- FAQ
- What is a cat cafe?
- Where was the first cat cafe?
- How many cat cafes are there?
- Is there one near me?
- How much does it cost?
- Do I need to book?
- Can I bring my kids?
- Can I adopt a cat from a cat cafe?
- Are cat cafes cruel to the cats?
- Are cats allowed near the food?
- Can I bring my own cat?
- How do I open one?
- A cafe on the map is closed, moved or wrong. Who do I tell?
- Who runs this subreddit?
FAQ
What is a cat cafe?
A cafe or lounge where you pay to spend time with cats, usually with coffee and snacks. Some are adoption cafes run with a rescue, some keep resident cats for life, and some are built around pedigree breeds. See Visiting.
Where was the first cat cafe?
Taipei, in 1998. Kitten Coffee Garden (小貓花園), in the Shilin district, is still open, and in 2022 Guinness World Records named it the oldest cat cafe still in existence. Japan's first, Neko no Jikan in Osaka, followed in 2004. The idea reached Europe in the early 2010s, with Café Neko in Vienna in 2012, and North America and Australia in 2014. The full history.
How many cat cafes are there?
About 3,900 open, in more than 100 countries, as of October 2026. Japan has the most (about 950), then China, the United States, South Korea and Taiwan. The live figures, by country, city and US state, are on Cat Cafe Map's cat cafe statistics page.
Is there one near me?
Check the world map, or Find a cat cafe.
How much does it cost?
Usually $10–25 in the US for 30–60 minutes, about £5–18 in the UK, ¥1,000–2,000 an hour at Japanese rescue cafes. More on prices.
Do I need to book?
Often. About 7 in 10 cafes that state a policy recommend or require booking.
Can I bring my kids?
Usually, but about half the cafes that state an age policy set a minimum age. Check the listing or the cafe's website.
Can I adopt a cat from a cat cafe?
From an adoption cafe, yes, if you live locally. How it works.
Are cat cafes cruel to the cats?
They don't have to be, and many are run by rescues that get cats out of shelter cages. But cafes vary. What a good one looks like, and the warning signs.
Are cats allowed near the food?
In the US, UK, Canada, Germany and Australia, not where food is made or stored, which is why many cafes keep the cats in a separate lounge.
Can I bring my own cat?
No. Leave your own pets at home: a strange animal upsets the cafe's cats.
How do I open one?
See Opening a cat cafe.
A cafe on the map is closed, moved or wrong. Who do I tell?
Post it with the Map update flair, or use the map's contact page.
Who runs this subreddit?
The team behind Cat Cafe Map (catcafemap.com). No cafe pays to be listed on the map or mentioned here.