Neko Castel

Castelnaudary, Occitanie · 30 mi / 49 km

MIAW is a salon de thé and bar à chats on Place de Verdun in the centre of Castelnaudary, and the first cat café in the Aude. Run by Mathilde Antoine, it opened in June 2026. Every cat comes from the association Les Chats Paix Belle and lives in the café until it is adopted; about nine had found homes by early autumn 2026. Visitors follow simple rules: let sleeping cats rest, let the cats come to you, do not pick them up, take photos without flash, and keep children with an adult. There is no entry fee. The pastel-toned room serves teas, lattes including ube, matcha and seasonal flavours, bubble tea, iced teas, artisan sodas, local craft beers and Aude wines, plus homemade pastries. Board games, card games and colouring are on hand for all ages.

• Adoptable cats

Muret, Occitanie · 38 mi / 61 km

Le Cha'ppuccino is a bar à chats inside Animaland Ô Toulouse, an independent pet supply shop on Rue Pierre de Fermat in Muret, about 20 km south-west of Toulouse. Next to the shop, which sells pet food and accessories and has a self-service dog wash, a cosy lounge houses rescue cats looking for new homes; the shop regularly presents individual cats available for adoption on its social media. Visitors come in for a coffee, tea or other drink, relax with the cats as they play or nap, and can ask staff about adopting one. Families with children are welcome, and the lounge is kept clean and calm. The cat bar keeps its own opening times within the shop's hours, Monday afternoon to Saturday, and closes about 30 minutes before the shop, so it is worth checking the latest schedule before a visit.

• Adoptable cats

Toulouse, Occitanie · 45 mi / 72 km

Mon Chat Pitre Toulouse is a general bookshop and tea room with resident cats on Rue de la Bourse in central Toulouse, in the premises of the former Tire-Lire bookshop. It opened in April 2026 as a branch of the Mon Chat Pitre ronron-librairie network founded in Aix-en-Provence in 2021. Its five bookshop cats all came from shelters and associations and live there permanently, so they are not up for adoption, although the shop promotes cats waiting in partner rescues. Visitors browse novels, comics, children's books and cat-themed titles with the cats wandering between the shelves, and a counter at the back serves coffee, drinks, cheesecake and other pastries plus savoury dishes. The vaulted basement is the cats' favourite area, with seating where guests can read and relax among them. Entry is free.

Toulouse, Occitanie · 45 mi / 72 km

Chapristea is a neko café and salon de thé on Rue Jules Chalande in central Toulouse, between the Capitole and Esquirol métro stations, about 200 metres from Place du Capitole. Opened in 2016 as the city's first bar à chats, it has a vaulted brick room arranged for a group of around eight cats. Most were adopted from the association Le Chat Libre de Toulouse and three are pedigree cats from regional catteries; the association also places cats here for adoption, and dozens have found homes through the café. Visitors clean their hands before entering and follow the house rules. Light lunches such as tarts and salads are served from noon to 2 pm and can be booked; the rest of the day it runs as a tea room with specialist teas and pastries, and entry is free within available seats.

• Adoptable cats

Albi, Occitanie · 72 mi / 115 km

Bastet Café is a restaurant, salon de thé and bar à chats in a private house on Rue de Genève in Albi, a short walk from the town centre. Named after the Egyptian cat goddess, it is home to seven or eight resident cats, including Orientals and a Sphynx, who wander freely, play and settle on guests' laps when they choose. At lunchtime it works as a restaurant: the owner cooks seasonal starters, quiches, tarts and vegetable dishes each morning from local and organic produce, with set menus suitable for vegetarians and wines and beers from the Tarn. Lunch bookings are recommended. In the afternoon it becomes a tea room serving organic teas and infusions, French-press coffee, homemade lemonade and grandmother-style cakes such as clafoutis, crumbles and carrot cake. Afternoon visits are walk-in only, so seats can run out, and there is a fireside room and a covered terrace.

• Booking recommended

Albi, Occitanie · 72 mi / 116 km

Mon Chat Pitre Albi is a general bookshop with resident cats on Rue Timbal in the historic centre of Albi, in a former clothing shop. It opened in June 2026 as part of the Mon Chat Pitre ronron-librairie network that started in Aix-en-Provence in 2021, and it is run by owner Emmanuelle with bookseller Assia. Around five or six cats, adopted from shelters and foster families, live in the shop permanently and are not offered for adoption; they move freely among some 8,000 books, including novels, comics, children's books, art books and essays. Visitors can browse and spend time with the cats free of charge, and the shop also sells cat-themed accessories, stationery and gifts. Writing workshops are held in the shop with the cats around.