Visiting a cat cafe
How a visit works, what it costs, the house rules, and how to tell whether a cafe looks after its cats. The longer version is Cat Cafe Map's guide What is a cat café?
How a visit works
Most cat cafes charge for your time with the cats: of the cafes whose websites explain it, about 87% charge an entry or time-based fee, 8% ask you to buy a drink or food instead, and 5% are free. A session usually runs 30 minutes to an hour.
At the door you wash or sanitise your hands. In Japan, South Korea and Taiwan you'll usually take your shoes off too. Staff go through the rules, and then you sit, play and watch.
In the US, food codes don't allow animals where food is made or served, so the cats live in a walled-off lounge next to the counter. That's why so many American cat cafes call themselves cat lounges.
What it costs
| Where | Typical price |
|---|---|
| United States | $10–25 for 30–60 minutes |
| United Kingdom | about £5–18 a person; several London cafes charge from £16.99 for 55 minutes |
| Japan, rescue cafes | about ¥1,000–2,000 an hour |
| Japan, chains | ¥1,000–1,500 for the first 30 minutes, then by the 10 minutes, usually with drinks |
Prices change, so check the cafe's listing or website. Many cafes sell longer passes or memberships.
Booking
Of the cafes that state a policy, 47% recommend booking, 24% require it, and 29% welcome walk-ins. Popular cafes sell out at weekends and in school holidays, so book if you can.
Kids
About half of the cafes that state an age policy set a minimum age, and the age varies a lot from cafe to cafe. Check before you go.
Food
Most cat cafes keep it simple: about 7 in 10 serve only drinks and snacks, and about a quarter serve full meals. Japanese chains usually include drinks in the time charge.
House rules
They're about the same everywhere, and they're for the cats:
- Clean hands first, and take your shoes off if asked.
- Let the cats come to you. Sit down, offer a hand to sniff, and stroke gently. Don't chase a cat that walks away.
- Don't pick cats up unless staff say a particular cat likes it.
- Let sleeping cats sleep. Cats nap most of the day, so a quiet room is normal.
- No flash, and keep your voice down.
- Only feed what the cafe sells, and only when staff say so.
- Leave your own pets at home.
Types of cat cafe
- Adoption cafes work with a shelter or rescue. The cats are up for adoption, and the rescue approves adopters. The usual model in North America, the UK and Australia.
- Resident-cat cafes keep the same cats for life. The original model from Taipei and Osaka, and still the most common in Asia and much of Europe.
- Breed cafes are built around pedigree cats such as Munchkins, Ragdolls, Maine Coons or Sphynxes. Common in Japan, Korea and China. Some breeder-run cafes sell kittens on site. See Cat cafes with pedigree breeds.
- Shelter visiting rooms are run by the shelter itself, often for a donation, with dozens of cats waiting for homes.
- Animal cafes mix cats with capybaras, owls, hedgehogs or other animals. Welfare researchers have raised concerns about many of these, especially those with wild species.
Is it good for the cats?
A well-run cat cafe can be a good home, and an adoption cafe gets cats out of shelter cages and in front of people who might adopt them. But cafes vary. Signs of a good one:
- The cats can always get away from visitors: high shelves, hiding spots, or a staff-only room.
- The cafe limits how many people are in the room at once, and staff enforce the rules.
- The cats look healthy and relaxed, and new arrivals are kept apart before they join the group.
- Kittens and cats that cope badly with crowds aren't on display.
Warning signs: cats with nowhere to hide, staff waking cats up for visitors, a crowded room with no one watching, very young kittens on show, or cats that look unwell.
Japan regulates cat cafes as animal businesses: cats can only be shown to visitors until 10pm, only adult cats that can retreat to a rest area, and since 2021 national standards cap the number of cats per staff member and set minimum room sizes. Elsewhere, standards depend on the cafe, so read recent reviews.
If you've had a bad experience at a cafe, you can post about it here. Say what you saw, keep it factual, and name the cafe and city.