Cat-Friendly Places in Egypt: 9 Ranked Spots

Cairo's most beloved cat café is on Zamalek island, the Nile-island neighbourhood favoured by diplomats and expats. Twelve cats, all with ancient Egyptian names like Nefertiti and Thutmose, live here in a beautifully decorated space. The café serves Egyptian karkadé (hibiscus tea), Arabic coffee, and Umm Ali dessert alongside cat cuddles.

Cairo's legendary medieval bazaar has been home to cats for over 600 years. The cats of Khan el-Khalili are community property, fed by merchants, worshipped by tourists, and deeply woven into the fabric of Islamic Cairo. The best time to spot them is early morning before the crowds arrive, when dozens rest on spice sacks and jewellery stalls.

The Egyptian Museum on Tahrir Square holds the world's largest collection of ancient cat artefacts, thousands of Bastet figurines, cat mummies, and bronze cat statues dating back to 3000 BCE. The dedicated cat gallery is a pilgrimage site for feline history enthusiasts, and the Grand Egyptian Museum (opened 2023) has expanded the collection further.

Tell Basta in Zagazig is the ancient city of Bubastis, once the centre of Bastet worship where millions of cat mummies were offered to the goddess. The excavated ruins include the remains of the great Bastet temple, and today feral cats still roam the archaeological site in an echo of history 4,000 years old. A bucket-list destination for any cat lover.

After sunset, Luxor Temple becomes a kingdom of cats. As the tourist crowds thin, dozens of well-fed cats emerge from between 3,300-year-old columns and sphinx statues, seemingly oblivious to the monuments surrounding them. Evening tickets grant access to both the illuminated temple and its feline residents, one of Egypt's most magical experiences.

Old Coptic Cairo, one of the world's oldest Christian communities, is beloved for its resident cat population. The narrow lanes between the Hanging Church, Ben Ezra Synagogue, and St. Sergius Church are patrolled by cats who've lived here for generations. Church caretakers feed them daily and consider them guardians of the sacred sites.

In Cairo's leafy Maadi suburb, Meow Café offers a quieter alternative to Zamalek's busier venues. Nine cats and an English-language menu cater to the expat community. The rooftop terrace, shaded by bougainvillea and hosting three semi-resident cats, is the café's main draw during Cairo's cooler evenings.

Alexandria, Egypt's Mediterranean city founded by Alexander the Great, has its own cat café overlooking the Eastern Harbour. Eight cats and a menu of seafood mezze and Turkish coffee make this a uniquely Alexandrian experience. The cats occasionally escape to the corniche and are chased back by affectionate staff, a local comedy routine loved by regulars.

The temples of Philae and Kom Ombo near Aswan both host resident cat colonies. At Kom Ombo, the double temple dedicated to the crocodile god Sobek, cats sleep among ancient reliefs and emerge at dusk to socialise with visitors. The Nile-side setting and golden evening light make this one of Egypt's most photogenic cat encounters.