Great place! Love that they work with the local shelter to help adopt cats. It’s a great way to get to know a cat if you are looking to adopt or just find out if you are a ‘cat person’. There were about 14 cats there when we went. Dahlia was a super sweet girl who was a little shy at first but loves her head scratched! Such a sweet girl.
We have 3 rescue cats at home so going to the cafe was a must for us. It was very easy to reschedule after we could not get there in time on the day we made our reservation.. I strongly suggest getting there EXTRA early. Parking is very difficult due to the location. My daughter and I loved the experience. I would definitely return on my next vacation to Charleston. Staff was friendly and cats where well....cats 😻.
We played with lots of adorable kitties at this great Cat Cafe. The staff was terrific, the cafe itself is great, totally designed for the cats happiness! Wonderful way to meet your next kitty to adopt and bring home.
I had the best time playing with the cats! They loved the treats, but didnt seem very interested in the catnip! Great location, easy walk. So much fun! Highly recommend it!
Such cute cats! very nice people! they’re food and beverages are great! i highly recommend this if place if your bored and love cats!
Such a great idea! We enjoyed having a relaxing hour playing with the kitties. The staff was super friendly too.
It pains me to leave a low review for a business that provides opportunities for animals, however, due to poor management, this shop turned what could have been a five star experience into a heartbreaking one.To ensure I am painting an honest picture, the shop is clean, we found the entry fee reasonable, and it included a drink. I also believe the business ambassador program that they participate in is a great experience for older cats to run around and get some love rather than be cooped up in a cage.My wife and I visited them while on vacation on 5/5/2021. During our stay, we bonded with a one year old cat. After discussion upon leaving we decided we wanted to take the cat home with us. We called the next day and were informed pickup could not take place until Monday (contrary to what their website said at the time). After my wife called back, the representative she spoke with told her there was wiggle room with this policy. We immediately shifted our plans, cutting our vacation short so we could bring the cat back, purchased supplies and rushed over to Pounce in rush hour traffic only to be turned away. The person in charged appeared to be waiting to turn us away as the receptionist turned us over to them asking if she wanted to be the one to speak with us.Upon leaving, my wife called again since something didnt seem right and was informed it was because they could not file the paperwork with Charleston Animal Society until Monday amongst other reasons. We have since confirmed with the business ambassador program this is not the case and the cat couldve been adopted that day if this shop truly wanted to place her with a good home.I realize this is a business and not a non-profit or rescue. Unfortunately, their apologies for wasting our time and getting our hopes up can not undo the heartbreaking experience they caused, or return the day our vacation was cut short, or the half day wasted. At the end of the day, this gives off the appearance, this happened simply because the shop didnt want to part with their precious inventory before a busy weekend as their profit is likely mainly from admission.
What a treat! Had a meow-mosa and played with the cats. So happy for them to have a chance to socialize and potentially be adopted because of having this nice clean place to play and show their personality to a potential new fur-ever parent.
Such a neat thing place with awesome folks
My daughter & her friend had the best time at pounce! We were visiting charleston& they enjoyed stopping at Pounce playing with the kitties & the girl that was working was so kind . Wonderful idea for these cats. Theyre not caged & kitty lovers can help socialize them & maybe even find potential furever homes. We will visit again for sure!!!!!
Easily my most favorite establishment in Charleston. Great drinks, lovely interior, knowledgeable and friendly staff, and CATS! And its all for an amazing cause, finding these beautiful souls a forever home. What more could you ask? First time there and we left with a new family member :D but even if youre not looking to adopt, its an amazing place to unwind, have a drink and make some feline friends. Highly recommend!
I drank 2 Bottles of wine here and ended up taking home 8 kitties and i dont know what to do, i cant afford to drink anymore cause of all of the cats.
Fantastic experience. Very fun. The cats and staff are all very sweet and I love that they are all adoptable. A must try for sure!!!
If you love cats, this is the place to go! I thought the price was a little high, but I didnt mind paying it knowing it was going to help the cats and kittens. When I went it was mostly kittens - so fun to play with. I definitely recommend it to all cat people. And honestly, dog people would love it as well. Adopt if you can!
We had so much fun with the kitties! Some were snuggle bugs and others loved to play. Nice relaxing environment. Very clean. No cat smell at all. Workers were very friendly.
