I've been here twice and neither time did I get to hang out with the cats. You know what they say. Pounce bitten, twice shy. I guess the problem with Pounce Cat Cafe for me was that I wasn't even allowed to step foot inside to see the cats, and as always I was considering adopting one, but I didn't like the steep fee just to come inside. In Buffalo I can adopt lovely cats from the Ten Lives Club and co for $40 or $20 or even $0. In here it's $20 just to come inside. Also, sometimes you can have to make an appointment and the other cat cafes I've been to were either cheaper or at least walk-ins were not so discouraged. Still, it's a great idea and perfect for cats who are able to live here, but I do think they're making a decent amount off it, so don't think it's a charity or anything. I can't give them less than 4 because I can only imagine what these cats would be going through if Pounce didn't exist. I do think you should be encouraged to come in and at least view the cats from near the entrance before deciding to splurge $20 on hanging out here. I actually think hanging out here with maybe a 1 drink minimum, should be encouraged. read more

A cat cafe with an isolated drinking place and a cat zone full of lovely cats? How can you not love this place. If you can't find anything to do in Charleston in a particular time slot, reserve an hour in this place and it won't disappoint you. $15 gets you a full hour with all the cats, but the place is so welcome that you might have to grab the attention of cats from others; a good way to do it is to spend an extra $10 to get a cat toy, some cat treats and cat nip. The place does take walk-ins, but reservation highly recommended, since number of people in the cat zone is limited per hour to protect the cats' health and safety. Also, some cats may be quite lay-back and unresponsive to treats or toy, or even detest human contact. While this could be frustrating for customers, it is understandable since the place does cooperate with animal rescue and shelter organizations to help cats get used to human contact and seek adoption. Cats could also be adopted. read more

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Ok I love cats. I have one myself and I understand them. I knew from the moment I walked into this place that the cats weren't thrilled about the situation. Cats have very strong opinions. I get that they're happier in a warm, friendly environment than they would be on the street or in a rescue atmosphere in a cage (trust me!!!!) but Pounce Cat Cafe is not good enough for cats. Cats need and ask for more. Cats are stubborn assholes, like me. There is no way these cats like being poked and prodded at by little kids all day long and rubbed tenderly by drunk adults. All of them were either jumping away from the people the first chance they got or actually trying to bite us. I am not mad at the cats. It's awesome that you get to enjoy a free beverage when you book time at Pounce, but I paid $30 for one glass of Pinot and it honestly just made me a little sad. I really hope that $30 is going to the cats. Like, whatever they ask for, I hope they get. One of the employees at Pounce did tell me that they just got in a new shipment of cats from the Charleston rescue association they partner with, so that may be why the cats were scared or timid, but idk man. There is a sign on the wall that says that over 1K cats have been adopted from Pounce since the cafe's opening in 2016. I hope that number is true of course, and I think that's great. I love that people are stopping by the cat shop to play. As much as I love alcohol, I don't think it should be involved as an incentive. Instead of having people pay $30 for an hour with these cats, why not make it more of a library / coffee situation and let people stay as long as they want so the cats can slowly venture over to the people for some loving? Instead of giving everyone an hour, maybe just open up the space a little more (there's a huge back room by the bar!) and just set a max capacity? People won't stay all day if they don't really care about the cats. Cats should be able to pick who pets them, not the other way around. Cats are not dogs. They're entitled assholes and Pounce needs to better acknowledge that. These cats were all wagging their tails (aka not good) so yes, they were annoyed. The Pounce cats say "thanks for the food, thanks for the warm spots and the places to play, but can all of these drunk assholes leave us alone?" read more

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How can you give this place anything but 5 stars? It's incredible! We've been on several occasions, and each time it was a challenge to not leave with a cat. If you're looking to adopt, this is a great way to do it. And if you're bored and just want some animal love for an hour, this is the perfect place to come. read more

Super cute cafe with super cute kitties. It smelled very clean inside. The cats were very calm. We enjoyed our visit here.

