Sightseeing in Seoul: Tom's Cat Café in Hongdae!

One of the things that is quite characteristic about certain Asian countries such as Korea and Japan is that the population density makes it hard to have big apartments or gardens, and for many this also means limitations in the possibility of having a pet. Yet, people who do not have the chance to own a cat or a dog can still get the chance to cuddle with them in one of the many cat or dog cafés you can find here.
There are quite a few cat cafés in Seoul too, and since this was something I've never had the chance to try before I decided to spend an afternoon experiencing this interesting phenomena. I went with a friend to a cat café situated in Hongdae called Tom's Cat, which we had heard was supposed to be a nice place to see some very cute cats. You can take a look at the pictures below at some of them^^

You don't have to pay money in order to enter the cat café, but they do request that you buy one drink, starting at around 7000 won. After that you can just sit down and watch the cats play, or cuddle with them if you want. Some of them have lower tolerance towards humans, but these wear colored collars so they are easy to distinguish. Besides, there are over 20 cats it the café, all of different breeds, so it is not a problem to find one to cuddle with. (=^ェ^=) ニャン！

How to get there:
Address: 서울특별시 마포구 서교동 358-125 3층
It is very close from exit 9 of the Hongdae subway station (홍대입구). Easiest way to find it might be to walk straight until you reach the main road that goes to Hongdae University (홍대로), and when you reach the university you turn right, and take the first road to the right again. You'll actually pass by another cat cafe on the way there, which might be a good idea if the other one turns out to be closed or something;)

About Anette
Anette came to Japan as an exchange student in 2010, met the love of her life and got stuck. From her base in Tokyo she writes about her experiences as a full-time worker in Tokyo and about her travels in Japan and abroad. She's a free-spirited adventurer who enjoys both the great outdoors and her urban lifestyle.