We love visiting Pounce. I’ve been a few times now. I know it’s frustrating that small businesses have had to limit capacity during this time but I actually really enjoyed having less people there and would be willing to pay a few dollars more in the future to have it like that. Pounces staff is friendly and clearly loves the babies they get. The person working at the desk when we went yesterday was happy to let me sneak a peek at one of the newest additions hiding behind the desk and let me get to know her. Making a reservation is crystal clear and easy. Thanks y’all!
This is an amazing place with a relatively unique concept for the area! You pay to spend time with cats while eating or drinking! Theres a Boba Cafe right next door so you can grab some boba and head over to relax with the felines! The drink selection is a bit poor, but the main focus is the felines, so thats understandable! Only downside of this place is that theres a possibility of not having enough room for patrons, or not enough cats. Which is a good problem to have! I recommend this place for a cute little date or a chill time with the boys. 8.5 out of 10!
It is a very nice and cozy place. Perfect if you would love to cuddle with cute cats or if you are thinking about take one home, because all of the cats are available for adoption. So far there is around 15 of them I believe. To go inside you have to make a reservation first. You pay 15$ for an hour of cuddles with kitties, glass of wine or complimentary soft drink. I am giving this place 4 stars, because I feel like some of the kitties there are so skinny and need more food!
A cute little place to come out and play with some cats and hopefully give one a loving home. This cat cafe has helped over a thousand cats be adopted so they’re good at what they do.The cafe portion was lackluster. They did not have coffee when I dropped by and their tea was a styrofoam cup with lukewarm water. 👎My advice: Do the 30 min visit, read some of the funny feline books, and most importantly play with the kitties!
The cats were Perrrfect. The “bar tender” Alyssa how ever had the most attitude after I told her I’d like a Iced coffee (since they didn’t have it when we came in originally) and she offered all of us that came in at first m, a free iced coffee for the inconvenience. But when I asked right after my partner got hers she rolled her eyes and argued with me. I had gotten a lemonade because she said “if you want anything else till we get coffee in you can get it and I’ll let you know when the coffee gets here” so I told her lemonade. But went back with my full lemonade in hand, for the iced coffee. Because I wanted to ask her if she’d dump the lemonade for me so the trash wouldn’t be filled with liquid and leak when they take it out. And she just yelled at me to throw it away if I did not want it. VERY VERY POOR CUSTOMER SERVICE!!
I went here for my Bachelorette party, and it was purrect! Great drinks and lots of cats!
If you like cats, you will like this place. If you love cats, you will LOVE this place. Nothing like playing with kittens, snuggling with purring cats, while having your favorite beverage, from the Cafe or Bar, to brighten your week! What more could you want? Maybe a ginormous fudge-frosted brownie or another decadent treat? Oh yes, they have that, too!I forgot to mention that all money spent & donations go toward the care of the cats and toward the Animal Society of Charleston. AND ALL of the fabulous felines are available for adoption. 🙀 We gave this sweet baby a furever home 😁😻
The cats were great. The lady serving drinks was great. The person in the cat portion could use a class on interacting with people. She was unfriendly, told us nothing about the cats, and rude when answering questions. If you want people to support your cause, treat them well.
The BEST!!! all the cats are super sweet, friendly, and playful. Lots of different personalities! One hour is not enough time to play with them all- definitely a must do experience!!!
Just Catfe not Cat cafe, just Catfe .......oh my gawd
As someone who worked in the veterinary field for 17 yrs, both as a certified vet tech and a hospital manager, I was impressed with how spotlessly clean (& odor-free!) this cafe was and how clean, happy & healthy the cats were. Also impressed to learn that the cats are typically adopted out in 1-2 wks. This staff clearly works hard! The young lady running the place during our visit was friendly and knowledgeable about each of the cats personalities, recent medical care, etc. Definitely worth the extra $ for the cat whisperer package, which gives you cat treats & feather toy. The cafe gets more money to put towards the cats care, you get to provide extra enrichment to the cats, and more of the cats come over to you--win, win, win! Also loved the shop in the back with all the cat-themed souvenirs. Things to note: only children age 12 and up are allowed, only street parking available, and strongly recommend scheduling your visit through their website beforehand. Some people stopped in off the street while we were there, and unfortunately were not permitted to come in due to Covid capacity limits.
Great selection of beverages, even better selection of adorable cats and kittens all up for adoption. Very kind staff that cares about the mission for the cafe. Adopt before buying!
Probably the most relaxing environment Ive ever been in. Very friendly informative staff.
So much fun. My experience was purrfect! I will be doing this again. I just wish I could adopt, but I live in NY.