Great place to unwind and have a nice glass of wine or coffee and pet some adorable cats! Very spacious and quiet. There's a bar separated from the cat room and they have an excellent bartender! read more

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Made a reservation in advanced ($15 per person for 1 hour). The $15 allows you one soft drink/coffee (coffee was fantastic), or a $3 up charge for wine/beer (generous pours). They had approximately 12 cats inside with plenty of toys/food, and the litter boxes were hidden appropriately, yet still easy for the kitties to enter/exit. Cats are up to date on shots and ready for adoption to good homes. Nearly adopted one myself, but decided not to solely due to our long drive back home out of state. Love the premise to help save/adopt these beautiful felines ! read more

Pounce Cat Cafe - Pet Adoption Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

A delightful concept with a great heart, comforting rose, board games, great decor and cats cats cats. Did we mention cats. On Sundays, the back back has $3.00 rose wine and comfy couches. So even if you don't want to drink and play with kitty cats for an hour, you can still enjoy your afternoon It is $15.00 an hour in the car room. Walk in reservations or ahead of time accepted. More importantly, they have fostered hundreds upon hundreds of adoptions. A company that truly gives back Cheers to Pounce read more

Pounce Cat Cafe - Pet Adoption Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

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Who does not want to drink and play with cats for an hour?! Well I guess if you are allergic you would probably not want to do this, but pop a Benadryl and do it anyways. This was one of the best hours that I spent in Charleston! For $15 you get your choice of a beer or a glass of wine (non-alcoholic options are available) and one hour of cat cuddle/play time. Luckily during my visit 4 kittens had just arrived so I was in heaven. If you fall in love with one of the cats, you can adopt it as they work closely with a shelter. All of the staff members were fantastic and took pride in where they worked! To me, a cat lover, this is a must-do if you are in Charleston! Reservations: reservation required, book online and show up at your designated time slot read more

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My daughter's friends wanted to go for a birthday so I let her. Wish I would not have. I asked what she was doing to the cat when it clawed her and she said nothing but that she had pet it earlier. A hot cocoa doesn't seem worth the risk of cat scratch fever from random cats that you don't know. read more

Pounce Cat Cafe - Claw marks - Pet Adoption Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

I've been following Pounce for the last few weeks waiting until their issues with the city got worked out. #Praise they are finally open! I took my fiance here as part of his Christmas gift and it was worth it! Both girls working were extremely kind and helpful with explaining the system and helping us get settled. The bar area in the back is really nice. They have a surprising variety of alcohol. It's a short list but they have some fun things to choose from. The $15 entrance fee includes one alcoholic beverage for the hour of your reservation, but they have free coffee and tea if you prefer that. When we went, there weren't as many cats as they usually will have but I was happy to hear that because it means the kitties are being adopted! This is truly a great business idea and I'm so excited for them to be in Charleston. I suggest making reservations online (it's very quick and easy) just to hold your spot. I think as the new business rush slows down, walk-ins will be much easier to do and it will be a great place to take a break during the day. I have no doubt I'll be back soon to meet the new kitties and de-stress from school! read more

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It's not everyday you can visit a cat cafe. Not even in Charleston. But sometimes, a Sunday afternoon with a glass of bubbly (or possibly a meowmosa) and a full dose of feline loving is exactly what you are craving. $15 gets you an initial beverage of your choice and 60 blissful minutes interacting with the collection of cats, who range in age from a year or less to a venerable 13 years old. Humans are kept to a minimum to allow the cats room to move and be themselves, so an advanced reservation online (don't forget to fill out the waiver) is sage advice especially on weekends. If you are not a cat enthusiast or owner, a visit here is a rare opportunity to be in the presence of more than a dozen individuals with dramatically different personalities and profiles. It's a lovely way to make your trip to Charleston all that much more special and Instagram worthy! Recommended! read more

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Super sweet staff and amazing kitties (even if a few were a bit sassy). The iced coffee tastes great and definitely was good quality and it was such an amazing environment both for humans and for the cats! There were beams on the ceiling if any of the overstimulated or nervous cats needed to take a break and there were tons of toys and scratching and sleeping areas for them! Super awesome place and definitely a highlight of my visit to Charleston. They also have a package of a cat toy, some catnip and a few cat treats so you can bribe the little cuties for $10, you get to keep the cat toy for your cat at home read more

