Coffee, kittens and disco: New Fells Point cat cafe aims to charm

“So you’re a cat person?” I asked Tony Cusimano as two kittens climbed on my lap, one of them munching the tip of my shoelace.

Cusimano, the owner of a new cat cafe in Fells Point, cracked a small smile. He is, he said.

We were sitting on the floor of Affogatto, a new space at 600 S. Wolfe St., a few days before its soft opening. Cusimano said he wants to infuse Affogatto with the silly and chaotic energy that emanates from cats and kittens.

One minute, a cat might want to curl up next to you. The next one, who knows?, he said.

Affogatto will house kittens for adoption in the same space where Baltimoreans can stop by for a latte and an Ovenbird scone. It’s expected to fully open in the coming weeks.

Cat cafes originated in Taiwan in the late 1990s and have recently started to pop up in D.C., Maryland and Virginia. There’s Crumbs & Whiskers, which started in Los Angeles, in Georgetown, and a few other cafes in Virginia. There’s also one in the works in Howard County.

Cusimano came across them when he studied abroad in Japan in 2013. He walked into a cafe to find cats hanging out with customers, who treated themselves with drinks and snacks.

When I walked into Affogatto on a recent May afternoon, it didn’t immediately strike me as different from other coffee shops. There’s bar seating against a window, with a few tables for two. The menu, with disco-esque lettering, offers a variety of coffee drinks, including arancia, cold brew with orange juice and sparkling water; affogato, gelato topped with espresso; and cioccolata, steamed milk with cocoa powder.

But then cat-friendly details started to come into view. There’s a jar by the cashier where people can suggest cat names. There’s artwork featuring cats, shelves with books like “Cats of the World” and pet water fountains and scratching posts. The bathroom is an ode to John Waters, with red and purple lighting and photographs of Divine photoshopped to include cats — the best version possible of “Where’s Waldo?.”

Back in the main room, I saw a small figure through a glass door. “CAT” I yelped, momentarily forgetting that was the whole point.

Cusimano opened the door to a square room with a large fluffy rug and orange seats — antimicrobial benches that cats can’t scratch. The room features vibrant shades of orange, brown and yellow, meant to evoke Italy and the Mediterranean in the 1960s. There are wood shelves, one with a model of a Vespa, and a huge disco ball reflecting dozens of crystal lights against the wall.

As my colleagues and I entered the room, we heard an orchestra of tinkling bells. Three kittens joined us.

We immediately shrieked and giggled. I sat on the floor, looking at the tiny, soft little creatures frolicking between us.

“This is going to heal me,” I said. Cusimano laughed.

That was his goal, he said, and it healed him partially, too. After years of remote work in the tech world, Cusimano began to feel disconnected. He fantasized about being a small business owner, something that would allow him to interact with the community. Something silly, he said, and fun.

It all clicked about a year ago, when his partner sent him the link to a building on South Wolfe Street that was available for rent. Baltimore needs a cat cafe, he thought then.

Over the past year, Cusimano, his partner and his friends renovated the space. Cusimano built the wood shelves, countertops and the model Vespa. The group designed and painted murals on the walls over the weekends.

The disco theme, he said, is partially to make the place fun and partially an excuse to have a disco ball — which scatters specks of light the kittens like to chase.

The Italian aspect comes from his heritage. His dad’s family is from Sicily, he said, and Cusimano’s parents live near Venice.

He decided to name the first litter of kittens, which he picked up from a shelter in Washington County, after menu items. Mocha, the lone girl, is the smartest of the litter, Cusimano said. Earl spent a good chunk of time getting tangled in my colleague’s backpack, and Pistachio jumped around on boxes. Hazelnut seemed content to sit in Cusimano’s lap.

All the kittens — and likely more soon — will be up for adoption. Cusimano is also planning to host “cat trouble” workshops at the cafe, where people can discuss any behavior they want to mitigate.

I spent a good chunk of the interview trying not to get distracted by Mocha, who kept nibbling on my thumb. I came close to sneaking the black kitten into my tote bag.

But as Cusinamo points out, these kittens can be a 20-year commitment. I’m not sure Mocha and my 9-year-old dog, Curumim, would get along.

So whoever does adopt her, just know, she loved me first.

The cafe will be open Tuesday through Sunday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. The cat room will be by appointment only, from 8 a.m. until 6 p.m.