There's a new way to adopt adorable kittens in Baltimore City. Baltimore's first-ever cat cafe has opened its doors, offering both coffee and kittens in one unique location.
WATCH: New Baltimore cat cafe combines coffee shop experience with kitten adoptions
Affogatto, located at 600 South Wolfe Street, officially opened to the public in June after more than 10 months of preparation.
The innovative space combines a traditional cafe experience with a dedicated cat lounge where visitors can interact with adoptable kittens.
"We have people offering to volunteer to help out with the cats, which is really overwhelming, like just the community response. It's so rewarding feeling like I can make a difference in people's day," said Cusimano.
Tony Cusimano, one of Affogatto's owners, says the community response has been enthusiastic, with several adoptions already taking place since opening.
The front section of Affogatto operates like a standard cafe, offering various beverages and food items. However, down the hall behind a glass door, visitors will find a room filled with playful kittens ready for socialization and potential adoption.
Cusimano explains that the cafe's primary mission is to help these kittens find permanent homes.
"It was just to like kind of be an extension of the rescues and shelters that we work with and were looking for forever homes for them. We want to keep them out of the shelters that we're getting them from; that's the goal," said Cusimano.
Even for those not looking to adopt, the cat lounge provides a space for people to relieve stress and improve their mood through interaction with the feline residents.
As a Baltimore native, Cusimano hopes to see more unique business concepts emerge in the city.
"I am excited for more of these types of businesses, like if people are trying to get something started off of the ground. They think they have a crazy, silly, fun idea, like, we would love to support that however we can," said Cusimano.
Affogatto is open Tuesday through Sunday, with the cat lounge available by appointment only each day.
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