Make sure you schedule at least one day ahead of your visit. They sold out everyday we were in town. Staff was super friendly, helpful, & flexible. You get a free coffee/soda with your ticket & get to hang out with cats for an hour. There are lots of toys & places to sit. What a great concept & alternative to being in a shelter read more

Pounce Cat Cafe - Super fun setting for these kitties while they wait for their forever home!! - Pet Adoption Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

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Um...WHAT! I freaking love cats. And coffee. So cats and coffee together equals Heaven! They have a bunch of the cutest cats and kittens, all available for adoption. So for $15 you can spend an hour with them and pet them and play with them which includes a beverage. read more

Pounce Cat Cafe - Pet Adoption Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

This was a lovely rainy day activity (actually, I would have thoroughly enjoyed it any day). The employees are caring and knowledgeable when it comes to each individual cat. And I found most of the cats to be quite friendly and amenable to all of the attention they were receiving. The atmosphere is comfortable and cozy. When I went (noon on a rainy Monday), there were only two other people in the cafe at the time excepting the staff, which meant lots of cats available for petting. I could see where it would be slightly less enjoyable if you were to go at a particularly crowded hour, though they do limit the reservations to a certain number of people at any given time. I noticed some individuals coming in simply to get drinks. As their coffee drink selection is limited, this would not be a first choice for me to go in terms of "coffee shop." The beer selection is pretty good. But if you're coming for the cats, it's perfect! read more

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Overall the experience was pretty good, other than the owner. She was extremely disrespectful and rude to me and my friends when asked about adoptions and during the entire process. Loved the cats, unfortunately there was a couple of cat fights that made the area tense. There was room was quite small and it felt a bit crowded at times. The drink portions are very small and hot chocolate comes from a Swiss miss packet. There was also very little selection of baked goods, only 2 options but other options were advertised. Definitely can recommend visiting, but adoption process was like pulling teeth and did not go through due to a series of miscommunication on their end and ended up calling on of my companions a liar multiple times as well. The owner her self answering reviews and calling people disrespectful is also a red flag, but the other workers seemed very nice other than eavesdropping on our conversation leading to the miscommunication that prevented someone from adopting a kitty. Used to love coming here but after this experience I recommend heading over to a smaller place called Mews and Brews in Summerville. They are a bit more crowded but there are two rooms and much nicer service during adoption. read more

This place is awesome! The concept behind the cat cafe is so cool. They take in cats from local shelters and then you can adopt the cats through them. It's a great little environment for the cats and a good way for them to be socialized. They have had almost 800 adoptions in just a year and a half, which is so remarkable. I love that they are helping these sweet cats find a nice home. The staff is incredibly nice. I came here with my boyfriend for my birthday a few months ago and kid was having their birthday party there. Since it was just my boyfriend and I and then the people from the party in our reservation slot. They figured we probably wouldn't want to be the only 2 people with the giant group of young kids, so they let us hang out in the bar until the next reservation slot. The kids left halfway through their party, so they said we could go out into the cat room for the remainder of that time slot in addition to the next one. So we got to play with the cats for an hour and a half and 30 min of that was just us in the room! It was so nice to be able to have the cats all to ourselves during that time, it was like a private session without paying for it! I thought that was very nice of them to let us do that. What's better than having a glass of wine or a cold beer while playing with kitty cats?! Absolutely love this place! read more

Pounce Cat Cafe - Pet Adoption Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

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You have to admire this place - Their business model and adoption process are extremely well thought out. Their popularity and success is for good reason. The animals are happy and get tons of attention. The staff is friendly and engaging. I love how they have limited group sessions every hour to keep things nice and orderly. Our session was plenty of time, I managed to drink several white-claws and see all the cats paws read more

A great little place to spend an hour with cats! Grab a drink and pet some kitties. All of the employees were covert kind and professional and nearly all the other patrons were great as well. read more

Pounce Cat Cafe - Ginger, so sweet - Pet Adoption Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

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This cat cafe is purrrr-fect. It is well furnished for guests and cats. It's absolutely clean and hygienic which is comforting knowing that during this pandemic. My friends and I were visiting from Georgia and we had to stop by! This place has the cutest cats in the world and a bar/drink area connected to it. The admission is $15 for an hour and $10 for 30 minutes. I would 10/10 recommend. read more

