Cat-Centric Destinations That’ll Leave You Feline Fantastic

Go to any major city and you’re likely to stumble across a cat café, serving up pets-for-pats alongside pastries. But the OG cat cafés originated in Japan and that’s still where you’ll find many of the best cat-and-snack emporiums. In fact, Tokyo has more than a hundred neko cafés, among them the magical Temari no Ouchi; cozy Monta; and cool Cateriam. Another cat-themed attraction you won’t want to miss in Japan? The Hello Kitty Land theme park—officially Sanrio Puroland—a riot of whimsy, nostalgia, and family-friendly rides.

Train stations don’t immediately spring to mind when you think of cat-happy destinations, but in-house station cats are something of a staple the length and breadth of Britain. At Huddersfield Train Station, you’ll find two of the most popular kitties (Felix and Bolt) prowling the platforms, although Hi-Vis rules the roost at Inverness, and South Parkway Station in Liverpool is home to Paul the Bengal. Other “working” cats can be found at the Algonquin Hotel in New York City and the Leonardo da Vinci Museum of Science and Technology in Milan.

What better place to enjoy a cat-tastic encounter than in an actual cat city? Malaysia’s so-called “City of Cats”—Kuching—is a must for feline fanatics, as is the Kuching Cat Museum in Sarawak. If you can’t get enough of city kitties, though, pay a visit to the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn to see a band of free-roaming campus cats (or follow their Instagram) or head to Rome’s open-air Torre Argentina Cat Sanctuary, located atop ancient Roman ruins. There’s also Taipei's Houtong Cat Village, home to more than 200 well-cared for street cats that are doted on by residents and visitors alike.

Did you think it couldn’t get weirder than Cats: The Musical? Think again, because this Belgian festival, held every three years, is a sight to behold for cat lovers and non-cat lovers alike. The Kattenstoet (Festival of the Cats) sees the streets of Ypres burst into life with parades of people dressed as cats, giant cat figurines, and a modern-day reenactment of a Middle Age tradition which involved tossing cats from a belfry. Obviously, these days toy cats are the only things thrown out of windows.

Even notoriously water-averse cats can’t escape Amsterdam’s need to put everything on a boat at the floating cat sanctuary Poezenboot. A refuge for stray Dutch kitties, Poezenboot has been around since the '60s and can be visited by appointment five days a week. Although there’s no entry fee, donations are welcome and there’s a distinct pawsibility that you’ll get to pet a kitty or two while you’re there. Can’t make it to Amsterdam? The Isle of Man’s Mann Cat sanctuary welcomes visitors two days a week in summer.

If real life cats aren’t your thing—although, we have to wonder why not?—this Buddhist temple full of maneki-neko (lucky cat) statues might be the ideal cat-traction for you. Situated in a quieter Tokyo district, the Gotokuji Temple offers a tranquil escape from the hustle and bustle of the city, where you’ll find rows of white cats with their right paw raised. You can even buy a lucky cat of your own at the on-site gift shop.

Thankfully much less horrifying than Stephen King’s book Pet Sematary, Paris’ pet cemetery in Asnières-sur-Seine is a fascinating—if slightly macabre—destination where you can pay homage to family pets of times gone by. Although les chiens (dogs) are the four-legged focus, there are plenty of tombstones dedicated to beloved French house cats, too. And you may even find a real-life furry feline stalking the site.

Writer Ernest Hemingway is as well-known for his polydactyl cats as for his terse novels. The legacy (or, in the case of his cats, the offspring) of both can be enjoyed at the Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum in Key West. Every one of the some 60 cats that call this casa home carries the polydactyl (6-toed) gene, with at least half displaying it themselves—look out for those beefy front paws. As well as their freaky feet, many of these cats are named after famous people, including Gertrude Stein and Kermit “Shine” Forbes. Meow’s about that?

Tashirojima is one of Japan’s many (yes, many) cat islands, along with Aoshima, Manabeshima, Aijima, Kadarashima, and Ainoshima Island in Fukuoka. Almost all of these cat purr-adises have more four-legged occupants than people and are popular day-trip destinations from mainland Japan. Away from Japan, the Greek island of Syros is also known for its furry feline population.

Kotor’s Cat Museum is home to a variety of cat paraphernalia, including postcards, books, and advertisements. After you’ve finished admiring the exhibits, pick up a pack of cat food at the gift shop and go forth to feed the city's friendly stray cat population. There are also cat museums in San Francisco and Lithuania, the latter of which is home to much cat-tastic memorabilia. Don’t miss Amsterdam’s charmingly named KattenKabinet either, a meowseum dedicated to artworks featuring cats.