Fly to Seoul: My Cat Cafe Experience in Myeongdong

Calling all cat lovers like me! If you're planning a trip to Korea, make sure to schedule a visit to their cat cafes! One of them can be found in the heart of Myeongdong called Cat Cafe. 

If you happen to wander around Myeongdong and spot a cat mascot holding a placard then you're almost there! 

He's positioned near the intersection where Adidas and New Balance are located. (More detailed directions can be found here)

I just had to take a selca with him! Plus you can ask him for directions in English.

Located not too far from him is a bright yellow sign at the upper right side:

The cafe is located on the fourth floor so you can either take the stairs or ride the very narrow elevator. I came with two other officemates and the elevator already got some cramped. ㅋㅋ

After we have replaced our winter boots with rubber slippers, we finally entered the cafe. We made our way to the counter to get a quick briefing from the cafe owner about the general rules of the place. Some of the rules include putting all valuables in a plastic bag and being aware of sensitive cats wearing a blue scarf.

The admission fee is only 8,000 won which comes with a free drink of your choice. It's not that expensive considering that you'll get to spend time with the cats as long as you want!

In the middle of everything, these two cats were getting comfy on the desk counter as if they were welcoming us.

This cat in particular has a perpetually shocked expression.

We arrived at the cat cafe at around 10pm and we were surprised to see so many people still visiting the place despite the the late hours.

Even though quite a number of people were present, we were able to get our fair share of play time with the cats. We were free to take pictures, play, pet and feed them (cat food has to be bought separately) to our heart's content!

In general, the cats didn't like being touched or they won't mind you unless you had food to give! They also didn't respond well to the toys provided by the cafe. I would assume though that they are already used to being photographed because they never got flustered when there's a camera right in front of them.

Here are some of the cats who were cooperative enough for a solo shot:

My favorite one ♡

Bonus!

A cat peed beside our seat and acted like it never happened. The smell was really bad at first but it didn't bother us as much because we didn't stay on our table the whole time. The keepers of the cafe would also spray disinfectant often so the cat smell isn't that strong either.

After some time spent in the cafe, I noticed that the air was getting stuffy perhaps due to too much cat fur. I don't have any allergies but since it was my first time in that kind of environment, I guess my body wasn't just used to it.

Inevitably, I'd also have so many cat fur stuck on my clothing after chasing and playing around with the cats. Good thing the cafe provided a lint roller so that we can return to our hotel cat fur-free.

We left the cafe at around 11pm which also meant closing time. This was indeed the perfect way to end our shopping night in Myeongdong. We had fun either playing with the cats or simply watching them as we enjoyed our drinks.  

I'd definitely recommend to anyone who wants to interact closely with these adorable creatures!

Have you ever visited a cat cafe before? Leave a comment if you wish to visit one or any animal-themed cafe!