- Play Hard
- 23rd Jan 2026
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- 0 minute
North East cat and dog cafés that should be on every animal lover’s list
Cat cafés started in Taipei, Taiwan with the first of its kind opening in 1998 called Cat Flower Garden.
It became a tourist destination, then later, cat cafés spread to more parts of Asia, and more recently, the rest of the world.
Now you don’t have to go all the way to Asia, or even to London, to visit an animal café – the North East has a few of its own, with resident cats and dogs to cuddle with coffee and cake.
CatPawCino
77 Quayside, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 3DE
Catpawcino is a garden themed cat café overlooking the River Tyne. You have to book a table which is £7 per person with a £2 deposit that goes towards vet bills, food and entertainment for the cats. It’s great value – everything on the menu (apart from their afternoon tea) is under £5. You’ll be able to enjoy a drink and cat-themed cakes and biscuits for an hour with your booking. They have eight permanent cats that are always there, along with other cats that the café is fostering until they get rehomed.
Dog and Scone
22 Pudding Chare, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 1UE
Dog and Scone is a place for dog lovers to enjoy a tasty treat while playing with seven adorable dogs. There’s a £7 booking fee per person with a £2 deposit. With this booking, you get your table for 55 minutes, with drinks and sweet treats all under £5. They have both vegan and gluten free options, so as long as you’re not allergic to dogs, you’ll be able to enjoy all that they have to offer.
You Meow
23 Bath Lane, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE4 5SP
A café with high focus on the cat experience is You Meow. This café costs £11 per person on arrival which includes a drink for each of you, biscuits, fortune cookies and treats for the cats. Unlike the others, and due to their priority being the cat experience, they don’t serve human food. You Meow is home to 16 beautiful boys, from all different breeds from Abyssinian to Sphynx, Tabby to British Shorthair, also a gorgeous Ragdoll named Pinocchio.
The Pawsome Cat Café
7 North Road, Durham, DH1 4SH
Visit the Pawsome Cat Café in Durham for a lovely hour with their seven resident cats, one of which is a Selkirk Rex, which if you don’t know, if a breed of cat with curly fur. It’s so cute. Like the others, there is a £2 deposit on a £7 per person booking for one hour. There’s food and drink available, all for under £5, with some vegan options for those who want or need it.
Canine Cuddle Café
34 High Street South, Durham, United Kingdom, DH7 8JW
Another dog café but with a twist, this one changes its resident dogs weekly, so every week there’s a new group of dogs to meet and cuddle. You can also bring your own dogs to visit and make some new friends. They have both family and dog-friendly menus where you can order an all-day breakfast, jacket potatoes or home-cooked specials and most importantly, they have lovely cakes (plus, 10% student discount).
Bad Cat Café
200 High Street East, Wallsend, NE28 7RP
A cat café and rescue that foster and rehome all their cats. Bad Cat Café bookings cost £5 for an hour with fairly priced sandwiches and treats as well as hot and cold drinks, of course. Like the others, the booking fees go towards the animals in their care. While we haven’t adopted a cat from them, everyone who has claims the process is nice and easy. Bad Cat Café only rehome if you’ll agree to keeping the cats as indoor cats for their own safety.
Sadly, the bunny and sheep cafés haven’t made their way over to the North East yet, so for those, you’ll still have to travel across to Asia. However, if you’re an animal lover, we recommend these fun cafés as a place to go and cuddle some adorable cats and dogs, and maybe even adopt one if you’re able.
Meena Green
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