森林小徑 健行店

Taichung City · 0.7 mi / 1.1 km

洄流餐食 Stream is a cat restaurant in a renovated old house down a lane off Shuangshi Road in Taichung's North District, close to the Yizhong Street shopping area. Around nine to ten resident cats take turns 'working' in the dining room; they are friendly and well groomed, and guests may stroke and photograph them as long as they clean their hands first and let the cats come to them. The kitchen is the other draw, serving brunch plates, bagels, karaage chicken, pork cutlet, salmon risotto and filet steak with carefully plated dishes and good-sized portions. The restaurant is also pet-friendly, so dogs may visit with their owners. Meals are generally limited to two hours, and table bookings are taken by phone.

Taichung City · 0.8 mi / 1.2 km

Glocke Bakery G貓甜點 is a dessert bakery and rescue-cat halfway house on Zhongtai West Road in Taichung's North District, near the National Museum of Natural Science. The cat-loving owner gave up a medical career to bake, and the ground floor is a bright cafe selling natural, additive-free cakes and tarts, from the signature lemon tart to strawberry mille-feuille and salted chocolate tart. Upstairs, the second floor is home to rescued cats waiting for adoption; they can be shy at first but soon come out to play. The minimum spend is one drink, and there is no time limit for visiting the cats. Doors must be kept closed, and the shop stresses that it is a halfway house where the cats' welfare comes first. Adoptable cats are listed on the website.

• Adoptable cats

Taichung City · 0.9 mi / 1.4 km

正當冰 台中西區有貓好樹店 is the Taichung shop of Justice Ice Cream, a brand known for natural ice cream made without additives, on Section 2 of Taiwan Boulevard in the West District. As part of the brand's No More Stray programme, the spacious, clean shop doubles as a halfway home for rescued cats, and a large group of friendly, well-groomed cats lives among the tables while they wait for adoptive families. Staff show visitors how to feed the cats small pieces of natural dried-fish treats. Besides ice cream and affogato, the kitchen serves full meals such as chicken meatballs and herbal chicken soup, plus waffles, puddings, shaved ice and drinks. The shop is occasionally booked for private events or taste-education classes, so check its social media before visiting.

• Adoptable cats

Taichung City · 0.9 mi / 1.5 km

瓦茲•貓咪咖啡廳 (Wazi Cat Cafe) sits in a lane off Section 2 of Taiwan Boulevard in Taichung's West District, close to the busy Calligraphy Greenway shopping area. The cafe is housed in a striking black building with a large glass-walled room filled with plants, and the cats can roam overhead along raised walkways as well as among the tables. The resident cats are described as gentle and affectionate, though only a handful may be out on a given day. There is a minimum spend of NT$150 per person on weekdays and NT$300 at weekends, with no service charge; visits are not time-limited unless the cafe is full, when a 90-minute limit applies. Payment is by cash or bank transfer. Bookings are taken online through FunNow. The menu covers toast, desserts, coffee and tea.

Taichung City · 1.0 mi / 1.7 km

森林小徑 文心店 is the Wenxin Road branch of Forest Path, a Taichung chain of family- and pet-friendly restaurants with resident cats. It stands on Section 4 of Wenxin Road in Beitun District, about ten minutes' walk from Wenxin Zhongqing MRT station, with paid parking nearby. Many friendly cats live here, with the upstairs dining room a favourite spot for meeting them, and the restaurant is kept clean despite the number of animals; visiting dogs are welcome too. Facilities for families include high chairs and a baby-changing table. The menu runs from pasta, risotto and pizza to hotpots, karaage chicken, red-wine beef stew and freshly baked desserts. It gets busy at dinner, so booking ahead online is recommended.

Taichung City · 1.1 mi / 1.8 km

漫步貓廊 is a newer cat cafe at the start of Section 1 of Xiangshang Road in Taichung's West District. The first and second floors are cafe seating shared with around seventeen cats, including Ragdolls, Maine Coons, British Shorthairs and Longhairs, Munchkins and a Chinchilla Persian, all free to roam the stylish cat trees and very used to people. The third floor is a Ragdoll breeding cattery offering pedigree kittens and advice, which can be visited by appointment. Hygiene is taken seriously: there are two entry doors with sanitiser, slippers are collected for cleaning, and lint rollers are provided on the way out. The minimum spend is NT$300 for adults and NT$150 for children aged 7 to 12. The menu offers coffee, light meals, pizza sets, desserts and sparkling drinks.