Cats from Chiang Mai {Thailand}

This is a guest post by Emily Parker from Catological.com.

When it comes to cats in Thailand, you can never be sure just where a local might stand on the issue.

Some absolutely adore them. They live in temples, the gym I went to, the coworking space I worked at, and cafes galore.

In many cases, they’re loved and accepted, though most will still live outside the majority of the time.

However, there’s another side to the story here. For some reason, a large group of the population thinks that cats are “dirty”, and will discriminate and act terribly toward them.

I met people who had lived in the city for years, and they told tales of being kicked out of houses they were renting with no warning because the owner didn’t like the fact that they had cats in the house explicitly because they thought cats were filthy.

I’ve heard tales of neighbors becoming enraged when they found out the people I met had been feeding the kittens that lived in the neighborhood.

Unfortunately, overpopulation is a big issue in Thailand, too, as many people do not believe they should spay or neuter the local animals. Even if they did, many of them do not have the extra money in their budget to pay for the surgery.

However, I am happy to say that I experienced more of the good than the bad, and met so many beautiful kitties along the way.

From the beautiful cat who so casually jumped onto my chair to clean herself when I was about to start working at the coworking space, to the tiny kitten we came across down one of the back roads who just wanted to be held, my “cat radar” was always going at maximum capacity.

If you decide to take a relaxing trip to Chiang Mai in the north of Thailand, just watch your step when you’re walking down the alleys and inside the shops, because you’re bound to come across a furry face multiple times every day!

Cats from San Juan {Puerto Rico}

Buy a cat portrait and help the people (and cats) of Puerto Rico rebuild. All profits go to Puerto Rico hurricane relief.

"Around this time last year, I had the good fortune of finding myself in Puerto Rico for the first time," says A/J Jackson. "Just a few months later the devastating wrath of Hurricane Maria would sweep through and destroy much of the beauty I witnessed, leaving millions in a dire situation."

"After donating to various Puerto Rican hurricane relief charities I had an idea for another way I might be able to help. While going through my photos from the trip, I noticed a lot of really interesting images of Old San Juan's street cats. Something about them was captivating, like they were old souls wandering the timeless streets of the barrio. I thought, if there is one thing the Internet loves more than anything...it's cats. So I decided to start this philanthropic experiment in hopes that people's desire to help those in need and their endless love of cats might merge together to form the perfect charitable package."

Today, it is estimated that 11% of the population of Puerto Rico is still without power. Many people are without reliable access to clean water. And, for others, damage to buildings and communications infrastructure during the storm has made it difficult to find and keep work. Some estimates suggest that in the wake of Hurricane Maria the poverty rate in Puerto Rico has increased from 44% to 52%, and may reach as high as 59% this year.

When you buy a cat portrait, you will help the people and cats of Puerto Rico rebuild. All the photos are signed and printed using the highest quality standards from Art Works Fine Art Publishing in Highland Park, CA and matte framed by hand by Mission Framing of Los Angeles. 100% of the profits go to Puerto Rico hurricane relief and will be donated to Roofs for the Caño and the Humane Society of Puerto Rico.

More info: The Cats of Old San Juan

Cat from Chora {Naxos}

Under the right circumstances, almost any cat will hunt a mouse. As many of the cats on the Greek island of Naxos are strays and thus not allowed inside the homes, many of them live for the hunt.

World-renowned photographer Hans Silvester managed to capture the fascinating behavior of a mouse-chasing cat in Chora. The result is in these pictures.

Is your cat a mouser too? Or does he prefer to hunt other animals?

Source: Cats in the Sun by Hans Silvester

Cats from Tashirojima {Japan}

Today, we are visiting Cat Island.

"We were excited to visit this place because we like cats – I'm pretty sure the entire Internet likes cats – but it's a pretty interesting place because there are six times more cats than people on this island," says vlogger Eric Testroete. "Apparently, there are only about a hundred people living on the island, so if there are six times the cats, that means there are at least 600 cats on Tashirojima. So with cat stats like that, how could we not go?"

"When we got off the ferry there were cats to greet us pretty much straight away."

So why are there so many cats on this island?

During the Edo era, the local people on Tashirojima were growing silkworms to make silk. There are a lot of mice that really like the silkworms, but obviously, the local people didn't like the mice eating their silkworms, so they brought in the cats.

Read next => Visiting cat island Aoshima in Japan

One of the reasons cat island is so cool is because the locals have embraced it as well.

They painted up all these fishing buoys to look like cats. And there is a lot of cute little cat art all over the island.

There's even a cat toilet paper holder. It's purr-fect.

"And then, in the middle of the island, you have this cat shrine, which is super cool," says Eric Testroete. "There are all these cat figurines and cat stuff, and the cats hang out here as well."

The story behind this shrine is that the fishermen accidentally killed a cat when they were moving some rocks but felt bad enough about it that they decided to build a shrine.

"We also met this lady who came over from Vancouver," says Eric Testroete. "She brought cat toys with her, and the cats were loving it."

This sign shows how high the 2011 tsunami came.

The tsunami didn't actually go to the high end of the island because it is protected by a nearby peninsula. But the locals think the cats are good luck. Some people actually think that the cat population helped save the island.

"Since we had our bikes with us, we were able to travel around to different spots on the island that most people aren't able to go. And they are quite beautiful."

"We saw a sign that says there's a temple at the end of this path, so we decided to check it out. It was overgrown, and there were a lot of spiders, too, but I really loved the Japanese forest. It's so green and lush, and we don't ever get to see bamboo in Canada either."

"When we finally got to the temple, it didn't appear that used anymore because there are not so many people living on the island," says Eric Testroete. "Apparently, in the fifties, there were over a thousand people living on Tashirojima."

"After the temple, we continued our bike ride around the island. On the southern tip, the view of the Pacific Ocean was stunning."

"We went to an area called Manga Island, and they got these really cool guest houses there."

"But after an awesome day with the cats, it was time to go home. Our ferry had arrived, and we didn't want to miss it."

P.S. Have you seen our previous post about Tashirojima?

Cats from Sóller {Mallorca}

If you want to meet a bunch of cats when vacationing in Port de Sóller on Mallorca, it's a good idea to go and drink a sangria at the seafront bar Las Delicias or sunbathe on the Playa d'en Repic in front.

They hang out at the abandoned site next to Las Delicias, but they will often come out and venture onto the bar's patio and the Playa d'en Repic to look for food. Most of these cats are muy timido, very shy, and will run away if there's no edible incentive.

Some of these cats have seen better days. Please share your meal with them. They'll appreciate it.

The tabby was super sociable. At first, he couldn't care less that I took pictures of him and turned his back on me but after a few minutes, when he noticed he was the center of my attention, he came over for cuddles. When I sat down on my knees to photograph him, he jumped on my lap and settled down for a nap. He didn't move for at least twenty minutes, even when I put myself in a more comfortable position.

When I saw the tabby again a few days later, he did exactly the same. He installed himself on my lap and stayed for over an hour. If I didn't have a plane to catch, he would have stayed even longer.

Address: Las Delicias, Paseo de la Playa 17, Port de Sóller, Mallorca.

P.S. If the view of the Port de Sóller looks familiar, it's because it served as filming location for the TV-show The Night Manager.

Have you ever been to Port de Soller? Did you meet many cats?