Cat Cafes in Taiwan

Tainan City

Xia Liao Cat Coffee (瞎聊。貓咖啡) is a rescue halfway-house cafe in a lane near the East Gate roundabout in East District, Tainan. It is not a pet cafe: the owner traps, neuters and cares for street cats, many of them injured or paralysed, and funds their care from the cafe rather than through donations. All the cats roam freely and are available for adoption. Gentler cats live on the ground floor, while new arrivals stay upstairs, which is open only to prospective adopters. Guests are asked not to play with, feed or handle the cats, to keep voices low and to let the cats approach. The cafe is small, with about ten seats. Specialty pour-over coffee, teas, scones, lemon tart and other light bites are ordered at the counter, with a minimum of one drink. Outside food and pets are not allowed.

• Adoptable cats

Tainan City

Maomi Cafe (貓米咖啡) is a small brunch cafe in a lane off Beimen Road in West Central District, Tainan, run by one person and two resident cats. The cats have the run of the room and its cat area: one is outgoing and loves attention, while the younger one is often found asleep. Visitors can stroke them gently while they eat. To protect the cats and keep the space calm, the cafe does not admit children under eight. Booking ahead is recommended, as the kitchen is a one-person operation and tables are limited. The menu mixes brunch plates with Korean touches, including black-bean noodles, kimchi dishes and ramen, alongside hamburg steak, yogurt bowls, cakes, rooibos tea and coffee. Limited-time dishes appear from time to time, and days off are announced on Instagram.

• Booking recommended

Tainan City

XinChao Vietnamese Coffee (心早越式咖啡廳), formerly known as Mo Vietnamese Coffee, is a rare Vietnamese-style cat cafe on Nanyuan Street in North District, Tainan. Three gentle, sociable cats, nicknamed the shop's part-time staff, roam the clean, relaxed room and are happy to be petted. The owners hand out wand toys and introduce each cat. The owner makes the food herself in a home-cooked Vietnamese style: crisp banh mi with roast pork, Vietnamese ham or other fillings and fresh coriander, Vietnamese coffee with condensed milk, egg coffee, sea-salt cream black tea and matcha lattes. Prices are modest and the atmosphere is unhurried, making it an easy place to chat with friends while the cats wander. Many customers also order coffee to take away. Contact is easiest through the shop's LINE account.

Tainan City

Mao Wang (貓王龍貓餐廳) is an animal-themed restaurant on Kaixuan Road in East District, Tainan, where a large family of cats shares the dining room with chinchillas and guinea pigs. Many of the cats are friendly and come to greet guests, including a big Maine Coon who has been known to eye up diners' plates. The owner's family keeps them well groomed, and children often get to hold the chinchillas. The menu runs from freshly baked waffles with banana, chocolate or ice cream to savoury dishes such as Thai basil pork, green curry and chicken wings. Prices are on the high side and there is a minimum spend. Visits are by reservation only, through the restaurant's official LINE account or by phone. Keep an eye on your food if the cats get curious.

Tainan City

Mao Zhai (貓宅) is a small cat-filled cafe and craft shop in a lane near Anping Old Street in Anping District, Tainan, opposite the Oyster Shell Kiln Culture Museum and beside Sanling Temple. Three resident cats live here: two very friendly ones, including the orange cat Xiao Ji, who likes to settle on visitors' laps, and one shy cat who prefers the sun. The owner hand-paints and sews the cat-themed artworks, stones, fabrics and souvenirs that cover the walls, and many are for sale at modest prices. The menu is short but distinctive: rainbow mochi in matcha, purple sweet potato, sesame and peanut, mochi-wrapped cream puffs, pear and white fungus soup, mulberry milkshakes and sodas, and freshly made pizza. On quiet weekdays you may have the cats to yourself. The cats sometimes try to slip outside.

Tainan City

61cafe&bar is a purebred cat cafe on Zhongshan Road in Yongkang District, Tainan, combining a cafe, a cattery and a pet salon. More than twenty pedigree cats, including golden and silver shaded British Shorthairs, live in a clean, carefully designed cat area separate from the dining room. Shoes come off and disposable sock covers are provided. Children under six are not admitted, and outside food, pet treats and wand toys are not allowed; treats, fresh cat food and toys can be bought or rented on site. Chasing, grabbing or startling the cats is forbidden. When the cafe is not full, there is no time limit. The menu features freshly baked waffles, cakes, coffee and fruit teas, and the space becomes a bar on some evenings. 61 is a licensed breeder that sells kittens and rehomes retired breeding cats, and it also offers cat grooming and boarding.

