Minimal

Minimal

Address: 台北市泰順街2巷42號 (Near Shida Night Market)

Hours: 12:00-24:00

Minimum per person purchase: cheapest menu item around NT$120

This popular cat cafe is near Shida Night Market, and with at least 20 cats, it’s hard to find another cafe that can beat it in terms of numbers. On a nice day, there are cats on the benches outside or curled up on the seats of parked scooters. Inside, they sit on the counters, over the dishes, in chairs. on tables, everywhere. But while they may look cute, there’s a problem with having so many cats–they stink. Walking into this cafe is like walking into an animal shelter. There’s an overwhelming odor of cat urine. Probably the carpet and the cushioned chairs don’t help. As it’s always busy, I assume most people don’t mind it.

The first time I went there, I enjoyed petting the cats that were outside, but when I went in and picked up a menu, I was so overwhelmed by the smell that I couldn’t bring myself to order anything and just left. But then I went back a few months later and brought a book and decided to have some coffee, deciding at least it was boiled so it wouldn’t be too unsanitary. It wasn’t great, but it wasn’t too bad. I love animals, and I know that at places where large numbers of animals are kept, there may be a bit of a smell. And I don’t mind that if I’m visiting an animal shelter, but it’s not very appetizing in a place where I’m going to be eating or drinking. The cats are very cute, but considering how many other cleaner cat cafes there are, I’d choose to go elsewhere.