What a great experience! Exceeded our expectations. First, the place was very clean and surprisingly did not smell the least bit of cats (if you know what I mean). The staff was outgoing, friendly, and enjoyable. There were 15 or so cats and they were all very playful and energetic. Was excited to learn they’ve had 571 cats adopted since December 2016. I can see why. We could have easily adopted 3 of them!
If you like cats and cafes this is the place for you. It was a really fun time playing with the cats and drinking. Really cool vibe.
Playing with the cats was fun but it did have a bit of a cat smell. The quality of the wine that i got tasted bottom shelf. Could do better in that aspect. I want to drink good wine with kitties!Oh and if you guys could get more syrups for the coffee that would be awesome. White chocolate. Raspberry. Yum. 😋
This place is great! You have to book your time ahead. It has a bar in the back room. All cats are adoptable and so loving! Super clean and doesnt smell like cat litter or anything.
Visited with my friend for her 87th birthday and we had so much fun! Staff are sincerely enjoying their job, the cafe was quaint and clean, and not surprising, the kitties were absolutely perfect!! What a charming idea! My hope is for every kitty to have their very own human to serve their every need, but in the meantime, visit for some cat hair love!
You cant wrong with a visit to Pounce. The money to sip and sit with the kitties goes to an awesome cause and these kitties who are looking for a forever home deserve the socialization. I love cats and was missing mine at home during this vacation so I stopped by Pounce. I had a Meow cocktail and was able to pet beautiful kitties for almost an hour. I loved this environment and the merch I purchased was appreciated by my fur babies when I got home. They have awesome cat toys and products. Catnip infused pillow toy is a big hit with my cats! Wish I bought more.
This is a must-do. I mean, for $15 you get a glass or wine (or beer, coffee, or soda) and an hour of kitty cuddles? That is a bargain. Definitely make a reservation, as this is a popular spot and they fill up quickly (for good reason).The staff is friendly and the atmosphere is stellar. Definitely recommend!
This is a place thats half adoption center, half cafe+Winebar. You pay $15/hour and it comes with a free drink. The food options are limited to pastries (which cost extra). The availability is based on the number of felines present. If you like cats, you will like this place.
Delightful social enterprise -- a business designed to find homes for homeless cats. Happy to contribute a $15 entrance fee to enjoy an hour w friendly cats. Get the Cat Whisperer upgrade so they will run to you for treats!
I loved Pounce! If you want to adopt a cat this is the best place to really meet your future furry family. Plus it has a great atmosphere to just relax and hang out. Purrfect date night
Lovely place, super friendly staff, extremely friendly cats! The drinks are good and you can hang out in the bar room for drinks and deserts even if you dont have a reservation to be in the cat room. Both rooms are loungey and lovely.
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, Im 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 dont care about playing with cats, go have fun playing bingo with a drag queen!
Awesome place to adopt or love a cat! The admission price was very reasonable especially considering it goes towards saving kitties AND you get a drink included! The only reason I didn’t give it 5 stars is because it was very crowded. But that’s to be expected! It was a completely booked hour and I’m not complaining much- more people means more help for the cause! If you are in Charleston, for sure make a reservation and visit pounce 😻 (below are pictures of Tracey the amazing tortie I wish I could have taken home 😭♥️😻)
I really enjoyed visiting the cats that were available for adoption. Both the cats and guests were upbeat so I had a wonderful time!!
Super cute set up, this is a cat lovers Heaven!
Read their website, great info there. A lot is success with adopting cats, and it was a great hour to spend. Website was very user friendly and booking system worked great. Hangout in the bar beforehand.
If you have any cat lovers in your group, be sure to take an hour out of your day to drink some wine and pet some cats! Go on there website to make reservation and pre-pay. This stop was a HIT for our trip to Charleston.
Very clean and relaxing!
What a fun experience to end my trip to Charleston with Dad. Great vibe, great drinks and the sweetest kitties.
The selection of cats was ok, but there wasnt enough seating for everyone. We got the date night package, which came with a free bottle a wine, but we didnt feel like it was worth the extra money. There is a better cat cafe in Georgetown for less if you are willing to make the drive.
Great concept. Nice way to interact with kitties before adoption. Friendly staff.
The staff was very friendly and all the cats were clearly enjoying their temporary home here. Its definitely a bonus that this is the first cat cafe Ive been to that also serves beer and wine.
Love, love, LOVE this place!!! Where else can you go to read and snuggle with kitties? Especially if you cant have pets where you live!
What a great way to start the adoption process. Loved visiting with all cats. Cute, clean space with a bar in the back.
