🐾 10 Animal Cafés Around the World You’ll Want to Visit

Sometimes the best travel memories aren't made at famous landmarks.

They're made while sipping a coffee with a cat curled up beside you, watching a capybara casually wander around, or discovering a café where the resident animals completely steal the spotlight.

Animal cafés have grown from a quirky idea in Asia into a worldwide travel experience. The modern cat-café concept traces its roots to Taipei, where Cat Flower Garden opened in 1998, before the idea became especially popular in Japan and eventually spread around the globe. (Wikipedia)

Whether you're a dedicated animal lover or simply looking for something different to add to your itinerary, these 10 animal cafés around the world are worth putting on your travel radar.

1. 🐱 Kitten Coffee Garden — Taipei, Taiwan

Perfect for: Cat lovers, first-time cat-café visitors & travelers interested in café history

If you're a cat lover, Taipei is an excellent place to start.

The city's cat-café culture has a special place in travel history because the world's first widely recognized cat café, Cat Flower Garden, opened here in 1998. (Wikipedia)

Today, Taipei continues to have a strong cat-café scene. One current example is Kitten Coffee Garden, which is described as a rescue-focused café where visitors can enjoy coffee alongside cats.

It's the kind of place where the coffee might be good—but let's be honest, you're probably there for the cats.

Travel tip: Combine a cat café visit with Taipei's night markets, temples, and neighborhood cafés for a relaxed day of exploring.

Photo idea: A traveler enjoying coffee while a cat sits nearby.

Alt text: Traveler enjoying coffee with a cat at a Taipei animal café

2. 🦫 Cafe Capyba — Tokyo, Japan

Perfect for: Something completely different

Tokyo has no shortage of unusual cafés, but spending time with a capybara takes the animal-café experience to another level.

At cafe capyba, visitors can interact with capybaras in a relaxed café environment. Current information lists the Higashimukojima location as a reservation-based experience, with visitors able to offer snacks and interact with the animals. (Google)

Capybaras have become something of a Japanese internet and travel sensation thanks to their famously laid-back personalities.

And honestly, watching a capybara slowly wander around while you're trying to drink your coffee feels like exactly the kind of wonderfully random travel experience that makes a trip memorable.

Travel tip: Book ahead. These smaller experiences can fill quickly.

3. 🐶 Dog Cafés — Seoul, South Korea

Perfect for: Dog lovers who want maximum energy

Seoul's animal-café scene is particularly diverse, but dog cafés remain one of the easiest ways to get your furry-friend fix while exploring the city.

Current 2026 information shows numerous dog cafés operating in Seoul, including venues around Hongdae. Some specialize in larger breeds such as Samoyeds and Malamutes, while others offer a more traditional dog-café experience. (Seoul Window)

Compared with a quiet cat café, a dog café can be considerably more energetic.

You might sit down for a drink and suddenly find yourself surrounded by several dogs demanding attention.

Not exactly peaceful.

But definitely memorable.

Travel tip: Look for cafés that provide regular rest periods for the dogs and clearly separate animal-rest time from visitor interaction.

Photo idea: A traveler surrounded by friendly dogs.

Alt text: Traveler surrounded by friendly dogs at a Seoul animal café

4. 🐈 Lady Dinah's Cat Emporium — London, England

Perfect for: A cozy afternoon in London

London has its own feline escape: Lady Dinah's Cat Emporium.

Located in Greenwich, the café offers visitors time with rescue cats while enjoying drinks and treats. The café says it has helped more than 60 cats find homes and operates under an animal-welfare licence. (Lady Dinah's Cat Emporium)

The experience is designed to be more than simply taking cute photos. Guests can relax with the cats while the resident animals have their own spaces and routines.

Currently, visits are bookable in advance, with 90-minute sessions available. (Lady Dinah's Cat Emporium)

Travel tip: Add it to a Greenwich day trip rather than crossing London just for the café.

Photo idea: Cozy London café interior with a cat lounging near a window.

