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?

Cat from Buenos Aires {Argentina}

“It could just have been any weekday… One of those days where you come home late, do the groceries and start preparing dinner. Maybe it was a Tuesday? Or maybe a Wednesday? I don't quite remember. Nevertheless, it quickly turned out that this was not going to continue being just any weekday,” says Rebecca Hoffman, co-author of the travel blog Becci Abroad and of this book. “This was going to be the day where our family expanded with a +1, and we adopted the cutest little cat from the streets of Buenos Aires.”

Keep on reading to get the whole story!

It was the beginning of December, and the nights were getting warmer in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Rebecca was heading home after buying groceries. As she approached the entrance of her building block in the Villa Urquiza neighborhood of Buenos Aires, she saw two of her neighbors standing outside on the pavement.

Her neighbors never hung out together because they didn't get along. Once in a while, she chatted with a lady who took her big white cat for walks on the patio of the building. Otherwise, they kept to themselves. However, that night something was up.

As Rebecca approached, she could see they were looking at a small white and brownish cat. It had the most beautiful light-blue eyes and black spots all over its body, but most characteristically, a big black spot on the nose.

Rebecca asked the owner of the white cat whether she had bought another one. The woman looked worried and answered, “No, this one isn’t mine. It seems lost and has been meowing on the street for a while now”.

They had tried to give the cat some food and a little bed on the pavement, but it seemed more interested in getting petted. “Since I have a big heart for cats, I couldn’t pass by like nothing happened,” said Rebecca. “I stopped to pet the cat, forgetting everything about groceries and dinner.”

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Rebecca's boyfriend came outside. “The cat is leaving when you are leaving,” he said, while they stood in the opening of the front door.

He was right. The small, fluffy feline was slowly walking away.

“It is karma; the cat is meant for you,” he said. “Take her with you.”

“We can’t. What will the dogs say?” Rebecca brought in.

“We'll see,” her boyfriend said.

Rebecca couldn’t bear to think of where this cat might end up. It was clear that it hadn’t eaten well for days. It was dirty and was continuously requesting love and petting. “We will take care of the cat until you find the owner,” she told her neighbors.

“With the dogs?” One of them asked.

“Yes, we'll see how it goes. The dogs normally don’t fight with the cats in the street,” Rebecca answered.

She took the cat up in her arms and went inside. The cat was okay with being held but freaked out about the elevator door, so Rebecca took it up the stairs and into their apartment. She showed her new pet to the terrace, where it hid behind a lemon tree.

The neighbors agreed that they would post on Facebook and go to the police to ask if somebody had reported their cat missing. But nobody called. Nobody answered on Facebook. Nothing.

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The cat has stayed there ever since. Rebecca and her boyfriend named her Gata, which is kind of a strange name for a cat in a Spanish-speaking country since it just means “female cat.” But in Danish (and in English), it doesn’t really have a meaning.

“She is super talkative and wants to take part in all kinds of activities, from watering plants to hanging the laundry up to dry – and it is even better if I can include a huge amount of petting,” Rebecca said.

“Gata's favorite spots are on a chair with my old pillow and under the lemon tree (as in the pictures). She has food and fresh water on the parrilla (Argentinian-style barbecue), which we never use anyway. Or she sits on the staircase overlooking the living room. Lately, Gata has been coming down lying next to me when I work as an assistant writer on the blog!”

Rebecca Hoffman took Gata to the vet to get her checked and get the necessary vaccines. She is healthy but needs her teeth cleaned.

Gata never seems to go any farther than the roof of the building. “Even though she has all the opportunities in the world to leave, she has chosen to stay with us,” Rebecca said. “Gata is doing good, and she gets on okay with the dogs. I believe she told them they are stupid, and she is the master as cats tend to do.”

So, this is the story of how Rebecca Hoffman and her boyfriend adopted a street cat in Buenos Aires, Argentina. They don’t know where Gata came from. They will probably never know. But now the cat is part of the family.

Read next => Cat comes to rail station and gives passengers cuddles.

Have you ever adopted an abandoned animal? Or maybe wanted to? Share your story or thoughts in the comments below.