A purr-fect opening: A new cat cafe has debuted in Columbia. Here’s where it’s located
Many people love a good cup of coffee, or perhaps a scoop of ice cream. And there are many folks who like to hang out with cats.
Now there’s a place in Columbia where they can engage in both of those activities.
Cat Daddy Cafe opened its doors Thursday afternoon at 2533 Main St., just north of downtown Columbia. The new spot is owned by Mohammad Saadeddin and his wife Melissa Peterson, who also own Noma Bistro about a block away on Main.
The new cafe offers a number of treats, including muffins, coffee, ice cream, hot tea, tiramisu, cake and much more. But the real stars of the show are the roughly dozen cats that call the cafe home. The general idea for those that visit Cat Daddy is that they can grab a snack and then spend time with the felines.
“The idea was to find a way to have a service for the cats and for the neighborhood,” Saadeddin said on Thursday. “These cats we have, I raised myself. ... We try to have a safe area where people can come in and play with them, spend time with them, and so forth.”
While the in-house cats at Cat Daddy Cafe are not up for adoption, Saadeddin said that the cafe plans to host adoption events twice per month with outside animal services agencies.
“We are going to reach out to other agencies and help them do the best for the animals,” Saadeddin said.
The cafe also has a gift shop offering cat-related plush toys, key chains, coloring books and more.
Columbia City Councilwoman Aditi Bussells was among those in attendance for Cat Daddy Cafe’s Thursday opening. She lives in the neighborhood not far from the cafe, and said it will be a unique service for the area.
“This is personal for me, because Mohammad has been like our neighborhood uncle, and a champion for growth in this area for a long time,” Bussells said. “When he started pitching the idea of this new concept, I was definitely curious and excited, and I wanted it to have an impact on the community.”
Bussells said the city’s animal services division will plan to partner with Cat Daddy Cafe for adoption events, and possibly have occasional mobile clinic services at the cafe.
Saadeddin said the idea for a cat cafe came to him from his friend Lucy McCravy, a longtime patron at Noma Bistro. McCravy said she would often notice that Saadeddin had a big heart for stray cats that would come around the bistro, often feeding the older cats and the babies.
“I would say, ‘You need a cat cafe,’” McCravy said. “He understood the cafe part, for sure, and he went right after it.”
A longtime restaurateur, Saadeddin said he has long been a fan of cats and all their ways.
“I love cats,” he said. “Cats, to us, are a very precious thing. I feel a special connection to them. ... Cats bring out the very best in all of us.”
This story was originally published January 17, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
