Seoul, Part 11: Making New and Unusual Friends

Animal cafes are all the rage in South Korea. From cat and dog cafes to sheep, racoon, meerkat and wallaby cafes, you can cuddle up to just about any animal while sipping a coffee or tea.

One afternoon we decided to try out one of the animal cafes and found the Eden Meerkat Friends Cafe located in Myeongdong. We were told the location in Hongdae is much better (and larger), but unfortunately that location was closed for renovations when we attempted to stop by. The Myeongdong location is rumored to be closed and possibly relocated to Incheon, but we have not received confirmation of this information at this time. 

Sweet wallabies hopped around the cafe freely, cozying up to anyone who may be able to offer a treat. These were definitely some food-motivated friends. A fox slept soundly in his enclosure, while a chunky racoon begged for just one more treat. A variety of unique cats lounged lazily on carpeted posts, such as a genet, bengal, siamese and devon rex cat. And of course, there were plenty of energetic little meerkats in two separate enclosures in the cafe. One meerkat in particular took a special liking to Brent, and refused to leave his post on his shoulders. Grumbling at the caretakers, he was finally coaxed down with a treat and we made our quick escape.

The blankets are for safety measures. Not only are meerkats very playful little creatures, they are also quite curious as well. They love to dig into pockets and will steal away just about anything they can find. Meerkats also emit a very erm, interesting, musky odor - one that I would liken to that of a ferret. The blankets provide additional protection to your clothing, preventing you from carrying around the scent-a-la-meerkat throughout the rest of your day.

Although there were a few drinks offered for sale, it wasn't much of a "cafe". We still enjoyed getting to spend time with the furry friends, and appreciated that the space was quiet and had low traffic. In the hour we spent in the cafe there were maybe a handful of other people who came in to visit. Purchasing a drink or snack is optional; however, you will pay a reasonable entry-fee to come inside and encounter the animals.

Visiting an animal cafe while in Seoul is definitely a touristy thing to do, but an activity that we still enjoyed. Next time we are in Korea I would definitely like to visit a dog cafe. For those who aren't allergic to cats like myself, the many many cat cafes look like a lot of fun as well.