Some people come to Charleston to see the history. I came and saw the future at Pounce - the future for the adoption of beautiful spirits. Thank you for what you do, Pounce.
I enjoyed the cats and people that work/live there.
If you have an hour or many to kill, then this is the place for you. Its quiet, intimate, and you couldnt ask for better hosts. The cats are provided courtesy of the Charleston Animal Society and are up for adoption. The majority of the cats that were there Saturday, March 6th were already adopted. You get a brief orientation if you are a first timer, pictures are encouraged, you can play with them, and give them rubbies. Reservations are encouraged through their website, but they do a waiting list.
Had a fun time playing with the cats!
Great spot for cat lovers. U can have a drink and hang with kitties. Amazing.
Fun and relaxing place! I have gone to Sunday kitten yoga, which not a lot of yoga happened for me as I was so distracted by the cats! Also been for a regular reservation. It makes for a great girls trip. I hope they are able to keep up with the success of the high rate of adoptions they are doing.
My mom and I visited while on vacation in Charleston (Sept 2018). I was really impressed with the setup. There was plenty of space for the people and cats, and the decor created a pleasant ambience. The drink included in the price was just okay (I got an iced coffee) - but really, who comes to a cat cafe for the drinks? The experience was totally worth the price, in my opinion! The staff were also super friendly. I recently visited my local cat cafe for the first time and it couldn’t hold a candle to Pounce. Really well done!
Omg this is the best concept for a cafe ever! They created this amazing environment for little kitties to find their forever home. Go visit, even if its just to meet the felines, no adoption necessary!
I live in NC. Whenever my gf and I go down to visit her family we make a trip to this place.Its always chill and is a great fit for downtown. The staff is friendly and the cats are loving. Be nice, respect the rules and the cats will come to you.There has been times my gf has tried to convince me that we could come back just to adopt lol
It was sooo fun here!! The cats were all really cute and it was a cool idea. I can’t wait to go back.
Got trashy on meowmosas, adopted a catPeaceful atmosphere, well managed, rules in place to put the cats comphort and safety first, knowledgeable and caring staff
I loved it here! While traveling I missed my kitty and this was a perfect place to get and give some kitty cuddles!
Amazing place to spend some time relaxing, having a drink and petting some cats
Great start to my day! Wonderful place to find a new cat friend.
Yoga class was great! Very memorable. Also, because everyone asks... Its very clean and did not smell!
I’ve decided to write a review after reading so many negative ones that relate to age discrimination, sick cats, additional feeds, and reservations. Many people seem to forget the fact that the people who own cat cafes are doing all that they can to help stray cats. They are feeding them. They are providing medical care. Yes it is a business and of course they are going to try to make money off of it because they have to survive also. Just like everyone else, the cat cafe owners have to make an income too otherwise they wouldn’t be able to help the cats in the first place. Every cat cafe has an entrance fee and if you don’t want to pay it, GO TO A SHELTER! Shelters don’t charge so why on earth are you complaining about an entrance fee at a cat cafe? I am always happy to pay a fee to enter cat cafes because it is benefiting the cats that they take in, as well as keeping them in business. Every time I have adopted a cat from a shelter (I’ve adopted 7 cats in my lifetime in several states), they all “appear” to be in perfect health but then once they come home they have diarrhea, vomiting, fleas, worms, they aren’t eating properly, they are unable to walk/jump/move without falling over because they are weak and uncoordinated, etc. Every time I have taken them to the vet after adopting and I have to pay a $100-$300 vet bill and put them on medication for a week or two. Even at shelters, they cannot cure every cat or all of its illnesses, especially when they’re around other sick cats from the shelter that get brought in! The only time I have ever adopted a cat that wasn’t sick when I brought her home was when I adopted her the moment the original owners dropped her off at the shelter and she wasn’t exposed to the other strays. The people who were running the government owned shelter told me that if she were to have been exposed, even for an hour, she could have contracted all kinds of respiratory illnesses, fleas, or other issues.The point is that cat cafes aren’t perfect. They are still a business and they are still trying to better their community. Although they look more ”glamorous” than a traditional shelter, they are essentially the SAME THING! Please just go to a traditional shelter if you don’t want to pay any extra fees and stop negatively rating things that aren’t based on customer service, professionalism, friendliness, or how an issue was or was not handled after reaching out to the owner (and before writing a negative review). Nine times out of ten, if you reach out to a business before writing a negative review or getting all worked up, they will be glad to take care of your issues!
Adorable, adoptable cats with great personalities. Definitely worth a visit!