Taiwan is a cat lover’s dream, from a dedicated Taiwan cat village to cute cat cafes in Taipei – there is even a monthly meet and greet with Kaohsiung’s famous station master cat, Mikan 蜜柑 (and yes, there is Mikan merch and gift shops too).
Taiwan’s cat scene is just ‘pawsome’ for feline fans, from Jiufen’s shop cats to lots of cute cartoon cats like Taiwan’s very own Bugcat Capoo 貓貓蟲咖波, plus so many Hello Kitty Taiwan activities (even including Hello Kitty themed 7-Elevens).
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One station in Kaohsiung has even set up a play area for adopted stray cats. In fact, Taiwan is home to the world’s oldest / first cat cafe that is still open today, Kitten Coffee Garden.
Here is our guide to famous Taiwan cats and the best Taipei cat cafes.
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Mikan
If you love Taiwan cats, Kaohsiung is the place to be – it has several famous station cats, perhaps the most famous of which is Mikan 蜜柑.
Mikan has a huge social following, her own range of cute kitty merchandise and makes monthly appearances at Ciaotou Sugar Refinery Kaohsiung Metro station (map).
A stray cat adopted by Kaohsiung station staff, Mikan the cat’s fanbase is growing all the time and hundreds flock to the station every time she appears (often in costume).
Mikan has over over 230,000 followers online and their Instagram account is 高雄捷運-蜜柑站長(@krtcmikan).
The station is even cat-themed, plus a bakery next door sells cat shaped steamed buns. There are Mikan souvenir ink stamps too at Ciaotou Sugar Refinery station plus a dedicated Mikan souvenir shop at Xinzuoying Station.
Find out more about Mikan, Taiwan’s famous station cat >
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Bugcat Capoo
Bugcat Capoo 貓貓蟲咖波 is one of the most popular Taiwanese cartoon characters. A cute cross between a blue cat and a bug, created by Taiwan illustrator Yara 亞拉.
Bugcat Capoo has over 2.1 million followers on Instagram and celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2024.
There are lots of fun Bugcat Capoo things to do in Taiwan including the Bugcat Capoo house gift store (map) in Taichung, in addition to a new Bugcat House gift store (map) in Ximending, Taipei.
Plus there is a Bugcat Capoo themed 7-Eleven in Taipei and another themed 7-Eleven Bugcat store in Kaohsiung.
If you like Bugcat Capoo a ‘latte’, then make sure to see more of this six legged feline at the Foam Cat Cafe (map), one of Taichung’s most popular coffee shops renowned for its super cute cat coffee cups and desserts.
It isn’t just about cat themed food and drink – by the counter, there is a whole wall of super cute Bugcat Capoo merchandise like Foam Cat Cafe cups, pin badges, Foam Cat Cafe coasters plus postcards and gorgeous gifts galore.
Jiufen Shop Cats
Earlier this year, we stayed in Jinguashi and Jiufen for several nights and one of our most purr-fect past-times was seeing all the well-loved cats in small businesses and shops.
From family run stores to FamilyMart itself, you’ll find lots of felines cat-napping as affectionate ‘owners’ look on.
Whilst Jiufen Old Street is very busy with tourists by day, we noticed quite a few cats come out to play at night.
Houtong Cat Village
Houtong Cat Village (map) is an easy day trip from Taipei and a ‘paw-some’ free adventure. If you’re ‘feline’ like a kid-friendly journey along the Pingxi Line in Taiwan and a stop-off in a cute mountainside village, Houtong Cat Village is for mew…sorry…you.
Home to dozens of cats and kitties, Houtong Cat Village is a riverside town in the Ruifang valley that has direct trains from Taipei Main Station (and also easily accessible from Jiufen). Even the train station has resident cats and cat-shaped foot-bridge.
There are said to be around 100 cats living in and around the Houtong Village and local residents have built them little kitty shelters plus feed them.
There are lots of cat-themed shops or take your children to the Hide & Seek cafe for cat-themed treats – more on this shortly.
Check out our Houtong Cat Village guide including how to get the train from Taipei >
Kaohsiung Station Cats at Xin Zuoying Station
Move over Mikan – did you know Xin Zuoying station in Kaohsiung (map) also has three station cats with their own station play area?
