Last Updated on 13 October 2025 by Vanessa
What do cats, cozy lattes, and Halloween vibes have in common? You’ll find them all at the cat café Chez Miss Miaouw in Namur, Belgium.
Halloween at Chez Miss Miaouw in Namur
The city of Namur, though small, is one of the cutest places you can visit in Belgium.
A day here is always memorable, whether you opt for a long walk along the rivers Meuse and Sambre, a visit of the famous citadel and belfry, or a casual stroll through the cozy shopping streets of the old town, .
Is that not enough to get you over there? What about the idea of spending a few hours in a cozy café in the company of several free-roaming cats?
Welcome to Chez Miss Miaouw.
Where did cat cafés originate?
Chez Miss Miaouw is modeled upon the many other cat cafés sprouting up all over the world.
The concept originated in Taiwan and Japan, and caters to people whose lifestyle doesn’t allow them to have a pet.
It allows cat lovers a place to have a cup of tea or coffee while getting to know the resident moggies.
So many years later, cat cafés have become a popular destination to cat lovers all over the world, including those who own a couple of felines themselves.
Cat cafés in Belgium
The two-storey Chez Miss Miaouw is not even the first cat café in Belgium (or “bar à chats” as they call it here).
Other examples of Belgian cat cafés are Poescafé in Leuven, Le Chatouille in Brussels, DreamKatchers in Ghent, and the now defunct Kuro Neko in Kortrijk and MangaKat in Brussels.
Curious about more places like this? Here’s an overview of all the cat cafés in Belgium.
Chez Miss Miaouw: how it all began
Chez Miss Miaouw was originally created by three ladies.
When one of them got pregnant and the other one wanted to travel, they left it to Miss Miaouw’s current owner, Pauline Valk.
She had never heard of the concept of a cat café before, but she loved both pastry and cats, and since she was ready for a career change, she decided to give the business a try.
She changed the interior of the place to include more light-colored wood and make for a maximum amount of luminosity.
Poils et moustaches
The cats at Chez Miss Miaouw are all fostered from a local shelter called Poils & Moustaches (which translates to Fur & Whiskers). That means all the cats are socialized, dewormed, sterilized, and chipped.
Adopt a shelter cat at Chez Miss Miaouw
The idea is that the cats at Chez Miss Miaouw can all be adopted.
A huge number of cats sit in shelters every year waiting for new homes to go to.
By giving some of them a place in the café, they are more likely to find their forever home.
All adoptions are made under contract of the association.
Not everyone can go home with a cat, though.
Potential adoptive parents are carefully screened, and only locals are accepted for adoption since Poils & Moustaches regularly schedules home visits to check whether the little ones are well cared for.
This seems to be working. There has been at least one adoption per week since the cat café opened.
Chez Miss Miaouw not only gives a temporary home to plenty of cats that wait for a family to adopt them.
It also serves up an extensive menu of pastries, coffees, milkshakes, smoothies, and teas.
And while you can’t bring your own four-legged furry friend along, there are plenty of cats to play with at the café.
All the cats at Chez Miss Miaouw are registered, microchipped, and fully vaccinated (and very cute, too).
Practical information
Address
Chez Miss Miaouw, Rue des Brasseurs 8, 5000 Namur, Belgium.
(This is in the center of Namur, almost right next to the famous citadel and belfry and at a very short walking distance from the shopping streets and train station.)
Opening hours
- Monday: Closed.
- Tuesday: Closed.
- Wednesday: 12:00 pm to 06:00 pm.
- Thursday: 01:00 pm to 06:00 pm.
- Friday: 01:00 pm to 06:00 pm.
- Saturday: 12:00 pm to 06:00 pm.
- Sunday: 12:00 pm to 06:00 pm.
Reservations
Unlike many other cat cafés, reservations aren’t necessary at Chez Miss Miaouw in Namur.
The cat café is open year round. However, the interiors are extra cozy around such special occasions as Halloween or Christmas.
Text and photos: Vanessa Morgan
Curl up with a cat and a book
Nothing pairs better with a cappuccino and a few friendly felines than a good cat story.
Avalon is an honest and touching memoir that beautifully captures what makes our connection with cats so special.
Available in English and French.
