If you love cats and if you love to travel, you will be pleased to know that there are places in the world where you can combine these two passions.
In fact, there are several “cat islands”, or islands where the colonies of our feline friends are so numerous that they far exceed the number of human inhabitants.
The most famous is, undoubtedly, that of Aoshima in Japan , where such locations are very frequent. There are also two in Italy !
Prepare cans, treats and lots of pampering and let’s go together for these destinations full of purr !
1 – Aoshima Island, Japan
Photo of 暇 ・ カ ゠コ. Thanks to word of mouth widespread especially on the internet, this cat island has become the most famous in Japan but also in the world. The island is inhabited only by 15 people of average age ranging between 50 and 80 years, but the feline colony can count more than 100 cats .
During the Second World War many people fled the island to the mainland and the depopulation continued, due to the lack of work, until modern times. To date there is no car or even a bicycle , so as not to disturb the tranquility of the lazy felines! Conversely, many of the abandoned houses offer a perfect shelter for catswho can really live in peace here.
Here is a curious video:
2 – Mykonos, Greece
Mykonos is part of the Cyclades, a group of islands off the coast in southeastern Greece. The Cyclades are home to a specific breed of cat, the so-called Aegean cat, formally recognized and regarded as the only native of Greece .
Mykonos itself is a well-known and popular summer tourist destination , but it is also the home of an incredible number of stray cats. As on Aoshima, the vast majority of cats on this cat island of GreeceThey have no owners but all the inhabitants of the island take care of them, as well as tourists and visitors. As if that weren’t enough, there is the Mykonos Animal Welfare, founded in 2005, an association that cares about the well-being of cats.
3 – Malamocco, Lido di Venezia Island – Italy
While there are still pigeons everywhere in Venice, the number of cats has drastically decreased in the last 20 years. Since 1965 the Onlus Dingo has been taking care of stray dogs in Venice and in 1989 it set up its own base on the small island of San Clemente where all homeless cats were able to find refuge, care and lots of love. Ten years later this sort of temporary home for strays awaiting adoption was moved to Malamocco, on the Lido Island.
4 – Su Pallosu, Sardinia – Italy
Sardinia is a paradise for lovers of beaches and crystal clear sea, but it can also be for cat lovers. Here there is one of the most beautiful feline colonies in Italy , that of Su Pallosu. It is located in a splendid nature reserve and is made up of about 60 cats, who are taken care of 24 hours a day by numerous volunteers who are part of the Friends of Su Pallosu Cultural Association.
All female cats and most of the males have been sterilized, the cats of this island also have a personal card complete with a photograph to make them recognizable and monitored by the Duemari Veterinary Clinic in Oristano. The colony is alsothe first oasis with felines all equipped with identification microchips .
5 – Island of Samos, Greece
Greece is famous for the feline colonies that are present practically on all the islands, stray cats are now part of the national scene together with the archaeological remains and the splendid sea. The island of Samos is no exception, where cats doze on practically every corner of any street! Hoteliers, residents and tourists contribute to taking care of the colony, together with an association that also promotes its adoption at an international level .
