Nelson's Cat Cafe

Bovey Tracey, Devon · 8 mi / 14 km

The Scratching Post is a family-run cat cafe on Fore Street in the centre of Bovey Tracey, a small town on the eastern edge of Dartmoor. Opened in spring 2026 and styled after Japanese cat cafes with bright lucky-cat colours, it is home to around ten resident cats, among them Maine Coons, a British Shorthair, a Bengal and two Maine Coon and Ragdoll sisters taken in when their family had to move. A visit fee is charged on top of food and drink, and booking ahead is advised, although walk-ins are possible at quieter times. Standard sessions are for visitors aged 11 and over, while separate Kitten Club sessions let younger children visit with an adult. Guests wear overshoes and clean their hands before entering the cat area. The menu covers coffee, matcha, toasties, light bites and homemade cakes. Pay-and-display parking is just behind the Methodist Church.

Liskeard, Cornwall · 45 mi / 72 km

Paws & Purs is a farm cat cafe at Ninestones Farm, home of Alpaca Trekking Cornwall (Moor View Alpacas), on the southern edge of Bodmin Moor north of Liskeard. The farm's own pet cats took to spending their days in the cafe, and it opened officially as a cat cafe in October 2023. Nine cats live there and roam freely between the cafe and the farm, so each visit is different, and after a session visitors can walk round the farm to look for cats outside and meet the alpacas, goats, sheep and other animals. Tickets must be booked in advance because seating and parking are limited, and the entry fee goes towards the cats' care. Children are welcome, though the experience is recommended for those over four. The cafe serves a light lunch menu and a pre-booked Cornish afternoon tea, with views across the moor.

• Booking required

Frome, Somerset · 70 mi / 112 km

Puss in Books is a small cat cafe on Christchurch Street West, near the centre of Frome, combining two resident cats with books and a vegetarian menu. The cats, ginger siblings Toast and Marmalade, were born in 2025 in an overcrowded hoarding house in Sussex and were nursed back to health by a local rescuer before moving to the cafe, where they live as permanent residents rather than adoptable cats. There is no entry fee and walk-ins are welcome, although booking a table is advised at weekends and in school holidays. Tables are held for about an hour at busy times, and groups are limited to six. Children aged 10 and over may visit. The menu uses local West Country suppliers and includes coffee, cakes, afternoon tea and cream tea, with vegan and gluten-free choices. The cafe also holds sessions for visitors with sensory needs.

• Booking recommended

Bournemouth, Dorset · 72 mi / 116 km

Pause Cat Cafe is a non-profit cat cafe on Old Christchurch Road in Bournemouth town centre, between the Square and the Lansdowne and about ten minutes on foot from Bournemouth railway station. Known as the first cat cafe in the south of England, it is a permanent home for around ten rescue cats, including founding residents Clifford, Liquorice and Bear, who live across two floors fitted with shelves, bunk beds and climbing spaces. Visits last an hour, with a cat-care cover charge per person added to the bill, and booking online is recommended, although walk-ins are taken when there is space. Children are welcome at reserved tables, and under-16s must be with an adult. The menu is vegetarian and vegan, with gluten-free options, coffee, smoothies and plant-based milkshakes. The cafe offers supported volunteer placements and runs occasional events such as SEN sessions, children's workshops, high tea and cat yoga.

Bristol · 74 mi / 118 km

Bag of Nails is a traditional real ale pub on St George's Road in Hotwells, Bristol, a short walk west of College Green and the harbourside, known as the city's cat pub. Around a dozen cats, many of them former strays, live in the pub and wander freely through the single bar room, sleeping on windowsills, chairs and the bar itself while customers drink around them. It is a pub rather than a cat cafe, so there is no entry fee, booking or time limit, and the cats are residents rather than adoptable animals. The bar serves a changing range of cask ales from independent breweries, ciders and craft keg beers. Board games, records played on the turntable and a Sunday quiz add to the character. Under-14s are not allowed in.

Romsey, Hampshire · 93 mi / 149 km

Paws for Thought Cat Cafe is a cat cafe on Church Street in the centre of Romsey, Hampshire, close to Romsey Abbey. Opened in September 2018 by its founder, Emma, it is the permanent home of a small group of rescue cats, most of them brought from Romania with the help of the rescue Every Life Counts, including Emmy, who lost a leg before she arrived. The cats have both indoor and outdoor space. Visits are booked by the hour online or by phone, with a suggested cat care donation per person, and food and drink are paid for separately. Children must be over 6, and the number of children in the cafe at one time is limited. The menu offers sandwiches, paninis, toasties, cakes and coffee, and afternoon tea is served in two-hour bookings made 48 hours ahead. The cafe also runs cat sponsorships and a membership club.

• Adoptable cats
• Booking required