SEPT 26, 2024 | OPINION | By Marynn Krull, Co Editor in Chief
After an emotionally heady and reflective Creative Nonfiction Writing Block, and a pre-Block Break breakup, I spent part of my time off at Colorado Springs’ newest cat cafe. Just two miles from campus, Comfort & Joy Cat Cafe was an excellent diversion from undergoing the Office of Accessibility Resources’ emotional support animal registration process.
After booking an appointment on their website, I dragged my twin brother Braden — a graduate student at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs — with me to visit the spot at 615 S. Nevada Ave.
Our visit was just a week after their grand opening on Friday, Sept. 6, but the photo wall was filled with cats who have already come and gone through the cafe’s adoption system. Homing cats from the Teller County Regional Animal Shelter, the cafe can host up to eight cats at a time, including a house cat, Ruby, who seemed beyond fed up.
Boasting ample parking on the back side of the building, visitors can rest assured their stay will be free of any parallel parking or meter-induced stress.
Upon entering, we were greeted by one of the founders, Sharon Mullally, who led us to a self-serve coffee and tea station. With a variety of teas, coffees and sweeteners, anyone can find a warm beverage to enjoy. I had a mug of ginger and pear tea, and Braden made himself a cup of sweet coffee, which the cats were deeply intrigued by.
After making our drinks, we went into a cat lounge area to hang with the felines. We were met with a variety of seating options, including plush couches for those seeking pure relaxation and a table with chairs for those interested in a “work” trip. Various shelves, cat trees and coves for the cats to explore surrounded the periphery of the room.
Immediately as we walked in, we met the house cat, who was itching to break out (and away from the other cats) to be with her preferred people, and the alpha (or rather, instigator) of the group, Artax, zoomed through a cat tunnel at our feet. In the next room, Certified Chiller Buttercup lounged on a shelf and watched the chaos ensue below. Nearby, four-month-old brother and sister Salt and Sunny were chowing down on a catnip plant and absolutely housing some kibble.
The cats ranged from totally disinterested, to social and playful. Salt, Sunny and Artax all took interest in getting a good sniff of Braden’s coffee. Artax picked hissing and swatting fights with the twins at seemingly arbitrary moments (though it’s important to note that he was by no means an asshole — he was very cuddly and friendly with us). There was much play with feather sticks, jingly balls and the highly-coveted tunnel.
As of the publishing of this article, Salt, Sunny and Artax have all been adopted. Currently, the cafe is housing 10-month-old Moo (according to the website, Moo has a heart on his nose and no tail), three-month-old King and unbothered queen Buttercup.
Just watching and hanging with the cats was, shockingly, very entertaining. Our 50-minute time slot flew by, and before we knew it, the 11:00 appointment arrived to take our spot in the lounge.
To any cat skeptics out there, the lounge was entirely odor-free — and although you have to sign a waiver in advance of your visit, Braden and I left without a scratch.
For any apartment or off-campus house dwellers looking for a companion, the Comfort & Joy Cat Cafe could be a great way to get to know your prospective pet in advance and support the business so that future cats can be homed and adopted.
As a non-prospective adopter, I felt a little silly at first, but Mullaly and the other college-aged employee assured us that people do indeed come in just to hang out. Braden confirmed in a very succinct text comment: “Fun whether you’re looking to adopt a cat or not.” We both anguished over bonding with Salt and Artax, cursing our financial and living situations for keeping us from bringing them home.
As previously stated, while it may not be ideal for a productive work sesh (unless you’re incredibly strong-willed and catch the cats at a chill time of day), Comfort & Joy Cat Cafe would be great for a plethora of things: a mental health break after a tough essay or exam, a chatty coffee catch up with a friend, a first date with your Block crush (to test their ability to respect a cat’s boundaries and extrapolate how they’ll respect yours, of course), a “closure conversation” with your ex, a place to bring overly excitable parents when they come to visit or a place to bring solace your friend who’s just really going through it.
It’s $15 per adult for a 50-minute timeslot with unlimited refills at the beverage bar. The hourly rate helps the cafe ensure cats have all they need — and hey, it’s cheaper than therapy. They also have free Wi-Fi and sell bottled beverages like sparkling water and kombucha for all you habit-stacking health queens.
The cafe is open every day of the week except Tuesdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Mondays and Sundays and from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. the rest of the week. They accept walk-ins as well as appointments in advance.
For any fanatics out there who are stifling the urge to acquire a dorm pet (you’re right – you probably can’t afford the vet bills and that’s OKAY), they’re currently working on setting up a monthly or yearly subscription plan.
If you can’t make the visit or have fallen victim to the “cats suck” propaganda (we have a Fem Gen department for a reason), you can also follow the cafe on Instagram to see photos of their residents at @comfort_and_joy_catcafe
Even stacked up against hiking, clubbing and a good long couch-wallow sesh, visiting Comfort & Joy was the highlight of my Block Break and I highly recommend it to anyone in an impending crisis or just in search of an entertaining and inexpensive day downtown.