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Cats and alcohol, what a great mix. They do warn to keep your drinks away from the cats, since they are meowcoholics. Pounce is separated into two places: the main play area with all the cats, and a back bar area. It's $15 per person to get in. Reservations are a must. With your $15 cover fee, you get a free drink from teas, coffees, sodas, beer, meowmosas (you have to say it right or you won't get your drink), wines, and other drinks. They also have pre-made pastries to enjoy. The $15 gets you 1 hour of play time with all the cats. You should arrive 15 minutes early so they can tell you the house rules. The house rules are don't pick up the cats, don't feed the cats, and so on. It's common sense. I came on a lazy Sunday afternoon, and boy, the cats looked tired. 1 PM is about prime cat-nap time. I felt sorry for the kitties because these strange, lumbering, bipedal animals are harassing them at nap time. Some cats can sleep through the pettings and general human annoyances. Some smart cats climb to the ceiling cubbies so they can get away from these apes with opposable thumbs. I think they're doing a good thing for these cats though. Sure, they're constantly harassed from morning to late afternoon, but they get to live in luxury with plenty of food and lots of socialization. You can also adopt any of the cats. They get all their cats from the Charleston Animal Society and they're all microchipped and spaded/neutered. They also make sure they end up in the right home. They don't adopt them to any old bum that walks in from the streets. I suggest booking the appointment early or later in the day. Hopefully the cats will be more lively then, instead of trying to sleep. read more

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I adopted my cat from here and she has a defect- always licking my boyfriends tattoos trying to make him clean... jk we love her. I went for drag bingo which was also quite fun! Made me realize I have a slight cat allergy, although who wouldn't after sitting with 20 cats for an hour read more

Ahhh! Kitties everywhere! I had been dying to go to Pounce but just never seemed to be able to make a day work with any friends. Then, serendipitously, a friend came through town for the weekend and told me she had an extra reservation and wanted to know if wanted to join. I was a little late so I missed the check-in spiel but it was easy to check-in and, from what my friend told me, it was very easy to also make the reservation. They always have reservations available but sometimes they are booked a few days out. Unfortunately they didn't have any kittens right now - apparently that's a summer thing (which makes sense based on when the feral and unaltered cats usually get to making more kittens). But they did have some sweet grown-up kitties. Our appointment was in the mid afternoon so the kitties were mostly napping but it was still nice to get to pet and love on the cats. The main cat lounging area is full of sofas and chairs and has a table or two with funny cat themed books and games. The cats are all definitely at home, lounging in baskets and cat beds of all shapes and sizes. Overall, I am definitely going again! I don't know when, or with who but I'm making it happen! And I will certainly have to pick up some merchandise which ranges from adorable (rings, bags, shirts) to just outside of normal (cat face underwear, kitty-firefighter calendars, & cat ear headbands). Lastly, I have to say I really love this idea as a whole. Kudos to Charleston Animal Society for creating a wonderful venue for homeless kitties to lounge around and meet their future families. I was told while there that the cats get adopted out, on average, in about 10-14 days! read more

Pounce Cat Cafe - Table books at Pounce - Pet Adoption Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

the service was terrible let's start off with i come in and i see a few kittens great the area was nothing like i expected not a kitten luxury the cats weren't happy anyways i found one that seemed a little skittish but would let me pet it and i wanted to take it home it pretty much slept the entire time i was there i talk to the worker and he/she said I WOULDNT RECOMMEND ANY OF THESE!!! and then recommended another that i watched hiss and the other cat and i'm like could i please adopt the cat practically begging the employee because i fell in love i was so upset when i left and i was very upset i went to the spca and the experience was sm better although i'm still attracted the this sweet heart so i can't bare to get another kitten atm cus she's filled my heart if you get her she's a sweet heart and i loved her although customer service wasn't great and i won't be returning! read more

Pounce Cat Cafe - Pet Adoption Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

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If you want a good cat café, go to Chattanooga and visit naughty cat café! This one is sub par! There is one tiny room and about ten cats. There were also ten people in the tiny room with us. It was way too crowded. Highly don't recommend. Also, cats were not friendly. A couple nipped at us. Will never go back. I'm serious though, it's worth the drive to Chattanooga. read more

