Cat Cafes in Chungcheongbuk Do

Cheongju, Chungcheongbuk Do

Nyangi Salon Cheongju is a cat cafe on Seongan-gil, the main shopping street of downtown Cheongju, on the third floor of a building between Artbox and A Twosome Place, opposite the Lotte Cinema building. It is part of the Nyangi Salon group, which also runs cafes in Daejeon and Cheonan. The cafe has a large number of cats with different looks and personalities, and watching them is as much fun as playing with them. Entry is charged per person, with separate rates for adults, school-age children and young children, and the cafe has board games for a longer stay. It is open every day, from 10 AM at weekends and 11 AM on weekdays, until 10 PM, and is a common rainy-day stop for couples and families in Cheongju.

Cheongju, Chungcheongbuk Do

Choi Cat is a very large cat cafe occupying a whole five-level building on Jikji-daero in Bongmyeong-dong, Heungdeok-gu, Cheongju, near the Bongmyeong intersection, with its name in large letters on the facade. Each floor is decorated differently, and the cafe describes itself as a premium multiplex of around 450 pyeong with plenty of space for children to move around, as well as a comic book area. Many adult cats and kittens live there, and the cafe stresses health care for the animals. Tickets are sold by duration, with two-hour, three-hour and all-day passes that each include a coupon for cat treats, plus a cheaper all-day pass after 3 PM. It is closed on Mondays and opens from noon on other weekdays and from 10 AM at weekends.

Cheongju, Chungcheongbuk Do

Animal Republic is a cat adoption support centre and rescue cat cafe in Uncheon-dong, Heungdeok-gu, Cheongju, behind the western branch of the National Health Insurance Service. About 60 cats live here, including cats rescued from the street, abandoned cats and cats taken from situations of abuse or neglect, and all are waiting for permanent homes. Rather than treat-selling programmes, the centre encourages visitors to observe the cats' normal routines and let them approach in their own time. The entry fee covers time with the cats, and drinks such as coffee are sold separately. Adoptions are arranged by the centre, and it also offers cat boarding in standard and premium rooms. It is open every day from 11 AM to 9 PM; visitors can use the public car park behind the health insurance office.

• Adoptable cats

Cheongju, Chungcheongbuk Do

Enthalpy is a small rescue cat cafe on Unridan-gil, a cafe street in Uncheon-dong, Heungdeok-gu, Cheongju. The resident cats are former strays and abandoned cats, each with its own story, and the cafe presents itself as a place where people and animals coexist; entry fees go towards supporting the cats. Visitors pay a single entry fee, either with or without a drink. The cats are very sociable and used to being stroked. Opening hours are short on weekdays, from 1 PM to 4 PM from Tuesday to Friday, while on Saturdays and Sundays it is open from 11 AM to 8 PM; it is closed on Mondays. It is a quieter alternative to the larger commercial cat cafes in downtown Cheongju.

Cheongju, Chungcheongbuk Do

Watnyang is a cat cafe on the fourth floor of the KT On Plaza building on Sajik-daero, at the edge of the Seongan-gil shopping area in downtown Cheongju, by the crosswalk in front of Eight Seconds and about 50 metres from the underground shopping arcade bus stop. It specialises in pedigree cats registered with the CFA and TICA, and the cats are known for approaching visitors and climbing onto laps, which suits families with children. Visitors also mention a trained parrot that does tricks. Entry is a single per-person fee that includes a drink, and board games are available. The cafe opens at noon at weekends and 1 PM on weekdays, closing at 9 PM, and is closed on Tuesdays.

• Booking recommended

Cheongju, Chungcheongbuk Do

Biscat is a cat cafe in a converted two-storey family house in Seomun-dong, Sangdang-gu, Cheongju, about three minutes on foot from Cheongju Central Park and ten minutes from Seongan-gil. The owners set out to recreate the feeling of living at home with cats, so the house is decorated like a series of film-set rooms, including a children's bedroom full of soft toys, a sunny living room on the ground floor and a hanok-style room upstairs, all used as photo spots. Entry includes a drink, and a one-day pass allows visitors to leave and come back. Parking support is offered at the Seongan-gil public car park. It opens at noon at weekends and 1 PM on weekdays, until 9 PM, and is closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

Cheongju, Chungcheongbuk Do

Catple Cheongju Ochang is a large cat cafe in Ochang, Cheongwon-gu, run by the Catple chain, about five minutes on foot from Cheongju North Bus Terminal. The cafe covers about 100 pyeong and has around 60 cats of various pedigree breeds, from outgoing lap cats to quieter ones that keep their distance. The interior includes sofas arranged like a living room and raised wooden platforms modelled on a Korean country house. Tickets are sold for one hour or a whole day on weekdays, and for one or two hours at weekends and on public holidays, with a ten-visit pass; children under 24 months enter free. It is open every day, from 11 AM at weekends and noon on weekdays, until 9 PM.

Cheongju, Chungcheongbuk Do

Dongne Goyangi is a rescue cat cafe in Ochang, Cheongwon-gu, Cheongju, about five minutes on foot from Ochang Library, up the slope beside a hardware shop at the end of the roundabout. The cats were rescued by the owner from the street, from neglect and from animal-hoarding situations, and the cafe describes its aim as caring for them until they go to happy homes. The space is designed around the cats, with rest areas where they can avoid contact, and visitors are asked not to pick up or force contact with the cats but to let them approach. Tickets are sold for the whole day, with a lower rate for primary school children and eleven-visit passes. The cafe also offers cat boarding. It opens at 11 AM at weekends and noon on weekdays, until 9 PM, and is closed on Wednesdays.

• Adoptable cats

Cheongju, Chungcheongbuk Do

Cafe Geunyang is a small, home-like cat cafe on the ground floor of a building in Yangcheong-ri, Ochang, Cheongwon-gu, Cheongju. It feels more like the home of a cat-loving family than a commercial venue, and its well-cared-for cats are relaxed around people. Entry is charged per person for two hours and includes a drink, with a lower rate for students. Preschool children are not admitted. The owner also offers cat boarding by the day, with an additional rate for extra cats and a holiday rate during major Korean holidays. Opening days are limited and have centred on Thursday and Friday evenings and Saturday afternoons, so it is best to check the cafe's Instagram before visiting.

Cheongju, Chungcheongbuk Do

Meongi wa Kuni is a multi-animal cafe in Bungmun-ro, Sangdang-gu, downtown Cheongju, near the Seongan-gil shopping street. Around 18 animals of four kinds live here: raccoons, meerkats, dogs and cats, in separate rooms. A single entry fee gives access to the dog and cat room, the meerkat room and the raccoon room, and drinks and animal treats are sold separately, with package deals for one or two people. The cafe says the animals have scheduled rest periods and regular check-ups and rabies vaccinations through a specialist exotic animal clinic, and warns that raccoons have sharp claws that can damage belongings or scratch. It has operated since at least 2018. It also offers cat boarding.

Boeun, Chungcheongbuk Do

Eodiya Nyang Cafe is a small animal cafe in the centre of Boeun-eup, Boeun County, in southern Chungcheongbuk-do. It is home to eleven gentle cats, along with two rabbits and four pygmy squirrels, and is one of very few places in the county where visitors can spend time with cats. Entry includes one drink per person; on weekdays there is no time limit, while at weekends a visit lasts two hours. The drinks menu includes herbal teas, milkshakes, smoothies and lattes, with a low-sugar option. A public car park is about two minutes away on foot, opposite Suhan Restaurant. It opens at noon every day and closes at 8 PM, with a short afternoon break.