If you have a limited time, you might wonder which of the Santiago cat cafés to visit. Fortunately, you don’t have to choose. El Mundo de Dalí Cat Cafe and La casa de la gata Horacia are just a 15-minute walk apart in the Providencia neighborhood. It’s easy to visit both cafes in an afternoon.
El Mundo de Dalí Cat Café
When I strolled up to the Dali cat café without a reservation, I was met with a velvet rope barring my entrance. It felt a little like stories I’ve heard about 1970s discos in New York. Would I be worthy of admission? I had to wait a few minutes. But yes, I was in.
This was the prettier of the two cafes, with a lovely garden and several indoor rooms full of climbing shelves. About a dozen cats live at El Mundo de Dali. Unlike most cat cafes I’ve visited around the world, these kitties aren’t up for adoption. This is their house.
I visited on a hot afternoon. There were about ten people in the garden, eating snacks and drinking coffee in groups. I sat on the ground, and a lovely long-haired gray cat named Carboncito climbed on my lap. A worker gave me a laminated card with info about each cat (complete with QR codes to learn more), such as name, birthdate if known, and personality traits.
Most of the cats weren’t too interested in the customers, it being hot and late in the day, until the worker passed out squeezy treats. Then the party got started and the gatos became muy emocionados. Cats I hadn’t seen yet came out of the woodwork. A hungry flame point, a Scottish fold, two black cats, another gray, all swarmed around seeking treats. This was the best form of interaction, as I couldn’t find any toys.
Admission is 5,000 Chilean pesos. I’d say it’s a nice place to have your coffee and hang out with some cats. But don’t get your hopes up that they’re going to fall in love with you. This is their house. They’re not trying to impress anybody. Groups bigger than five must reserve ahead of time.
Casa de la gata Horacia
A short walk away from Dali, Casa de la gata Horacia occupies three floors of a corner building. You’ll quickly spot it, thanks to all the cat art on the exterior. On the first floor, you order. You eat and drink on the second floor, and play with cats on the third.
Horacia has a 5,000-peso minimum food and drink charge. You eat and pay, then play. If there’s a limit on playtime, they didn’t mention it. And all the food is vegetarian or vegan! A soy cappuccino and a sparkling water covered my entry fee.
The cats can come down to the second floor and hang out with people eating their veg pizzas or slices of cake. But most stay on the third floor where they have a playroom and a big catio lined with litter boxes and food bowls. In the playroom, cats lounge on climbing trees and chill in fabric tubes. Like the Dali café, there weren’t many toys. I found one small ball and threw it around the room. Four or five cats chased it.
Unlike Dali, people adopt cats out of this café. As you walk upstairs to the second floor, the walls are covered with photos of “adoptados,” or adopted cats. It’s heartening to see so many have found permanent homes.
One clever touch: As I headed upstairs, a worker said, “You can pet them with this” and handed me a brush. With all the customers brushing them, no wonder these kitties have soft, shiny fur.
All the Horacia cats are rescued by the Emilia Sanctuary. As the website puts it, “They are cats that have experienced abandonment but today enjoy the comfort of a house designed especially for them.” Horacia offers yoga classes, reiki, literary, artistic workshops, conscious eating workshops, and other events.
Visit the Santiago cat cafes!
So if you are a cat lover visiting Chile’s capital city, you can get your cat fix at one of the Santiago cat cafes and stave off loneliness.