What a fantastic concept! You pay $15, a drink from the bar is included (alcohol and non-alcohol drinks and you can upgrade to a premium if you choose). The staff stays off on their own, interacting every once in a while. That's fine by me as I'm there to snuggle the cats! You get an hour on your reservation to just hang out and relax. It is quite the stress reliever! All of these cats come from the Charleston Animal Society and are in this environment to ready them for adoption. All cats in the facility are up for adoption and the amount of cats/kittens adopted is huge. Kudos to this cafe! I highly recommend spending an hour here one afternoon. If you go in the evening or on a weekend, be sure to make a reservation. I've also attended a private party at the cafe, so if you have something you want to celebrate without going all out downtown- def choose to spend your time with cats and have your money go toward a good cause. read more

Unique and awesome way to spend some time! I wish more cities had a pounce cafe! Came here for a bachelorette party, we got a bottle of rose and spent an hour chilling with some cute kitties. The cats are also adoptable! Very relaxed atmosphere. It does have an "animal" smell to it but hey, the place is crawling with cats. If you like cats, this is a must see. read more

On the way from the airport to our hotel, the Cat Cafe caught my eye immediately and what do you know, our hotel was just a short walk away. We looked up the Yelp and checked out their website - $15 for an hour of play gets you 1 beverage and some time with these lovely kitties! Sip some sweet tea while petting some cats. So fun, so cute. I had a big smile plastered on my face the entire time. The Boy doesn't like cats but they like him and at one point 2 of them curled up in his laps at once (he wasn't even trying to get them to come over). I love the fact that you can adopt them - some of them were already taken - but it's a great way to get to know a cat before taking it home but it's also a great way for the cat to get reacquainted/adjusted to people. If I lived in Charleston, I probably would've adopted one of the sweeties then and there. read more

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When I discovered on a recent trip with a friend to Charleston that there was a cat cafe where you got to have a drink and play with cats for an hour, I knew we had to go! My friend is definitely a cat person (she has 2) so she was super excited. And anything that aids animal adoption, I'm all for. The theme is all things cats, from the decor to the "meowmosa" that you can get to drink. In addition to kitty play time, they also do monthly events like cat yoga and a drag bingo night. I was lucky enough to still be in town for the drag bingo and it was one of my favorite things I did! So even if you don't care about playing with cats, go have fun playing bingo with a drag queen! read more

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Made my day!! The staff was friendly and helpful. We got an iced coffee and iced tea! Both so good. We loved being able to play with the cats and learn their language a little more. While we were there a cat got adopted! If we weren't traveling we definitely would have considered adopting one too. Worth a visit! read more

Pounce Cat Cafe - Kiwi and Marcio - Pet Adoption Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

This was such a great yelp find! I had an hour to kill and was looking for something to do. I had heard of cat cafes, but this was my first time visiting one. I did not have a reservation, but they were able to squeeze in my party of 2 in the immediate time slot. Your entrance fee comes with a drink which you get form the bar in the back room. The fee goes towards the care of the cats. Such an awesome organization!! There were plenty of places to sit and plenty of comfy places for the cats to hangout. All of the cats are up for adoption. I highly recommend coming here to interact with some kitties if you are looking to adopt! I also highly recommend coming here if you just have some time to kill. The money is for such a great cause! read more

My boyfriend and I LOVE pounce we have been many times- the kitties are so sweet and the value is great! Yesterday, we went to Pounce for our second anniversary and we're very disappointed with the front desk shop girl. More than once, she roughly handled kitties and even tossed one to the side with her FOOT. I have a cat at home and know the difference between gently moving them where they need to go VS handling them in a way that makes them seem like a sack of rice and not a real live animal. After seeing her do this more than once during our 11:00 visit (also worth mentioning no greeting, and sucked into her phone the entire time without saying anything to guests) I thought it best to leave this review. Please ensure your staff are treating these animals in a sweet and gentle manner. The girl with glasses "bar tending" was very nice, and the cats seemed happy otherwise! read more