Tainan City

Cai Fa Jia De Gong Zi Mao (財閥家的公子貓) is a Korean-styled exotic pet cafe on Mingxing Road in South District, Tainan, near Wanli Golden Coast. It holds an animal exhibition licence and is home to more than twenty cats, among them Maine Coons, Sphynxes, Ragdolls, British and American Shorthairs, Persians, Munchkins and Selkirk Rex. Raccoons, a kangaroo, meerkats, chinchillas, ferrets, ball pythons, geckos and tortoises appear in rotation, with handlers guiding close encounters. The ground floor sells cat merchandise, stationery and Korean fashion, and the upstairs dining room serves dessert sets with free drink refills. Entry is by reservation only with a deposit, booked online or by phone, and set packages cost around NT$500 to NT$550. Shoes come off at the door. Free parking is available nearby.

• Booking required

Tainan City

Xiang Cun Xiao Su (鄉村小宿) is a small cat-themed restaurant on a lane off Datong Road in East District, Tainan. Despite the name, it is a restaurant, not a guesthouse. Five friendly resident cats share the cosy dining room and often come over on their own to be petted, which helps pass the time while dishes are prepared by the single owner-chef. The menu centres on healthy Italian-style dishes made with ingredients the owner would serve her own family: risotto with truffle cream or squid ink, pasta with pesto or egg-yolk and cheese sauce, and beef dishes, plus puddings, cinnamon rolls and cat-shaped desserts. Custom cakes and desserts can be ordered in advance. The room is small and can get warm. Days off vary and are announced on the Facebook page.

Tainan City

Mao Chu (貓廚) is a cat-themed restaurant tucked into a residential lane off Haidian Road in Annan District, Tainan. Three affectionate purebred cats live in the dining room, approaching guests, kneading laps and sometimes hopping onto tables to inspect the food. The room is centrally air-conditioned and fitted with air purifiers, so there is no litter smell, and on quiet weekdays you may have the cats almost to yourself. The minimum spend is just NT$100 per person, and a free-flow drinks option is offered. The kitchen serves generous portions of pasta in cream sauce, risotto, fried dishes, vegetarian choices and waffles. The owner is warm and welcoming, and parking nearby is easy. Keep an eye on your plate if the cats get curious.

Tainan City

Mo Fa Mi Lu (魔法咪嚕寵物咖啡館), the Magic Miru Pet Cafe, is an animal cafe on the second floor at 73 Erwang Road in Yongkang District, Tainan. More than a dozen cats roam the room alongside the cafe's dogs, including a golden retriever, a poodle and shiba inus, plus an energetic meerkat that likes to investigate drinks. The animals are friendly and come right up to visitors, and staff explain the menu and how to interact with them. The kitchen serves pasta, set meals with soups such as mushroom cream, afternoon tea sets, drinks and fried ice cream. Prices are higher than an ordinary cafe, and there is a per-person spend that the staff explain at the door. Booking a day ahead is recommended and earns a small gift. The space is also used for birthday parties.

Tainan City

Otaku Coffee (歐塔克手作咖啡烘焙館) is a home-roasting coffee shop in Anping District, Tainan, that doubles as the home of about eleven rescued street cats. The owner took the cats in himself and stresses that this is not a halfway house but their permanent home, and each cat has its own rescue story. The cats are well cared for, with glossy coats, and wander freely among the low tables and floor seating, happy to be stroked. In the afternoon the owner often brings out lickable treats so guests can feed and play with the cats. Prices are very low: the minimum spend is one drink, starting at about NT$40, and there is no time limit. The menu covers lattes, coffee roasted in-house, and waffles. Reservations are not accepted, so simply walk in.

Kaohsiung

棒棒貓壽喜燒喵陪館 (Bangbang Cat Sukiyaki) is a cat restaurant down a lane off Jintian Road in Xinxing District, Kaohsiung. Rather than coffee and cake, it serves single-person sukiyaki pots cooked in the kitchen and brought to the table, from NT$159 for vegetables to NT$189 for beef, plus cheese rolls, desserts and drinks. Nine resident cats roam the two-floor space and can retreat to their own rest area whenever they like; guests are asked not to chase or pick them up. Diners order a sukiyaki pot, while anyone who only wants to sit with the cats can enter by ordering a NT$99 drink. Shoes come off at the door, foot covers go on and hands are sanitised. Children under 14, pregnant visitors and pets are not admitted. Board games, comics and a massage chair are free to use. Same-day bookings are taken by phone, other dates through the LINE booking group.

• Booking recommended