What's better than a coffee shop with a good selection of caffeine drinks? A cat café!! A place where people can spend an afternoon petting and playing with the kitties.

A Day in a Cat Café in Seoul, South Korea © Sabrina Iovino | JustOneWayTicket.com

The first time I've heard of cat cafés was when I traveled to Japan back in 2009. My first thought was OMG they are eating cats in a cat cafè and I immediately hated the place. A few weeks later after I had left Japan, I found out that cat cafés are actually not places where cats are eaten. Boy, I was relieved. But it was too late, I was back in Europe, where people have never heard of cat cafés, neither they existed there.

Then I visited Seoul in South Korea a few weeks back and suddenly I saw them again. Everywhere. Cat cafés on every corner. This time I was ready to pay them a visit. I even created a little video for you guys, here is a preview of a cat café in Seoul...

WHAT IS A CAT CAFÉ AND WHY DO THEY EXIST?

Excellent question. People in South Korea (and also Japan) tend to live in very small apartments, plus having a pet is not very common in Asia and many apartment building simply don't allow cats in the house. So the solution is cat cafés! A cat café is a public space where people can come and spend a few hours with dozens of cute cats, petting them, playing with them, feeding them or just watch them sleeping.

Did you know that cats are sleeping about 16 - 20 hours a day?

Chances are high that many cats will ignore you and just sleep while you're there trying to get their attention. Random fun fact: I saw a woman left a negative review for a cat café on TripAdvisor, saying all the cats were asleep while she was there and she didn't get any attention from the cats. Hilarious. Bad cats... Bad!! ;)

The best way to get full attention from the cats is buying some food for them and... boom, you'll be surrounded by a big bunch of furry felines. Most cat cafés are selling cat food and making some extra money by doing so. Pay extra for extra attention. Clever.

Enough with the talking, here are some images...

HOW TO BEHAVE IN A CAT CAFÉ

Wait, there are rules? Of course, and you should follow them so nobody gets hurt. After entering a cat café you'll be charged an entrance fee and you'll be advised to take off your shoes and disinfect your hands with sanitizer. The staff will show you a board with rules which says in most cases something like this:

Don't pick up the cats! (Too bad - that's what I like the most. OK.)
This is a no brainer, but don't pull the cats on their tails. They do not like that very much.
Do not slap or spank the cats (of course!)
Turn off the camera flash.
Do not disturb the cats when they're sleeping. (Really? But I paid an entrance fee, I deserve attention!! Just kidding. Let them sleep.)

Alright, after you agreed to all the rules, you can buy a drink and you get to play with the adorable kitties. Most places in Seoul charge an entrance fee around WON8,000 which is equal to USD8. Many places include one drink in the entrance fee.

If you aren't excited by now you're probably not a cat person. Wait, you don't like animals at all? Well, then just go to Starbucks. Or McDonalds. Or to hell...

Personally I think cats are adorable little creatures. Spending time with these kitties put an odd smile on my face and made me happy and relaxed. And itchy, because I'm allergic.

But who cares, my desire to pet this cute little felines is simply bigger than my annoying allergy, so I just suck it up and play with the cats until I collapse to the ground, shaking and gasping for air. Then usually it's time for me to go (OK, I'm exaggerating.)

To be honest, I left the place with a big smile on my face, covered in cat hair. Who cares, I was happy. Mission completed. Meow!

SOME PRACTICAL INFORMATION

There are tons of cat cafés in Seoul. However, we have chosen to visit Toms Cat Café (closed - see update below!) in Hongdae. The entrance fee of WON8,000 includes one drink. You can easily get there by public transportation, just get off at Hongik University, exit 9.

Address: 3F, 358-125, Seogyo-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea

UPDATE ( JANUARY 2016 )

Toms Cat Café has closed, unfortunately. My blogger friend Helen recommended Cat Attic Café in Gangnam. I did a bit of a research and I found out that the Cat Attic Café have several branches in Seoul, with another one in Hongdae. I pinned the location below. Btw, I just saw the Cat Attic Café also changed the name to Godabang Café now. I found a video about the cat cafe on Youtube. Do me a favor and give me an update if you visit the area. Thank you!

LOOKING FOR MORE THINGS TO DO IN SEOUL?

I hear you, and I have good news for you! If you need more ideas about attractions and places to see in South Korea's capital, check out my blog post 10 Amazing Things to do in Seoul.

Happy travels! and have fun with the kitties!

Travel Tips South Korea

Are you ready to travel to South Korea? Here are some quick booking links and resources that I use myself for travel planning. These websites will help you to get started with your South Korea itinerary!

Cheap Flights to South Korea

Skyscanner is my favorite search engine for finding cheap flights, from anywhere in the world. I always start my flight search here!

Transport within South Korea

Bus, boat, and trains: 12Go is one of the most reliable websites in Asia when it comes to booking buses, ferries and railway. Get an instant seat confirmation and start your overland travel worry-free.

Find a Place to stay in South Korea

Hostels, hotels and resorts: Agoda is excellent if you're looking for hotels from budget to luxury! It's one of the largest hotel booking websites in the world. Plenty of options to book now and pay later, or even pay at the hotel. Risk-free booking, many with free cancellation. My other go to is Booking.com.

Homestays and Housesits: For a more authentic and local experience I recommend Homestay.com, a website where you can find places to stay with locals for such a great price. Personally, I'm obsessed with Trusted Housesitters, where you get to stay completely for free in exchange for pet care. Find out more in my article on How to Become a House Sitter and Never Pay for Accommodation.

Fun Tours and Activities in South Korea

Get your Guide has plenty of fun activities in South Korea, such as island hopping, hiking tours and city sightseeing trips. There is plenty of choices to keep yourself entertained!

Klook is similar than the one above, but offers additional options such as airport transfers, SIM cards, and food & dining experiences. It' a great way to meet other travelers while exploring a new place!

eSIM - Stay connected with Internet

Get an eSIM before you go and have Internet available from the second you arrive! I highly recommend Roamless or JetPac - they're both highly ranked, inexpensive and reliable.

Travel Insurance

Never go adventuring without travel insurance! I recommend Genki or SafetyWing - they're both very affordable and will cover you in an emergency.

Do I need a Visa for South Korea?

You can check on iVisa whether you need a visa and how long you are permitted to stay.

A Day in a Cat Café in Seoul, South Korea