thought was a bit steep especially because that’s the student discount (normal reservations are $15). The reservations are 75 minutes each, but you can also drop in for 15 minutes for $4.50. The only thing that I did not like is that macaroons are the only food on the menu. The bulk of the menu is coffee and tea. However, I suppose that the owners want to keep the space as cat friendly as possible, so it is probably a good idea to skip the food. The space is also very small, but Crumbs & Whiskers is still in its first year, so hopefully they will expand in the future.
Overall, I had a great time at Crumbs & Whiskers, and would highly recommend it to any cat-lover. I would definitely return with my laptop and do some homework while enjoying the company of over a dozen cats. It is also a great hang out if you’re staying in DC over spring break!
All other photos have been provided by the author.