The Secret 謐謐 新竹鐵道店 x 貓嶼

The long-awaited cat café had cats walking back and forth at the entrance, making us hesitant to open the door for fear that the cats would rush out.

Once inside, the staff first introduced the rules, explaining that all the cats were rescued (which I found super heartwarming). You can pet the cats but cannot pick them up. The staff will assign you a seat, and after deciding on your meal, you can order and pay at the counter. There’s a weekday-exclusive brunch option available, and the minimum spend is one drink or one meal, with a time limit of 110 minutes.

In addition to cakes in the dessert display, they offer fried foods, croissants, salads, and rice dishes, with a fairly diverse selection. However, I wasn't particularly hungry that day and didn't order any savory food. I ordered a hot milk tea, which for some reason was 10 yuan more than the cold drinks. They add sugar directly into the drink, making it sweet but not overly so; it felt quite suitable for the slightly cool weather. My friend ordered orange juice, which he said was okay. We originally planned to share a cake, but they only accepted cash, with no mobile payment options or support for bank transfers, so we felt it was a pity we couldn't have the cake.

Overall, the dining environment was comfortable. Even though there were many cats, it didn’t feel dirty; the cats were all adorable and friendly, although they were mostly sleeping. There was one mischievous cat that I saw biting on a charging cord left on the next table. The staff were also quite friendly, and my overall experience was very pleasant.