Zoki

Cheboksary, Chuvashia · 42 mi / 68 km

Koty-Kruty (Cats Are Cool) is a cat anticafe on Yarmarochnaya Street in central Cheboksary, a few minutes' walk from the Gostinitsa Rossiya stop. Opened in 2019, it is home to about 25 cats of different characters, and visitors can adopt one in agreement with its curator. Guests pay for the first hour and then by the minute, with lower rates for children and students, and unlimited tea, coffee, cocoa, biscuits and sweets are included. There are plenty of board games as well as PlayStation and Xbox consoles, and visitors may bring their own food. The owner and administrators explain the rules and tell guests about the cats. The space also hosts events such as back-health exercise classes with the cats around, and it can be booked for birthdays. It is open every day.

• Adoptable cats

Kazan, Tatarstan · 76 mi / 123 km

Murzik is a cat club and time cafe on Volkova Street in Kazan, about 20 minutes on foot from Sukonnaya Sloboda metro station. It has been operating since 2015. Around twenty resident cats of different ages live there, most of them British Shorthairs and other pedigree breeds, along with a few younger cats. Visitors pay a fixed price for the first hour and then by the minute, with tea, coffee and biscuits included, and can play board games or the Xbox for free. No booking is needed. Treats for the cats, cakes and cat-themed souvenirs are sold on site, and the cafe can be booked for children's birthday parties with an entertainment programme. It is open every day, opening an hour earlier at weekends.

• Walk-ins welcome

Nizhny Novgorod · 149 mi / 240 km

Murzik is a cat anticafe on Vaneyeva Street in central Nizhny Novgorod, in the basement of number 1A, about 15 minutes on foot from Gorkovskaya metro station. Opened in March 2016, it was the first cat cafe in the city. About twenty cats rescued by a local animal shelter live there, and all of them can be adopted after an application to the shelter. Visitors pay for their time; there is no food menu, but tea, coffee and sweets are included, along with board games, a retro Dendy console, puzzles and a small library. Slippers or disposable socks are provided at the entrance and guests wash their hands before meeting the cats. The cafe hosts acrylic painting workshops on Thursday evenings, sells cat souvenirs and postcards, and can be booked for birthday parties. It is open every day.

• Adoptable cats

Kirov · 150 mi / 242 km

Zoki is a cat cafe on Maklina Street in central Kirov, in the basement of number 30 near the Agrotechnological University stop. Run as a social project, it has a cafe area with snacks and souvenirs and a separate room where many free-roaming cats live. Some of the cats are permanent residents that are comfortable around children, while others are rescues waiting for new homes and can be adopted. Entry to the cat room is paid per person, with an unlimited stay on weekdays and a fixed session at weekends, and children under three enter free. The cats can always retreat to their own hiding places to rest. The cafe hosts children's shows, workshops and other events, offers discounted visits for school groups, sells gift certificates and can be hired for parties. It is open every day.

• Adoptable cats

Nizhny Novgorod · 150 mi / 242 km

Murrrchim is a cat and dog cafe in the historic centre of Nizhny Novgorod, in the basement at the corner of Ilyinskaya and Malaya Pokrovskaya streets, about a ten-minute walk from Gorkovskaya metro station. It calls itself a kotopesokafe, a cafe for cats and dogs, and is run in the manner of an open shelter: about a hundred cats of many colours and characters live there together with a few elderly dogs. Visitors pay for their time and are offered tea or coffee with biscuits, and board games are available. Staff explain the rules on arrival and talk about the individual animals; sleeping cats are not to be disturbed and cats should not be picked up. Souvenirs with cat motifs are sold at the counter. The cafe is open every day.

Ulyanovsk · 161 mi / 260 km

Tyoply Kot (Warm Cat) is a cat time cafe on Mira Street in central Ulyanovsk, close to the Tsentrobank stop. Opened in March 2018 as the first cat cafe in the city, it combines a cafe, an art space and a home for rescued cats, which visitors can adopt; dozens have already found new families. Guests pay by the minute, with a higher rate at weekends, and coffee, tea, cocoa and biscuits, board games, a PlayStation and Wi-Fi are included. The space doubles as a coworking spot with day passes for people who want to work among the cats. Drawing and painting workshops for adults and children from age five are held several times a week, and the cafe can be hired for parties. Visitors can also sponsor a cat. It has a ramp and is open every day.

• Adoptable cats