There are dozens of metrics to study other cultures, from GDP to modern art movements to fashion.
By far one of the most unique lenses is a culture’s approach to animals.
In university, we learned that a culture’s approach to animal care is often used to measure compassion. (Along with other factors like incarceration rates.)
The greater the degree of animal welfare, the more compassionate and levelheaded the general population. In other words, how we treat animals (even in the cases of meat production and medical experimentation) is often reflected in how we structure society and treat one another.
But pets are another world entirely.
I remember first hearing about cat cafes when I was studying in Taipei, Taiwan a decade ago. There were a few in the city already—and people wouldn’t stop talking about them.
I’m more of an evil chihuahua gal myself, so I wasn’t too intrigued by the cat cafes. But the feline frenzy that started in East Asia in the early 2000s has since become a global craze.
Cat cafes aren’t hard to find anymore, especially if you’re heading to Asia. In fact, you can find pet cafes in major cities around the world—and they offer a lot more than tabbies and coons.
Dog cafes? These aren’t too hard to find either. Snake cafes? That’s weirder, but sure.
And what about mini pigs? Capybaras? Sheep? Fennec foxes?
Is this a performance piece on Noah’s Ark? Not at all. These animals are waiting for you in a café in Tokyo or Seoul right now.
And don’t forget hedgehogs, otters, and owls.
If you’ve had pet cafes on your bucket list for a while, then keep New York City, San Francisco, and Tokyo on your radar. (Seoul is also a solid choice, but I’d like to keep this list geared towards Americans.)
Here’s a breakdown of each city and the very best cafes in all three cities.
Tokyo, Japan
Tokyo wasn’t the first place in the world to open a pet café, but it’s served as a testing ground for dozens of new and unique ideas.
Cat cafes aren’t difficult to find—and given the ubiquitousness of cat cafes, I highly suggest you focus your Tokyo pet adventures on… stranger creatures.
ChikuChiku Café
The Japanese have a serious proclivity for hedgehogs. I’ve always been a little intrigued by that, which means a hedgehog café would be high on my Tokyo wishlist.
At ChikuChiku, guests can feed and touch the hedgehogs. But you might be hung up on watching them scamper around a series of rooms modeled in traditional Japanese style. (Respectfully, I’ve lost my MIND for ChikuChiku.)
Mipig Café
I’m a little hesitant to recommend this café because it markets micropigs and minipigs—neither of which actually exist.
Mini and micropigs are just small babies that are starting off a lil’ slow on their journey of absolute gluttony. Also, they scream like banshees and they froth at the mouth.
But I guess the crew at Mipig has things under control. Guests are raving about getting to interact with these small swine.
Tokyo Snake Center
You guessed it—this café is all about making reptilian friends. I personally like snakes, so this would be my first stop.
When you arrive, you can pick out a scaly friend to accompany you to your seat. Over the course of a drink and a dessert, the snakes tend to become more acclimated to their new friend.
Capyneko Café
I recently name-dropped capybaras in my series on South America’s Pantanal region. These giant rats are super cute—and they’re usually being preyed upon by alligators and jaguars.
At Capyneko in Tokyo, they’re not on the run from fanged beasts—which means these dazzling little rodents are ready to snuggle.
New York, NY
Compared to pet cafes in Tokyo, those in the US aren’t quite as varied—but just give them time. New York City is slightly farther ahead in its pet café culture than San Francisco, especially when it comes to non-cat-cafes.
Still, these are a lot more accessible than options in Tokyo or Seoul, Korea—so they’re worth mentioning.
Koneko
Koneko has gone all-in on its Tokyo-inspired theme. If you’ve been craving a Tokyo cat café, then this is the closest you’ll get without boarding a flight. All the cats are adoptable, too, which means you could potentially leave with a life partner.
You guessed it: a café in Brooklyn where you can snuggle up to kittens. Just like Koneko, these cats are up for adoption. But if you’re not in the right space to adopt, you can still go and socialize with these cute little orphans.
You might also notice the cats aren’t alone: they’re being taken care of by two rats named… Ebony and Ivory. (I don’t know how to feel about that.)
There is a cute kitten cam you can check out if you want a lil’ preview.
Chateau Le Woof
Okay, so we’re veering slightly away from pet cafes and straight into dog restaurants.
At Chateau Le Woof, guests can bring their dog with them—and they’ll have their own separate menu. It includes various kibble brands along with a raw food menu.
Similar to the rat caretakers at Brooklyn Cat Cafe, I can’t tell if I’m freaking out about this in a good way or a bad way. Someone check back in.
San Francisco, CA
There aren’t nearly as many options in San Francisco as there are in New York City. (I only listed three options in the Big Apple, but there are more.)
However, San Francisco has a very lax approach to bringing pets into restaurants and bars, which means there might be a proliferation soon.
KitTea Cat Café
This was one of the first cat cafes in the United States—and you’ll be able to tell based on the number of activities they regularly host.
The café offers a wide range of drinks, just like you’d expect. But they also offer themed events for visitors to interact with cats, including movie nights and yoga. Super cool, in my opinion.
I also think KitTea Cat Cafe is one of the best-decorated spots on this list. I’d enjoy unwinding here even if cats weren’t on the agenda.
Rawr Coffee Bar
This location offers two different options: a regular café and a cat café. They’re separated by a glass wall, so you’ll feel part of both worlds regardless.
That means that if you’re a little hesitant about cats rubbing up on you while you enjoy your cappuccino, this café will let you slowly ease into the waters.