Cat café to open in Tenerife
The Canary Islands first-ever cat café, called La Gatería Miaumigo, is about to open in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. It's been confirmed that the café will be in the Duggi neighbourhood of the capital.
A cat café is a unique kind of venue where visitors can enjoy drinks like coffee or tea while relaxing in the company of cats. Some also offer cosy reading corners or quiet workspaces designed to promote calm and wellbeing.
Guests visiting La Gatería Miaumigo will only pay for the time they spend inside, and during their visit, can enjoy free tea, coffee, water, and Wi-Fi. They’ll also be able to interact with the resident cats in a peaceful, welcoming setting perfect for reading, working, studying, or simply unwinding.
To operate legally, cafés of this kind must follow strict health and animal welfare regulations to ensure both the safety of customers and the well-being of the cats. The owners also need a specific licence authorising this activity.
A global concept with feline charm
The world’s first cat café was the Cat Garden, which opened in Taipei, Taiwan, in 1998, and quickly became a hit with locals and tourists. Its popularity inspired similar ventures in Japan, where the first opened in Osaka in 2004 under the name Neko no Jikan (“Cat Time”). Since then, Japan has become the global heart of cat cafés, with over 40 now operating in Tokyo alone.
Many of these cafés specialise in particular breeds or colours of cats, while others promote animal adoption and awareness about pet welfare. The concept even expanded to include cafés featuring other small animals such as rabbits.
Europe followed suit in 2012 with Café Neko in Vienna, and Paris soon after opened its first cat café in the Marais district in 2013. Spain’s first was La Gatoteca in Madrid, launched later that same year as part of the NGO ABRIGA, dedicated to cat adoption and protection.
Now, Tenerife will join the list, giving animal lovers a chance to sip a coffee and make some furry new friends right in the heart of Santa Cruz.
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