Cat Cafes in Chiayi City

Chiayi City

Meowmi Cultural & Creative Cafe II (喵咪文創咖啡二館) is the second branch of a well-loved Chiayi cat cafe, tucked down a lane off Minguo Road in the city's East District. It is furnished with antiques and vintage pieces, and its brick-and-wood rooms feel like a collector's house. Around eight resident cats, including a friendly ginger, share the space with two gentle dogs; many of the cats will climb onto laps without being asked, and staff introduce them when you arrive. The minimum order is one drink and one dessert per person. The kitchen serves pour-over coffee, yoghurt bowls, pizza and cat-themed desserts. Because of the dog the front door stays locked, so phone the cafe to be let in. Young children are not admitted. There is no parking at the door, but paid car parks are nearby.

Chiayi City

Meowmi Cultural & Creative Cafe (喵咪文創咖啡館) is the original branch of this Chiayi cat cafe, on Zhongshan Road in the city's East District, a short walk from the second branch. Its resident cats, among them several black cats and a tortoiseshell, live mainly upstairs at the top of a narrow staircase. They are known for settling on visitors' laps and kneading, though a few prefer not to be touched, and staff explain the house rules on arrival. The minimum order is one drink and one dessert per person. Seating is limited to 90 minutes from when your food arrives at weekends and whenever the cafe is full. Weekday tables can be booked by phone; at weekends it is walk-in only, so expect a queue. Cheesecakes, brownies, ice cream, teas and drinks with alcohol are on the menu. Children under six are not admitted.

Chiayi City

Luo Cheng Cat Tea House (洛澄貓咪茶品店) is a small tea shop in a row of units on Daya Road, Section 1, near Lantan in Chiayi's East District, where the staff are a team of cats. Maine Coons are the stars, and the cats work in rotation, so who is on duty changes from day to day; the owner happily explains each one's personality. An elderly Shiba Inu named Dou Dou also makes appearances. Visitors take off their shoes and wear the slippers provided. Seating is limited, so the shop stays calm. The menu centres on brewed teas, milk teas and fruit teas served in pretty teaware, plus coffee, waffles, croissant waffles and small desserts. The shop sometimes holds birthday events for its cats and sells acrylic cat charms. It is cash only, and the restroom is a short walk outside, with slippers provided.

Chiayi City

PAWS&PAUSE (貓の驛站) is a bright cat cafe on Shixian Road, Section 4, in Chiayi's West District, built for slow afternoons and remote work. At least six resident cats, each with a distinct personality, roam the clean, airy room. They have names like Gongwan, Diandian and Mitian, and will happily nap on a jacket or bag left on a chair. Staff disinfect tables between guests and keep the space free of cat smells. No reservations are taken. On weekdays the minimum is one drink per person, while at weekends it rises to NT$300 per person, and time limits depend on how busy it is. Children of preschool age and under seven are not admitted, and customers' pets are not allowed. The menu runs from coffee, matcha and hojicha lattes and fruit teas to croissants, Basque cheesecake and pasta, and tables have power sockets for laptops.

• Walk-ins welcome

Chiayi City

Old Cat Coffee (老貓咖啡) is a cat cafe hidden in a quiet lane off Mituo Road in Chiayi's East District. About six lazy, very different cats share the ground floor with visitors, drifting between the tables and curling up beside guests. The friendliest of them act as the cafe's official greeters. The house is decorated with cat touches throughout. There are board games to borrow, and an upstairs area where children can play, while the cats stay downstairs. The menu covers coffee, lattes, pancakes, Basque cheesecake, pudding and canelés, with a few hot savoury dishes that can sell out by late afternoon. It is a relaxed place for groups and families as well as for anyone who just wants to sit with a cat and switch off. Booking ahead is a good idea at busy times.

Chiayi City

IN COFFEE is a late-night cat cafe in a wooden old house on Zhongyi Street in Chiayi's West District, a few steps from the Wenhua Road night market. Seven mixed-breed resident cats live throughout the cafe, padding along the shelves above the bar, sleeping by the chairs and occasionally stepping onto a laptop. The minimum is one drink per person. There is no time limit off-peak, though seats are limited to 90 minutes when it is full at weekends. Please don't tease or pick up the cats, keep an eye on your food and devices, and close the door behind you so no one slips out. The menu includes coffee, caramel milk tea with an optional ice-cream bar, fruit sodas, cocktails and desserts such as Basque cheesecake and berry tarts. Leashed or strollered pets are allowed.

Chiayi City

Tinco Metalwork Chiayi (庭口金工 嘉義市店) is a jewellery studio, cafe and evening bistro in an old house on busy Zhongshan Road in Chiayi's East District. Several resident cats roam the building, joining diners at their tables, and staff will hand you a feather wand to play with them. Some are shy, so let them come to you. The ground floor is the dining room and upstairs is the workshop, where you can book a session to make your own silver ring, with staff helping and taking photos. By day the kitchen serves pasta, smoked salmon dishes and coffee. In the evening the shop becomes a softly lit metalwork bistro with creative cocktails and local-style plates. Bookings for meals and workshops are made online. For parking, use the Central Plaza underground car park or the city hall car park.