Three stray cats were adopted by Xin Zuoying Station staff and in early 2025, a new cat lounge was unveiled where the cats can play whilst travellers watch.
We caught up with these cute Kaohsiung station kitties just before we boarded Taiwan’s Sanrio themed train back to Taipei – how much cuteness can you handle in one day?
From what to expect to the location of the cat play area, here is our guide to checking out the cats of Xin Zuoying Kaohsiung station (a short walk from the Zuoying HSR station next door) >
Hello Kitty Taiwan
Hello Kitty in Taiwan is big business! Sanrio’s cutest cat and cartoon character, Hello Kitty in Taiwan is everywhere – and we aren’t just talking about merchandise or shops.
As Hello Kitty celebrated their 50th anniversary recently (“Happy Birthday”), there are a heck of a lot of Hello Kitty Taiwan things to do.
From Hello Kitty planes to Hello Kitty themed 7-Elevens, there is even a Hello Kitty Hospital in Taiwan (a themed maternity hospital for babies) – talk about a lot of kitty treats!
Taiwan has always been a top destination for cat lovers but all the Hello Kitty activities in Taiwan are so much fun.
From Hello Kitty planes to pop-ups, read our ultimate guide to Hello Kitty things to do in Taiwan >
P.S There is also a Sanrio themed train in Taiwan called the Sanrio Formosa Express but sadly, Hello Kitty doesn’t really feature – more My Melody and Kuromi…but still very cool!
Fumean Cats themed 7-Eleven in Taipei
Everyone seems to know about the Hello Kitty 7-Elevens in Taiwan, but ‘miaow’ about the Fumean Cats 7-Eleven?
Whilst we hadn’t heard of these cute kitties before, we can honestly say this is one of the BEST themed Taiwan 7-Elevens in Taipei.
From the huge feline figurine out front to the themed seating area complete with cat chairs and a TV showing episodes of ‘Fumean Cats’ cartoons.
The Fumean Cats 7-Eleven isn’t hard to miss as its bright yellow interior and exterior shines brightly day and night. There are loads of Fumean Cats merch to buy in-store, plus the whole cat crew can be seen on the ceiling, above the chillers and even by the bins (talk about ‘kitty litter’)!
Popular with local school-kids and an amazing in-store experience, the 7-Eleven Fumean Cats theming also continues on the coffee cups and holders.
Google Maps Link to the Fumean Cats themed 7-Eleven >
Henry Cats＆Friends
We stumbled upon this cute Jiufen cat-themed cafe quite by chance – 九份石頭貓創始店 Henry Cats＆Friends has to be one of our favourite stores and coffee shop in the whole of Taiwan, not just Jiufen.
The owner Henry Lee is a renowned artist who has worked on many exhibits and even Disney projects like The Little Mermaid TV series – this gallery, gift shop and cafe (also known as Henry House) opened in Jiufen in 2003.
We spent a magical hour at Henry Cats ＆ Friends drinking coffee and watching Henry and his partner handpaint gorgeous cat souvenirs like bags and t-shirts. They were both incredibly friendly and smiley and this was one of our favourite experiences in Jiufen.
As we drank our coffee, we browsed the store and bought several animal themed souvenirs including the cutest underwater dog coaster ever! Please do visit Henry Cat & Friends 九份石頭貓創始店 for a unique Jiufen cafe experience.
Taiwan’s Cat Rock
We stumbled across this cat themed shelter and rock at Maobitou Park in Pingtung, on our way to Kenting National Park.
Maobitou Park is sometimes known as Cat’s Nose Cape / Cat Rock because the peninsula resembles a crouching cat (well, if you squint quite hard!). Cat Rock is a limestone outcrop which has been carved into the shape of a crouching cat by wind and wave erosion.
The cat shelter was built and designed by Hengchun artist Yang Tsung Hsun using branches from the Hengchun Peninsula for the inner layer which was then covered with local red clay mortar
More things to do in Kenting >
Taipei Cat Cafes plus, Keelung, Houtong and Taichung
These are all cafes in Taiwan with real cats!
The world’s first cat cafe – Kitten Coffee Garden in Taiwan
Taiwan’s first cat cafe Kitten Coffee Garden is one of the best cat things to do in Taipei – ‘fur’ real. It also holds the distinction of being the world’s oldest / first cat cafe that is still open today.