I LOVE this place! A group of my friends and I went and it was everything I could have ever asked for. When we first walked in we were greeted by the staff and a couple kittens hanging out at the front desk. It took all of our self control not to snatch them up right then. After checking in the staff showed us to the back room where we waited until our reservation time. We were allowed to get a free drink with our reservation. Coffee, tea, soda, or a mewmosa . Wrapped pastries were also available. When we finally got in we ran right to the window seat where all the kittens were sunbathing. Luckily for us they brought two carriers of brand new kittens to play with. They provide toys and beds for the cats. We joked about making two reservations so we could stay twice as long with the sweetest little kittens. Overall Pounce Cat Cafe is an amazing place. Not just because you can play with cats of all shapes and sizes but because they genuinely care about each cat and ensuring they get a loving home. I would recommend Pounce to everyone, even for you guys.. read more

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If you're in need of a relaxing hour of playing with and petting some cats... Then well, this place was built for you. With your reservation (online or by phone) you get one drink of your choice and an hour of cat time. Should you fall in love with one of the cats, you can even take it home with you. I've been here twice now and both times left more relaxed and having had a bit of fun as well. Suprisingly clean and smell free for a room full of cats but just know you'll get a bit of furr to take home with you whether you want to or not. read more

Pounce Cat Cafe - Pet Adoption Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

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We had so much fun! We walked past this place on our way to dinner one night and made reservations for the next day. We have cats at home already and love them but thought this would be a fun way to spend our early afternoon drinking coffee! They had a bunch of cute cats and we just enjoyed our time. read more

Pounce Cat Cafe - Cats available for adoption - Pet Adoption Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

We decided to give the Christmas Kitten Delivery basket to my boss (Karen) as a gift. She currently lost her sweet cat boy of 17 years. Even though it was not in their delivery zip code, they agreed to come. On December 15th, the owner and the manager of Pounce, brought several kitties to our office. Karen screamed and then cried. It was the best surprise! Our only hope was to just bring a smile to her face and we all had a ball playing with all the kittens, But then something happened that day. She fell in love... I am happy to report that Karen adopted one of those sweet boy kittens and they are in LOVE with each other. His new name is Mr. Jingles and he is happy, healthy and loving being spoiled, very spoiled. Thank you Pounce! You made someone very, very. very happy. Marcia Casale read more

This is by far the coolest hangout in Charleston. Spending some time with several of the area's most eligible felines is the best way to spend an hour. Most of the cats are quite snuggly and are willing and eager to play with several of the cat toys provided (laser, crinkle ball, etc.). The back room has drinks that are available, and although the cats aren't allowed back there, the time I was there a certain purr-sistant (yeah, I did that, and no, I'm not sorry) cat continued to claw at the door and meow, until he finally broke through and got into the back. I'm not in Charleston that often, and I have two adorable felines of my own, but I'll definitely be back the next time that I roll through town. read more

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Great staff and atmosphere. Adorable sweet kitties that are up for adoption as well. Appreciate that they were all older than a year because I know sometimes older cats are harder to adopt out than kittens. Also great drinks at the bar! Non alcoholic and alcoholic read more

I have yet to visit the actual cafe, but BOY have I had an awesome experience with Pounce and their staff! Yesterday, during a staff meeting, a coworker randomly mentioned that Pounce brings cats to offices, events, etc. for a small fee. In a fit of excitement, the staff *very* quickly tossed in money to make this happen ASAP. Within 4 hours, we had 5 tiny kittens running around our office! Two wonderful humans/staff members also came to the office ;) They came with a portable speaker playing holiday music and a jar of candy canes for us all to enjoy while we played with our new little furry friends. Since there was no one signed up for a kitty visit after us, they stayed a little bit longer than we'd booked them for, and we got some extra snuggles in! Food, water, and a mini liter box was in tow, just in case the kitties were in need of anything while they were here. They come so prepared! When one of our staff members came in a was, unfortunately, very rude, the Pounce staff was gracious and understanding, and just brushed it off. The trip was so successful, in fact, that some kitties went back to Pounce "claimed" and will be heading to their forever homes in just a day or two! Hooray for pet-loving coworkers and hooray for organizations like Pounce! read more