Alt text: Rescue cat relaxing inside Lady Dinah's Cat Emporium in London

5. 🐱 Le Café des Chats — Paris, France

Perfect for: Cats, coffee and a little Parisian charm

Paris has plenty of places to enjoy coffee—but why not share your table with a cat?

Le Café des Chats opened in 2013 and describes itself as France and Europe's first cat bar. Around a dozen cats live freely within the restaurant and tea-room environment. The café says its cats were adopted through animal-protection organizations. (Le Café des Chats)

Located near Bastille, it's an easy experience to combine with a day exploring eastern Paris.

And yes, there are homemade dishes and desserts too.

Because apparently Paris needed one more reason to make lunch feel romantic.

Travel tip: Don't rush your visit. This is better experienced as a leisurely Paris café stop rather than a quick tourist attraction.

Photo idea: Cat sitting beside a French-style café table.

Alt text: Cat relaxing beside a table at Le Café des Chats in Paris

6. 🐈 Cat Café Budapest — Budapest, Hungary

Perfect for: A relaxed break between sightseeing

Budapest's Cat Café Budapest is located in the heart of the city near St. Stephen's Basilica.

The café currently has around 15 cats, including Maine Coons and rescued cats. Visitors can enjoy coffee, cakes and other drinks while spending time with the resident cats. (Cat Cafe Budapest)

It's especially easy to fit into a Budapest itinerary because you're already close to many central attractions.

One important rule: the café asks visitors not to pick up or disturb sleeping cats and prohibits flash photography. (Cat Cafe Budapest)

Basically: let the cats be cats.

Travel tip: Visit between major sightseeing stops when you need somewhere calm to recharge.

7. 🐱 Kattencafé Kopjes — Amsterdam, Netherlands

Perfect for: Travelers looking for a rescue-focused café experience

Amsterdam's Kattencafé Kopjes was the first cat café in the Netherlands when it opened in 2015.

The café is home to rescue cats selected with the help of Amsterdam animal shelters, creating a space where visitors can enjoy coffee while supporting the care of its feline residents. (Katten Café Kopjes)

The atmosphere is intentionally designed around both people and cats, with climbing areas, resting places and spaces for the animals to retreat.

It's a great reminder that an animal café can be about more than Instagram photos—it can also connect travelers with local animal welfare efforts.

Travel tip: Check the café's current rules and reservation availability before visiting, as hours and policies can change.

Photo idea: Amsterdam cat café with a cat perched on a climbing structure.

Alt text: Rescue cat relaxing inside Kattencafé Kopjes in Amsterdam

8. 🐱 Koneko Cat Cafe — New York City, USA

Perfect for: Animal lovers exploring Manhattan

New York City is known for doing almost everything at full speed.

A cat café offers the opposite.

Koneko Cat Cafe is located at 26 Clinton Street in New York's Lower East Side. (Koneko Cat Cafe)

It's a fun stop if you're exploring downtown Manhattan and want to trade the noise of the city for some feline company.

After walking through Chinatown, SoHo, the Lower East Side or around the East Village, a little cat time can be a pretty excellent reset.

Travel tip: Pair your visit with a walking day through Lower Manhattan.

Photo idea: Cat lounging beside a New York café window.

Alt text: Cat relaxing at Koneko Cat Cafe in New York City

9. 🐱 Catmosphere Cat Cafe — Sydney, Australia

Perfect for: Rescue-cat lovers

Sydney's Catmosphere Cat Cafe has built its experience around rescue cats and kittens.

The café says it works with rescue groups to provide a safe temporary space for displaced cats while helping adoptable cats find homes. It offers several experiences, including a cat lounge, kitten area, cat cinema and even cat yoga. (Catmosphere)

Yes.

Cat yoga.

We didn't know we needed it either.

The café recommends booking ahead because spaces are limited to help manage the experience for both humans and cats. (Catmosphere)

Travel tip: If you're visiting Sydney, make this a planned experience rather than something you squeeze in between attractions.

