KotoFan-Klub

Kostroma · 108 mi / 173 km

Mao is a cat anticafe on the second floor of Ulitsa Sovetskaya 45A in central Kostroma, near the Krestyanskaya stop. It is home to cats that were abandoned or born on the street, and the cafe looks for new families for them; some cats have lived there for several years while waiting. Visits are charged by the time spent per person, with tea, coffee and biscuits included. Guests can play board games or a games console, use the Wi-Fi and stroke the cats, some of which come up to visitors on their own while others prefer to be left alone. Food is also available. The cafe runs a small cat hotel alongside the lounge, where owners can board their own cats while they are away, with daily photo updates. Mao is open every day.

• Adoptable cats

Yaroslavl · 110 mi / 176 km

Kofeteriy is a cat anticafe on Respublikanskaya Ulitsa in central Yaroslavl, by the Respublikanskaya stop. Opened in 2016 as the first cat cafe in the city, it keeps no more than about 15 cats at a time so the rooms stay calm, and the cafe shares daily stories of its residents. Visitors pay for their time, and tea, coffee and biscuits are included; guests can play board games or read. Changing into indoor shoes is required. The cafe sells its own merchandise, including cat keyrings, badges, postcards with Yaroslavl landmarks, handmade soft toys and wooden cat beds, and runs drawing workshops and children's competitions. It is open every day, and the entrance has a ramp.

Kovrov, Vladimir Oblast · 204 mi / 329 km

Kotomesto is a volunteer-run cat anticafe on Prospekt Lenina in Kovrov, set up by the founder of the local mutual-aid community Dobry Kovrov to find homes for street cats. About 14 cats live there at a time; they come from local volunteers and are examined, vaccinated, sterilised and treated before joining the room, and cats that settle well are offered for adoption. Visitors pay for their time, with lower prices on weekdays than at weekends and a choice of paying by the hour or by the minute. The cafe depends on visits and donations, and it holds a weekly donation day. It opens in the late afternoon on weekdays, from midday at weekends and is closed on Mondays. The entrance has a ramp.

• Adoptable cats

Tver · 218 mi / 351 km

Mur-Myau is a cat time-cafe on Simeonovskaya Ulitsa in central Tver, a short walk from Ploshchad Mikhaila Tverskogo. Opened in April 2019 as the city's first cat anticafe, it is home to formerly homeless cats that are all looking for families, and many have been adopted since it opened. Visitors pay by time per person, starting with a first-hour rate, and tea, coffee and sweets are included. Guests can play board games or a PlayStation 5, read books from the cafe's shelves and buy cat-themed souvenirs. Staff do not wake sleeping cats for visitors, and the cats tend to be most active in the evening. The cafe hosts regular events and is open every day from noon.

• Adoptable cats

Lobnya, Moscow Oblast · 239 mi / 384 km

Koty & Kofe is a coffee shop with a separate cat room on Ulitsa Lenina in Lobnya, a town north of Moscow, near Lobnya railway station. Sixteen cats of different breeds live in their own space apart from the cafe, and visits take the form of hour-long guided sessions that start every hour, in which a guide tells visitors about each breed and the individual cats. Tickets should be booked in advance, as sessions can sell out. Children under three are not admitted, children aged three to six must be accompanied by an adult, and parents of older children wait in the coffee shop, which serves coffee, croissants and desserts. Sessions are free for children with disabilities who come with an adult. The cafe is run by a local family.

Moscow · 244 mi / 392 km

KotoLoft is a small rescue cat room in Zelenograd, run by the Kotospas foundation, which rescues cats from Moscow buildings being demolished or renovated. It is on the second floor of building 445, reached by an outside staircase next to entrance 7 and entered from the courtyard, and is home to a handful of cats, usually between five and eight, that are waiting for adoption. Because the space is small, visits are arranged in advance by phone. Visitors can simply spend time with the cats or join the workshops and talks held there, such as gingerbread painting, and souvenirs are sold to support the cats. The cats can also be watched on an online camera.

• Adoptable cats
• Booking required