Five of the world's best cat cafes

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The global cat café craze first reared its furry head in the late '90s and hasn't shown any signs of slowing down. In fact, in the age of LOLcats, the cat café craze seems more popular now than ever. If you're travelling to any of these destinations, be sure to visit these famous feline food joints. (And before you ask, yes - New Zealand has cat cafes too! Try The Cat Lounge in Auckland or Fancy Meow in Rotorua.)

Cat Flower Garden, Taipei
We must give credit where credit's due - Cat Flower Garden is the original cat café. Having first opened its doors in 1998, this little Taipei café was the beginning of a global sensation that would continue to grow over the next two decades. And it's still around today.

Calico Cat Café, Shinjuku, Tokyo
Tokyo caught onto the cat café craze pretty quickly. In a city where the majority of inner-city dwellers live in apartments that don't allow pets - it makes sense. At Calico Cat Café, you can enjoy tea, coffee, beer and an inexpensive food menu alongside your cat experience. Bliss.

Brooklyn Cat Café, Brooklyn, NY
Not only is this the first cat café this side of the Brooklyn Bridge, this little café with a big heart recently made headlines for employing rats (yep, rats) as doting nannies for sick and orphaned kittens. Take that, Tom and Jerry!

Le Café des Chats, Paris
Near the Bastille station in Paris lies Le Café des Chats, a café full of cats who have been rescued from abandonment and unstable homes. Each month, the owners donate a portion of profits to the protection of cats in the city. A cat café with a conscience - what's not to love?

Catmosphere, Sydney
Of course the hippest cat café is located in Sydney. Not only is Catmosphere a cat-themed café, it's space-themed too - yep, it's a Space Cat Café. The legacy of Astro Cat is strong.