10. 🐈 Cat Café Melbourne — Melbourne, Australia

Perfect for: Travelers who want Australia's original cat-café experience

Melbourne is home to Cat Café Melbourne, which opened in 2014 and describes itself as Australia's first cat café.

The café's resident cats have been adopted and live permanently at the café, while visitors can spend time with them in a dedicated cat lounge. (Cat Café Melbourne)

Located on Swanston Street in Carlton, it's an easy addition to a Melbourne city itinerary.

The café recommends booking online because sessions can fill up, and visitors should check the current booking calendar before heading over. (Cat Café Melbourne)

Travel tip: Combine your visit with Melbourne Central, Carlton's cafés and the surrounding university district.

🐾 What Makes Animal Cafés So Popular?

There's something wonderfully simple about the concept.

You travel to a new city, find a cozy space, order something to drink and spend time around animals.

For travelers who can't have pets at home—or simply love animals—it offers a chance to connect with them without making a long-term commitment.

The popularity of animal cafés also reflects how much travel has changed. People increasingly want experiences, not just sightseeing.

A photo of the Eiffel Tower is great.

A photo of a cat sitting beside your coffee in Paris?

That's a travel story.

❤️ A Quick Note About Animal Welfare

This is the part that's worth thinking about before booking any animal café.

Cute doesn't automatically mean ethical.

Animal-welfare organizations have raised concerns about some animal cafés, particularly when animals are kept in crowded environments, have limited opportunities to escape human interaction, or are exposed to excessive handling. (SPCA New Zealand)

This is especially important with wild or exotic animals.

For example, the RSPCA has specifically raised concerns about cafés featuring capybaras, arguing that their behavioral and environmental needs can be difficult to meet in a commercial café setting. (RSPCA)

Before visiting, look for signs of responsible animal care:

• 🐾 Animals have quiet areas where they can retreat.

• 🐾 Visitors aren't allowed to chase, grab or force animals to interact.

• 🐾 Staff actively monitor animal behavior.

• 🐾 There are clear hygiene and handling rules.

• 🐾 The café limits visitor numbers or session length.

• 🐾 Animals appear relaxed rather than constantly seeking escape.

• 🐾 The business is transparent about where its animals came from and how they're cared for.

The best travel experience is one where you have fun and the animals are comfortable too.

🌎 Which Animal Café Would You Visit First?

From Tokyo's capybaras to London's rescue cats, Seoul's energetic dogs, and cozy feline cafés across Europe, animal cafés offer a completely different way to experience a destination.

They're quirky.

They're photogenic.

They're sometimes downright hilarious.

And they're exactly the kind of unexpected experience that can turn an ordinary travel day into a story you'll remember.

So, if you could choose just one...

Would you pick cats, dogs, capybaras—or something completely different? 🐾

📌 Save This for Your Next Trip

10 Animal Cafés Around the World:

1. 🇹🇼 Kitten Coffee Garden — Taipei

2. 🇯🇵 cafe capyba — Tokyo

3. 🇰🇷 Dog Cafés — Seoul

4. 🇬🇧 Lady Dinah's Cat Emporium — London

5. 🇫🇷 Le Café des Chats — Paris

6. 🇭🇺 Cat Café Budapest — Budapest

7. 🇳🇱 Kattencafé Kopjes — Amsterdam

8. 🇺🇸 Koneko Cat Cafe — New York

9. 🇦🇺 Catmosphere Cat Cafe — Sydney

10. 🇦🇺 Cat Café Melbourne — Melbourne

Bookmark this guide and share it with the animal lover you're traveling with.

🔗 Useful official links for readers

• Cat Cafe MOCHA Tokyo

• cafe capyba Tokyo

• Lady Dinah's Cat Emporium London

• Le Café des Chats Paris

• Cat Café Budapest

• Kattencafé Kopjes Amsterdam

• Koneko Cat Cafe New York

• Catmosphere Sydney

• Cat Café Melbourne