Opened in 1998 and currently located in Shilin, Taipei’s Kitten Coffee Garden is a cute coffee shop home to 13 cute cats and two adorable dogs.
We visited Kitten Garden Coffee (also known as ‘Cafe Cats and Dogs’) in early 2025 and loved our experience. It felt very homely inside and it was nice to see the cafe’s cats and dogs eating and playing together – try to time your visit with the cat feeding time too!
From admission / drink prices to how to get to the cafe, here is our guide to the world’s oldest cat cafe – Kitten Coffee Garden >
Cat Cafe Mocha Taipei
Located in the basement of Shin Kong Mitsukoshi Taipei Xinyi Place A8, Taipei Cat Cafe Mocha is one of the most ‘purr-fect’ things to do in Xinyi.
Mocha Cat Cafe originally hails from Japan and is now opening more cat cafes across Asia.
You might have been to other cat cafes in the past but the Taipei Mocha Cat Cafe takes it to the next kitty level especially during cat feeding time.
Whilst playing with cats, you can also enjoy drinks or read some comics and anime novels from the library.
Admission to Taipei Cat Cafe starts from NT$250 for the first 30 minutes on weekdays and NT$280 at weekends / holidays including access to the drinks bar.
FUFU CatCafe and Le Mao Chef
Very good value compared to other cat cafes, FUFU Cat Cafe in Ximending (map) charges $50 NTD per 10 minutes or $500 NTD for 100 minutes which includes a drink (unlike other cat cafes, you don’t have to purchase a drink if you don’t want to). Other snacks (human and cat treats) can be bought additionally.
Recently, more cat cafe competition has been seen in Ximending, including the newly opened Le Mao Chef (map) which has a minimum spend of NT$500 – unlike the FUFU Cat Cafe which is up several flights of stairs, this is on the ground floor so you can see what kitties are about.
Other snacks (human and cat treats) can be bought additionally.
Hide & Seek Cafe at Houtong Cat Village
If you’re visiting Houtong Cat Village along the Pingxi Line from Taipei, Hide and Seek Cafe is located along the ‘Cat Corridor’ area – they have a king-size kitty who runs about the place, plus cute cat themed food and drink.
We last visited Hide and Seek to escape the rain and it was one of few busy and bright spots in Houtong – the cafe seems to have a couple of resident cats (who have lots of toys and scratching posts inside) plus it was doing a steady trade with tourists and cat fans.
Hide and Seek cafe serves up adorable themed treats like cat puffs (very popular when we visited), cat shaped mocha smoothies, cat paw cake and cat pineapple cake. We ordered a latte coffee for NT$120 & an Americano for NT $90 (the latter came in a cat shaped cup and saucer).
Hide and Seek Cafe is open daily from 10.30am to 6.30pm – there is a minimum order of one drink per person.
Youshi Twilight Cafe
We loved this Jiufen cafe, as it had a nice atmosphere and best of all, cute cats who seem to come and go freely – one of the cats even went to sleep on the shelf right next to us.
Located away from the usual hustle and bustle of Juifen’s Old Street, it is also just a couple of doors down from the acclaimed CHLIV Jiufen coffee shop so you could make this a cafe crawl.
We fittingly visited Youshi Twilight Cafe at sunset and managed to get the last available seats in the window. This Jiufen cafe had 3 cats lazing around when we visited plus we believe there might be a dog too on some days (they must have been on holiday when we visited).
The interior is cute with Japanese styling and this was a really popular place with lots of international travellers and a clean bathroom – highly recommended.
You might like our things to do in Jiufen guide >
Cattown
Make mine a cat-puccino! We went to a few Keelung cafes and coffee shops on our latest 2026 trip but the most purrr-fect one was Cattown (map) – it features on Hotel Drizzle’s recommended cafe guide (the hotel we were staying in).
A cute little side-street cafe, Cattown serves up coffee and food and of course has some feline friends – there are even cartoon postcards of them.
The two cats here at Cattown are Tom (pictured- an absolute ‘chonker’) and Flower – prices are good and there is even a cat souvenir ink stamp.
More things to do in Keelung >
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