Top 10 Cat Lover Destinations: Must-Visit Spots for Feline Enthusiasts Worldwide
Cat enthusiasts worldwide adore feline videos and memes, but why stay indoors? Embark on these curated cat-centric travel destinations for an unforgettable adventure with your favorite animals.
Furry friends relaxing at a cat cafe. Image by Marser / Flickr Open / Getty Images.
Cat Cafes, Japan
Japan's urban spaces are compact, yet cat lovers thrive through innovative cat cafes. Originating in Taiwan, these havens exploded in popularity in Japan, with over 150 locations nationwide, including more than 40 in Tokyo. Pay an entry fee to enjoy coffee alongside up to two dozen cats for hours of petting and play.
Top spots include Calico (www.catcafe.jp) and Cat Café Nekorobi (www.nekorobi.jp).
Hemingway’s Cats, Key West, USA
Nobel Prize-winning author Ernest Hemingway adored cats, famously calling them ‘love sponges.’ A six-toed Maine Coon named Snowball and its descendants still roam his historic Key West estate, now the Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum. These celebrated felines, named after icons like Elizabeth Taylor, delight visitors.
Admission (www.hemingwayhome.com) includes a guided tour and cat interactions in Old Town Key West.
The Cat Boat, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Amsterdam's Poezenboot (Cat Boat) offers a unique floating shelter for stray and abandoned cats along the Singel canal. Visitors can volunteer, adopt, or simply enjoy the cats. Nearby, the Katten Kabinet museum showcases cat-themed art by masters like Picasso and Rembrandt.
Poezenboot (www.poezenboot.nl) is closed Sundays and Wednesdays; Katten Kabinet (www.kattenkabinet.nl) is open daily.
Statue of a cat in Kuching, Malaysia. Image by fotosol fotosol / F1online / Getty Images.
Cat City, Kuching, Borneo
Kuching, meaning ‘Cat City’ in Malay, celebrates felines everywhere. Named after a fruit resembling a cat’s eye, the city features massive cat statues, bazaar carvings, and the Cat Museum with 2,000 artifacts, including an Egyptian mummified cat, plus a research center on feline history and worship.
Direct flights from Kuala Lumpur and Singapore arrive daily.
Puss Patrol, Hermitage, Russia
St. Petersburg’s Hermitage Museum employs over 50 cats as guardians against rodents, a tradition since 1745 when Catherine the Great imported expert mousers. Spot these noble felines in the courtyards; they celebrate an annual Hermitage Cat Day each spring.
Visit the Hermitage Museum (www.hermitagemuseum.org) on Palace Square by the Neva River.
Cobblestone Cats, Kotor, Montenegro
Montenegro’s UNESCO-listed Kotor is famed for its stray cat population amid medieval streets. Kitties photogenically perch everywhere, symbolizing the town. Local artisans craft cat souvenirs in the atmospheric laneways.
Accessible from Podgorica, Herceg Novi, or Dubrovnik as a day trip.
Feline sunbather in the Bay of Kotor, Montenegro. Image by Alan Copson / Robert Harding World Imagery / Getty Images.
Average Joe Cat Show, Arlington, Washington, USA
This annual event honors everyday cats with fun categories like Most Impressive Ear Hair or Best Cat in a Box. Held in Arlington, Snohomish County, it draws fans celebrating quirky felines. Organizer Connie Gabelein notes, ‘Cats are freaks, and we honor that.’
Arlington is 76km north of Seattle; check www.averagejoecatshow.org for dates.
Moggie Mecca, Egypt
Egypt reveres cats from ancient times: the Sphinx, Bastet cult, mummies, and laws protecting them. Cairo’s streets teem with descendants, while tombs and shops offer cat souvenirs. The Egyptian Mau Rescue facilitates international adoptions.
Contact www.emaurescue.org; learn more at www.ancientegyptonline.co.uk/cat.
Burmese Cats, Inle Lake, Myanmar
Inle Lake’s Inthar Heritage House breeds rare Burmese cats, once sacred and now revived—one gifted to Aung San Suu Kyi. Visitors can interact and watch feeding at this cultural center.
Reach via flights or buses from Yangon, Bagan, or Mandalay; details at www.intharheritagehouse.com.
Cat Island in Japan. Image by Tohoku Color Agency / Japan Images / Getty Images.
Cat Island, Tashirojima, Japan
Tashirojima, or Cat Island, boasts more cats than its 70 residents. Once mousers, now pampered icons with shrines and cat-themed architecture. Ferries from Ishinomaki City; limited accommodations available.
Email issightsee@city.ishinomaki.lg.jp for bookings.
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