Happy Wonderful

Wakayama · 1.5 mi / 2.4 km

Teraminekoya is a rescue cat cafe in Kusuminaka, in the north of Wakayama City, with parking in front of the building. It moved to its current premises in 2023, and the cafe is laid out as three rooms: a reception room with manga, a main room with shelves and cat towers where most of the cats spend their time, and a back room used for the cats' care. The cafe has a nostalgic, homely feel, and its rescued cats, many of them affectionate and keen to play, are all looking for new families. Visits are charged by the hour with one drink per hour included, extensions are charged per 30 minutes, and cake or ice cream can be added. The cafe closes on Wednesdays, with last entry an hour before closing.

• Adoptable cats

Wakayama · 1.6 mi / 2.6 km

Kimamana Miiko is a cat cafe in a Japanese-style house in Minato, in the west of Wakayama City on the road towards the Nippon Steel works, with parking next to the building. The cats can move freely between the rooms and the garden, so they tend to be relaxed, and the cafe also keeps rabbits and hedgehogs that visitors can meet. Unusually, guests may bring their own cat. A 30-minute course comes without a drink and the 60-minute course includes a drink or a cat treat. The owner's family runs a long-established wagashi shop, so the menu includes cat-stamped Japanese sweets and freshly grilled mitarashi dango. Some cats are looking for adoptive homes, with a one- to two-week trial before adoption. The business also offers cat grooming and boarding for cats, rabbits and hedgehogs. It closes on Tuesdays and the first Wednesday of the month.

• Adoptable cats

Wakayama · 2.1 mi / 3.3 km

Cat Cafe Catchy is a long-running cat cafe on the third floor of the Wakayama Grand Building in Nobutoki, in the north of Wakayama City, about 11 minutes on foot from Higashi-Matsue Station on the Nankai Kada Line. It is a separated-style cafe: the cat room and the cafe space are divided, so visitors can either go in and spend time with the cats or simply have a drink while watching them. Around 30 cats live here, many of them affectionate and keen on treats, and some will settle on laps. Visitors pay for time in the cat room, cat treats can be bought, and manga are available. The cafe closes on Thursdays and opens until 5 PM.

Wakayama · 2.2 mi / 3.5 km

Mellow Cafe is a cat cafe on the second floor of a new building in Nakajima, in the south of Wakayama City, with free parking. Opened in January 2024 by a local construction company, it has a dining area and a separate cat room, so people with allergies can eat while watching the cats. Five friendly cats live here, including former rescues, an Exotic Shorthair and a long-legged Munchkin. The cat room is charged per 30 minutes or per hour, with a drink set available and extensions in 15-minute steps, and children of elementary school age and under must be with a guardian. Cats may not be picked up, socks are required, and visitors who have been to another animal cafe that day cannot enter. Lunch, such as keema curry and hamburg steak, is served until 2 PM, along with cat-themed parfaits.

Wakayama · 2.7 mi / 4.3 km

Nekochan no Ie is a small, home-style cat cafe in Sekido, in the south of Wakayama City, with parking. The owner fosters kittens from the Wakayama City and Wakayama Prefecture animal welfare centres as a milk volunteer and rehomes cats through the cafe, and the cats are affectionate, well cared for and quick to claim a lap, even without treats. Visits run in two fixed two-hour sessions each afternoon, at a flat fee per person that is the same for students and children. No food or drinks are served, so guests may bring a drink in a container with a secure lid. Adoption applications are screened carefully. Opening days are irregular, so booking ahead is recommended, and news is posted on the website, Instagram, X and Facebook.

• Adoptable cats
• Booking recommended

Wakayama · 2.9 mi / 4.6 km

Neko no Michikusa is a rescue cat cafe in Enokihara, in the northwest of Wakayama City, with parking on site. It is run by a volunteer who fosters kittens from the animal welfare centre as a milk volunteer and rehomes cats through the cafe, and the open, airy room is full of friendly cats, from confident lap cats to a few still wary of people, along with resident dogs. All the cats in the cafe are up for adoption. Cats needing isolation, such as those with FIV or FeLV, live in a separate shelter nearby, where an adoption event and charity bazaar are held on the third Sunday of each month. On weekdays the cafe opens at noon, or at 11 AM for bookings made by the previous day, and it closes on Wednesdays and Thursdays.

• Adoptable cats