Cat Cafes in Taiwan

Keelung

喵喵咖啡 is a seaside cafe at the Huhai Bay visitor service station on Huhai Road in Anle District, Keelung, which began life as a mobile coffee truck. Inside, a large group of friendly cats, mostly American Shorthairs and Maine Coons, keep guests company, though the cats have their own 'working hours' and may be resting when you arrive. Outside, the seating looks over the bay, with sea breezes and frequent buskers and live music. Indoor seating has a minimum spend of NT$200 per person plus a 10% service charge. Everything on the menu is handmade, including waffles, light meals, snacks, coffee and other drinks, so expect a wait at busy times. The cafe welcomes group gatherings, birthday celebrations and even proposals.

New Taipei City

有貓膩 is a drinks-and-snacks shop with an indoor cat room on Anhe Road Section 2 in the Ankeng area of Xindian District, New Taipei City. Outside there is a takeaway counter with open-air seats, while the air-conditioned indoor lounge is home to many well-groomed cats, including Maine Coons, which are calm, gentle and even happy to be held. Indoors there is a minimum spend of NT$250 per person, children included, and there is no time limit. Instead of removing your shoes you slip on shoe covers, and lint rollers are provided. The menu leans toward snacks and sweets such as crème brûlée, rice blood cake and slices of cake, alongside milk-cap teas, coffee and other drinks, with separate prices for dine-in and takeaway. Paid parking is across the road.

Zhubei, Hsinchu County

Queena Cat is a reservation-only cat lounge on Zhongshan Road in Zhubei City, Hsinchu County, run alongside a licensed Ragdoll cattery that breeds kittens. Around 20 resident cats share the bright, spacious room, most of them blue-eyed Ragdolls along with several Maine Coons, and they are known for being exceptionally affectionate: sit on the floor and they tend to come over for strokes and cuddles. Visits are booked in advance through the lounge's online booking page and run as 45-minute sessions. Staff explain how to handle the cats before you start, and the room is kept clean and comfortable. There is no food menu, but drinks are included with the visit. It is a popular outing for families with children who want close contact with gentle, fluffy cats, and a good stop for anyone curious about the Ragdoll breed.

• Booking required

Zhubei, Hsinchu County

諾姆精品茶飲 (Nomu) is a tea bar and rescue cat cafe on the second floor of a building on County Government 13th Road in Zhubei City, Hsinchu County. The owner, a tea lover, offers more than 40 kinds of tea alongside coffee and desserts, and the house speciality is a fluffy soufflé pancake, with caramel pearl the favourite. The cafe doubles as a halfway home for rescued street cats: a separate, sectioned-off area is set aside for the cats, a double door keeps them safe, and visitors clean their hands before petting. Many of the cats are friendly and come over to greet new guests, while a few are shy and prefer not to be rushed. Cats here are looking for permanent homes, and adoption enquiries are welcome. The space is clean, calm and free of animal odours.

• Adoptable cats

Zhudong, Hsinchu County

街貓喫茶所 is a tiny Japanese-style kissaten in a renovated old house tucked down a narrow lane off Kangning Street in Zhudong Township, Hsinchu County. The owner opened it in a neighbourhood where street cats roam, and a few of those cats have made the cafe their home: around three resident cats doze on chairs, wander between tables and generally set a relaxed pace. Some are shy while others, especially newcomers, are very affectionate. Seating is spread over two floors and includes tatami and Japanese-style rooms, with cat books to browse. The menu centres on matcha drinks, Japanese baked sweets and pudding, including a Showa-style pudding, plus Basque cheesecake, seasonal quiche and matcha ice cream. It opens only on Fridays, weekends and public holidays in the afternoon. There is no parking in the lane, so park on the main street and walk in; payment is mainly cash.

Emei, Hsinchu County

愛君堡咖啡 is a weekend cat cafe and hotpot restaurant on Zhongyi Street in Emei Township, Hsinchu County, a few steps from the well-known Da Gu Gu fried tofu shop and a handy stop on the way to Nanzhuang. The ground floor is a dining room serving hotpot and simple set meals, each with side dishes and a drink, with unlimited rice and noodles. The fourth floor is given over to the cats: a large play space where many friendly cats roam and guests can enjoy afternoon tea, either on its own or after eating downstairs, with no time limit. Desserts include waffles with ice cream, douhua and taro balls. Picking up the cats or rough play is not allowed, and visitors may not bring their own pets to the cat floor. It opens on Saturdays and Sundays, with last entry before 5 PM; groups can call ahead.

