Cat from London {England}

Do you know the creepy true story of the ghosts of Highgate Cemetery?

Highgate Cemetery is supposedly one of the most haunted places of London, England. One man, whose car had broken down, reported seeing a hideous apparition with glowing red eyes. Another man was knocked to the ground by a creature that "seemed to glide" from the wall of the cemetery and then disappeared into thin air. Some say it's a vampire, waiting for unsuspecting victims to take with him under the foliage-covered grounds.

Besides the ghosts and the vampire, Highgate Cemetery is also home to several cats who are said to be there to protect us from this evil.

However, those who are brave enough will discover one of London's most stunning places. 

The cemetery is divided into two parts, each with their separate entrance fees, tours, and visiting rules. 

Highgate Cemetery opened in the nineteenth century as a response to London's lack of burial grounds. It's the third of the seven cemeteries to be built back then. Some famous graves included those of Karl Marx, Douglas Adams, George Elliot, and Patrick Caulfield.

Address: Swain's Lane, Highgate, London N6 6PJ, England.

Read more about the Highgate Vampire in the books Haunted London and Haunted Cemeteries.

Cat pictures by: A Neurotic Girl Goes to London

Have you ever experienced something creepy? Tell us about it in the comment section below.

Happy Halloween!

More cemetery cats:

Numazu Cemetery in Japan
Recoleta Cemetery in Buenos Aires, Argentina
Cemetery of Montevideo, Uruguay
Montmartre Cemetery in Paris, France

Aoyama Cemetery in Tokyo, Japan

Cats from Eureka Springs {USA}

Welcome to the hotel where some guests check in... but never leave!

Many authorities list the 1886 Crescent Hotel in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, as the most haunted hotel in America. 

Guests claim to see black figures in the mirror, and orbs and ghostly mists in the shape of a little girl. They hear ghostly voices. Books fly through the air. EMF meters go crazy beeping and flashing.

People are so obsessed with the ghosts of 1886 Crescent Hotel that they forget to mention its most important asset: the cats.

"The first cat was Morris, a yellow tabby who came to the Crescent Hotel in 1979 and remained there until his death in 2000. There's a cat door on the back side of the lobby that was made just for him. Today people still report seeing his ghost roaming the halls," says author Kat Robinson.

"Since then, there have been cats on and off at the Crescent Hotel. Frisco and Shadow were born at the Crescent. Frisco loved to sleep in the rooms with the guests. She was a polydactyl cat, meaning she had six toes on each front foot. Shadow, on the other hand, was the shy type. Rufus with his crooked tail was next. Apparently, he loved to attend weddings at the Crescent," continues Kat Robinson.

"The current feline residents are Casper and Jasper who came to the Crescent Hotel on Halloween 2009. Casper loves to stalk dogs that come to the hotel with their owners. Jasper is more comfortable stalking people and loves to swipe at shoelaces as people pass."

Crescent Hotel now cashes in on the haunted hype by organizing ESP weekends and ghost tours. 

Tours run nightly starting at 8 p.m. and last 75 minutes. 

"Something bizarre does not happen every night on every tour, but sometimes they do happen," says Keith Scales, director of the hotel's ghost tours department. In any case, even if you don't encounter any ghosts, you are guaranteed to see a bunch of cute cats.

Cat pictures by Kat Robinson and Grav Weldon.

P.S. Have you seen our post Cats in the most haunted town in England?

Cats from Tokyo {Japan}

In the fall, especially with Halloween around the corner, it can be nice to stroll through a cemetery to soak up the creepy atmosphere.

 If you're in Tokyo, you may want to visit the Aoyama Cemetery. Not only does it contain the graves of many notable Japanese, but it's also the home of many stray cats that never fail to greet cat-loving tourists.

Fun fact: the Aoyama Cemetery's most famous grave is that of Hachiko, the dutiful dog who inspired the movie Hachi: a Dog's Tale with Richard Gere.

P.S. Have you seen the cats from the Ginza shopping district in Tokyo (warning: cuteness overload) and the creepy cat of the Numazu cemetery?

Cat from Barcelona {Spain}

I spotted this cat last week when in Barcelona, Spain. It's the resident cat from Centro Anandi, a spiritual center where you can follow yoga, meditation, and belly dance lessons; where you can enjoy massages and reiki; or where you can buy artisan candles, healing gemstones, etc. 

 Want to meet this cat as well? 

Centro Anandi is situated on the Carrer de la Mare de déu dels desemparats near the metro station Fontanera. Also nearby are the famous Parque Güell and the upcoming Barcelona cat café. 

Also, my short film Avalon will premiere this upcoming Friday, October 23rd, at Film Fest Ghent as part of the anthology feature film Follow III: Love, Life, Ghent. Don't hesitate to stop by if you have the chance. Otherwise, you can always find the original story, Next to Her, on Amazon.

Cats from Hydra Harbor {Hydra}

“Many of the cats in my book The Secret Life of Greek Cats were photographed on the island of Hydra,” explains author Joan Paulson Gage.

 “On a recent trip back to Hydra, I was curious to see if the economic crisis in Greece had affected the island's feline population. The harbor cats were there, as numerous as always. They were gathered to greet the tourists, waiting under the taverna tables for handouts, and avoiding being trampled by the donkeys in the harbor, who are the only form of transportation on Hydra,” Joan Paulson Gage continues.

“Every time I'd comment that the Hydra cats seemed thinner than before, my daughter Eleni would point out a fat cat who clearly enjoyed a regular meal schedule. The best fed and happiest cats on the island are, of course, house pets and store cats. The harbor cats have a harder life, but they regularly greet the fishing boats as they come in in the morning, hoping for scraps when fish are cleaned. They also keep an eye on the private boats anchored in the harbor-- to the point of mastering tightrope walking, if it will win a tasty bite. Even the wildest of the feral cats, when the sun begins to set, have to stop a moment and wonder at the beauty of their island, and take a moment to wish for good hunting and a full stomach tomorrow.”

You can find The Secret Life Of Greek Cats at Amazon US and Amazon UK.

Cats from Lia {Greece}

Hortensia and Haroula are sunning themselves on the terrace of Dina Petsis in the village of Lia, as they watch Dina prepare the bread called "prosphora" for lunch. Dina makes the dough with yeast and flour, kneads it and punches it down and then waits for it to rise. Just before she slides it on a paddle into the bee-hive-shaped outdoor oven, she stamps the dough with a bread stamp. The square in the center presses out the letters "IC XC NIKA" which stands for "Jesus Christ Conquers".

When Dina takes the bread to church, the priest will bless it and he'll cut out the square in the middle of the bread and mix it with wine for those who take communion. The rest of the loaf may be cut up for the antidoron, which is passed out at the end of the service.

It's an honor to bake the prosphora. The cats are proud that their mistress was chosen, and that she's the best cook in the village.

They're sitting under hydrangeas - some of them planted in empty tins from feta cheese and olive oil that Dina uses in her cooking. They love watching the baking and the way the bread smells as it cooks. Greeks call the hydrangea flower "Hortensia" and that's where the cat on the left got her name. Her sister is named Haroula, which means "Little Joy". Learning to cook and eating Dina's food are some of life's many joys in Lia.

Pictures and text come from the book The Secret Life of Greek Cats: Feline Photos and Cats' Tales of Greek Life and Lore by Joan Paulson Gage.