Cafe Meow

Hindley, Greater Manchester · 28 mi / 44 km

PawPurrs ⁠‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​​​​​​​‌​​‌⁠Halfway House is a small cat rescue charity in Hindley, near Wigan, that runs a charity shop on Ladies Lane next to Asda, a short walk downhill from Hindley station. Alongside the rails of pre-loved clothes, books, DVDs and bric-a-brac, the shop has a rescue room where cats waiting for new homes live, and visitors are welcome to sit with them and give them a fuss, either inside or at the sheltered seating outside. The cats are strays, abandoned cats and pregnant cats taken in by the charity's founder, and all are neutered, vaccinated and treated before they are rehomed. There is no entry fee; shop sales and donations pay for vet care. Tea and coffee are no longer served. Anyone interested in adopting is asked to phone first to find out which cats are ready for homes. Opening hours are short, from Wednesday to Saturday.

• Adoptable cats

Liverpool, Greater London · 29 mi / 46 km

Cat ⁠‌‌​​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​​​​‌​​⁠Cafe Liverpool occupies three floors of a building at the city-centre end of Bold Street, a few minutes on foot from Liverpool Central station. Run by the same company as Cat Cafe Manchester, it is home to around a dozen resident cats, several of them pedigree breeds, which live at the cafe and are not up for adoption. Visitors pay for time with the cats rather than for drinks: entry includes unlimited hot and cold drinks, walk-ins are charged by the five minutes, and an hour can be pre-booked online. Food such as toasties, paninis, scones and afternoon tea is sold separately. Children aged 4 to 9 can visit only during child-friendly sessions, and under-4s are not admitted. Quieter SEN sessions run on Tuesday mornings. Only the ground floor is step-free, as there is no lift.

Hoylake, Merseyside · 30 mi / 48 km

Jackson's ⁠‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​⁠Rescue Cat Cafe is a non-profit cat cafe on Market Street in Hoylake, on the Wirral, a few minutes' walk from Hoylake station. It opened in March 2024 and is run by Jackson's Animal Rescue, whose rescue centre is in Mold, North Wales, with all money raised going to the charity. Up to 15 rescue cats live at the cafe as a group for one to two years, often cats with medical needs that would otherwise spend a long time in cattery pens. When a group leaves to be adopted, a new one moves in. The cats roam both floors and can retreat to a private upstairs apartment. Visits are booked for one or three hours, with drinks, cakes and vegan or low-gluten options paid for separately. Public sessions are for ages 11 and over, with educational sessions for younger children and quiet hours with reduced capacity.

• Booking recommended

Hawkshead, Cumbria · 38 mi / 62 km

KITTchEN ⁠‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​​​​​‌⁠is an independent craft beer bar and bottle shop on The Square in Hawkshead, the Lake District village between Windermere and Coniston Water. Open since 2018, it specialises in Cumbrian and other independent beer and shares its rooms with several resident rescue cats. Inside is strictly for adults aged 18 and over, and dogs are not allowed in, though both are welcome at the tables outside. There is no entry fee: visitors buy a drink and sit among the cats, on a first come, first served basis, and only ticketed events can be booked. House rules ask guests not to pick up, crowd, feed or wake the cats, and to avoid flash photography. The cats take Tuesdays and Thursdays off, so the bar can be open on those days without them. Opening hours change with the seasons, and the bar hosts occasional music and quiz nights.

• Walk-ins welcome

Manchester · 40 mi / 65 km

Cat ⁠‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​⁠Cafe Manchester is a cat cafe inside Barton Arcade, the Victorian arcade between Deansgate and St Ann's Square in Manchester city centre. First opened in the Northern Quarter in 2016, it closed in January 2021 and reopened here in May 2026. The cafe has twelve resident cats, many of them pedigree breeds from registered breeders, along with cats rehomed from owners who could no longer keep them. The cats are not up for adoption, and they can retreat to a private cat room whenever they like. Visitors pay for their time rather than for drinks: entry includes unlimited hot and cold drinks from the drinks station, and walk-ins are billed by the five minutes, while pre-booked visits last an hour. Food and afternoon tea cost extra. Children aged 4 to 9 can only come to child-friendly sessions, under-4s are not admitted and there are adult-only and SEN sessions.

• Booking required

Bradford, West Yorkshire · 53 mi / 86 km

Bradford ⁠‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​⁠Cat Watch Rescue & Sanctuary is a volunteer-run cat rescue in the north of Bradford that takes in abandoned, injured and surrendered cats and kittens, including many with medical or special needs, and rehomes them across the area. Cats that cannot be rehomed stay on at its sanctuary. Every Sunday afternoon the rescue opens its Woodland Sanctuary Lounge to the public for an informal visit, when anyone can drop in to meet some of the cats and the volunteers, take a tour and have light refreshments. Visitors do not need to be planning to adopt, though groups can book ahead by email. The rescue sometimes closes on a given Sunday, so it is worth checking its social media before travelling. Adoption is arranged through an application on the rescue's website, and all adopted cats are microchipped and neutered or come with a plan to neuter.

• Adoptable cats