Last Updated on 12 November 2025 by Vanessa
If you’re a cat lover with a penchant for unique experiences, make sure to add NEKO Cat Cafe in Washington to your must-visit list. With locations in Seattle and Bellingham, NEKO offers more than just a cup of coffee—it’s a haven where cat cuddles and Japanese vibes come together. It’s a purr-fect destination for those seeking a one-of-a-kind cafe experience in the Pacific Northwest.
NEKO Cat Cafe in Seattle and Bellingham, WA: everything you’ve always wanted to know
How did NEKO Cat Cafe come about?
After spending three years abroad in Japan and Vietnam, NEKO’s co-founder Caitlin Unsell fell in love with the cat cafe culture.
While teaching kindergarten in Japan, she and her partner Cory visited countless cat cafes and started dreaming about opening one of their own back in America, at a time when cat cafes were still almost unheard of here.
With Caitlin’s ten years of restaurant experience and her lifelong love for cats, NEKO Seattle was born.
Despite many initial challenges, Caitlin and Cory created a place where you can bring your friends for happy hour and your little niece on Saturday morning.
But the main goal has always been to give cats the sanctuary they deserve.
NEKO Seattle later evolved into a second feline haven: Neko Cafe Bellingham.
Caitlin and Cory fell in love in Bellingham, and they had always wanted a reason to return and contribute to the community that had enriched their lives in so many ways.
That’s why NEKO Cat Cafe Bellingham came about.
Seattle vs. Bellingham: Which NEKO Cat Cafe Is Right for You?
Both are Washington cat cafes. NEKO Seattle sits in the Capitol Hill neighborhood, while NEKO Bellingham is right in the heart of downtown Bellingham. They’re about 88 miles apart, or roughly a 1.5-hour drive.
The main difference comes down to size and layout.
At NEKO Seattle, the cat room is separate from the bar, so you can stop in for a drink or snack even if you don’t have a cat room reservation.
“We’re biased, but we think our little furiends are the best view in the city,” says marketing manager Rae Caerns.
Seattle’s space feels cozy and intimate, hosting around 15 cats and up to eight people per 45-minute session. Guests can bring their drinks and snacks from the bar straight into the cat room for the full experience.
NEKO Bellingham, on the other hand, combines the bar and cat room into one shared space.
“Drinks and snacks can be purrchased in the cat room (or just outside) and enjoyed with the cats,” Rae adds.
Because it’s larger, Bellingham usually has 25–30 cats and offers a variety of visit options: standard 45-minute sessions, extended “Work/Study/Purr” stays lasting nearly three hours, private parties for up to 25 guests, and even cat yoga classes for the ultimate cozy-meets-cute experience.
The cats
NEKO Seattle is home to about 15 cats at a time, while NEKO Bellingham usually hosts around 20.
All of the cats at NEKO Cat Cafe come from RASKC (Regional Animal Services of King County).
As Rae explains, “RASKC has always understood our mission and trusts us to take great care of our kitties and find the right adopters for them.”
When it comes to special needs cats, Rae explains, “We focus on whatever our shelter partner needs most. For two years in Seattle, we welcomed only FeLV+ cats. Once that need became less urgent, we found forever homes for all of them and shifted to caring for general population kitties.”
Rae shares, “When RASKC had an overflow of kittens and not enough fosters, we moved our resident cats to NEKO Bellingham and opened our Seattle space to 27 kittens.”
She adds, “Because of our unique setup, we’re able to give extra attention to cats who need a little more time to warm up to people. Our team always chooses to prioritize those cats who need a bit of extra care and love.”
Both the Seattle and Bellingham NEKO Cat Cafes offer a delicious variety of drinks and snacks to suit every taste.
You’ll find freshly brewed coffee, rich hot chocolate, and a wide selection of teas, along with refreshing options like kombucha, lemonade, and strawberry milk.
For those who prefer something stronger, there’s also wine, sake, beer, cider, and seltzer on the menu.
To pair with your drink, NEKO serves Japan-inspired treats that make the experience even more special—think mochi, rice crackers, Pocky sticks, cat-shaped cookies, and Okazu Pan.
Practical information
Addresses
NEKO Cat Cafe Seattle, 519 E Pine St, Seattle, WA 98122, United States.
NEKO Cat Cafe Bellingham, 1130 Cornwall Ave, Bellingham, WA 98225, United States.
Opening hours
NEKO Cat Cafe Seattle
- Monday: 10:00 am to 09:45 pm
- Tuesday: 10:00 am to 09:45 pm
- Wednesday: 10:00 am to 09:45 pm
- Thursday: 10:00 am to 09:45 pm
- Friday: 09:00 am to 09:45 pm
- Saturday: 09:00 am to 09:45 pm
- Sunday: 09:00 am to 09:45 pm
NEKO Cat Cafe Bellingham
- Monday: noon tot 06:00 pm
- Tuesday: noon tot 06:00 pm
- Wednesday: noon tot 06:00 pm
- Thursday: noon tot 06:00 pm
- Friday: 11:00 am to 08:00 pm
- Saturday: 10:00 am to 08:00 pm
- Sunday: 10:00 am to 08:00 pm
Reservations
“We definitely recommend that visitors make a reservation beforehand,” says Rae.
“We take walk-ins when there’s space in the cat room, but sometimes that’s hard to come by. Our reservation system updates in real-time, and it costs the same as a walk-in, so we always recommend a reservation to ensure you get time with the kitties.”
Entrance fee
Both locations have an entrance fee. All contributions made in the cat room directly support the well-being of the cats and the individuals caring for them.
Entrance fee NEKO Seattle
In Seattle, a 45 minutes cat-room session is $22 per person. You will be joined in the cat room by a maximum of eight people and 12-15 cats.
If you want to have the entire room to yourself (with or without friends), you can also book a private 45-minute session for $176 on weekdays and $295 on weekends.
Entrance fee NEKO Bellingham
At NEKO Bellingham, a 45-minutes cat-room session is $15 per person. You will be joined in the cat room by a maximum of 16 people and 20-30 cats.
Just like in NEKO Seattle, you can also book a private 45-minute session for $240 (and you can invite up to 20 of your favorite people).
At NEKO Bellingham only, you can also book an extended ‘Work/Study/Purr’ experience. This session lasts two hours and 45 minutes and costs $33 per person.
Are children allowed?
Yes. All-ages are welcome in the cat room.
NEKO just asks that everyone under 13 has a grown-up with them and that there’s at least one adult for every two kids.
Final thoughts
“Our amazing communities—staff, visitors, online friends, and the kitties in the cat room—are beyond our wildest dreams,” says Rae.
By the time a cat goes home with their human, it means they’ve grown into their best selves. Both the staff and visitors play a significant role in helping these kitties get comfortable, confident, socialized, and undeniably loved.
“Witnessing these cats find their forever homes is exactly why my job is so incredible,” says Rae.
Do you want to see even more cats find loving families?
Consider sharing this post with your friends and on social media. Together, we can secure more forever homes for these purr-fect companions.
Have a look at all the other cat cafés around the world that we’ve visited and reviewed!
And if you are dreaming about opening your own cat café, the book Drinks & Whiskers: How You Can Open a Successful Cat Café by Angeli Rodriguez is a must-read!
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