Zhubei, Hsinchu County

聊夏貓旅x咖啡 (Le Chat) is a pet-friendly cafe on Gaotie 1st Road in Zhubei City, Hsinchu County, a short walk from Hsinchu HSR station. It combines a licensed cat grooming and boarding business with a relaxed cafe where resident animals mingle with guests: a laid-back orange-and-white cat acts as shop manager, a cheerful golden retriever called Pudding is his deputy, and several other friendly cats share the room. The cafe also fosters rescue cats and kittens awaiting adoption. Seating includes comfy sofas and hammocks, and visitors can buy small treats to feed the animals. Food is good value, with set meals, waffles, pudding, lemon tarts and coffee, and there is no strict time limit, which makes it popular for killing time before a train. Lighting is dim and the dog can be boisterous, so it suits people happy around both cats and dogs.

• Adoptable cats

Zhudong, Hsinchu County

RCW Rachel's Catwalk is a Korean restaurant and cat cafe in a renovated old townhouse on Kangning Street in Zhudong Township, Hsinchu County, decorated in warm orange tones with a retro feel and a back garden. The kitchen serves Korean food from brunch to dinner, including stone-pot bibimbap, seafood pancakes, curry and hotpots, plus desserts, waffles and coffee. The cafe's Ragdoll cats live upstairs: on weekdays from 2 PM to 6 PM they are free to wander and keep diners company, and at other times they rest in their own room, where guests can watch them through a viewing window. Cat interaction times can change for private bookings or other reasons, so if you are visiting mainly for the cats it is worth calling ahead to check. The space suits dates, family meals and small parties.

Zhubei, Hsinchu County

踏踏咖啡 x 養憩動物血液中心 is a coffee roastery and cat cafe on Jiaxing Road in Zhubei City, Hsinchu County, run together with an animal blood centre. The owner is a vet, and the resident cats are blood donors whose donations help injured and sick cats, so a visit here quietly supports pet medicine. The cats roam freely through the calm, comfortable cafe and treat it as their home and playground. Guests are welcome to stroke them but should not chase or pick them up, and bringing your own pets is not allowed. The minimum spend is one drink per person. Alongside house-roasted coffee, the menu includes milk tea, Earl Grey drinks, smoothies, pudding and cinnamon rolls. Payment is cash only, and opening days are announced on the cafe's Instagram and Facebook pages.

Hsinchu City

招財咖啡 is an animal cafe in a detached white house down a small lane beside the Yingming Street post office in North District, Hsinchu City. Its split-level rooms are home to a group of friendly cats, including several large Maine Coons, and to capybaras, which have become the cafe's biggest draw. The animals wander freely and are well cared for, and there is a rug-sized cat or two to admire. Tables are by online booking only through the inline app, and a visit lasts 110 minutes. Parts of the second and third floors require shoes off and socks on, and bringing pets is not allowed to protect the resident cats. Close the door quickly when you enter so no cats slip out. The kitchen serves curry rice, fried pork cutlet, croissant sets and desserts such as tiramisu, with coffee and other drinks.

Hsinchu City

昭日咖啡 is a small animal cafe in a lane off Minsheng Road in East District, Hsinchu City, close to the Big City shopping mall. Cats of many breeds share the room with a family of meerkats, and the cats outnumber the guests on most days; they are relaxed, friendly and often curious about your plate. Shoe covers are provided at the entrance and must be worn, as shoes stay on. The minimum spend is one drink per person, table visits are 90 minutes, and the standing bar has no time limit. There are no reservations, so join the queue on arrival. Guests may bring well-behaved pets on a leash or in a carrier. Treat capsules are sold for feeding the animals on the floor, and young children must be supervised and not chase the cats. The menu covers coffee with latte art, cakes, cinnamon rolls, tiramisu and pizza.

• Walk-ins welcome

Hsinchu City

若木書房咖啡廳 is a late-night bookshop cafe in a lane off Beida Road in East District, Hsinchu City, and one of the city's best-loved spots for studying or working among cats. The Christian bookshop sells books alongside coffee, herbal teas and light meals such as pizza, lemon tart and ice-cream croissants. More than 20 rescued cats live here, each with its own personality, and they wander freely and settle beside visitors as they read or type. The owner, a dedicated cat lover, cares for around 40 rescued cats across two shops. The minimum spend is one drink per person, which covers about two and a half hours; ordering two items lets you stay until closing. Hot water refills are self-service, and cups are returned to the counter. The ground floor has a large table for study groups, with more seating upstairs.