November 2015 - Traveling Cats - Travel Pictures of Cats

Cats from Damascus {Syria}

on Monday, November 23, 2015

The Al Azem palace is one of the must-see buildings in Damascus, Syria. A traditional palace with courtyards, fountains, and historic chambers, the Al Azem was originally built in 1750 as a residence for the Ottoman governor of Damascus As'ad Pasha al-Azm. The palace now houses the Museum of Arts and Popular Traditions. For cat lovers, however, the true draw isn't the palace's beauty but that of its many cats.

Source: Sobi

Have you seen our post The War Cats of Aleppo, Syria?

P.S. There will be a new screening of the short film based on my story Next to Her as part of the anthology feature Follow III: Love, Life, Ghent.
Date: November 29, 2015.
Place: Sphinx Cinema in Ghent.
Find out more about the story here.

Cats from Bristol {England}

on Tuesday, November 17, 2015

Move over cat cafés! Make room for... the cat pub!

You heard it right. A cat pub isn't for those who love cake and coffee and all things cozy. In the cat pub you're getting the real deal: beer and all other sorts of alcohol.

If this sounds appealing to you, I have good news.

The first ever cat pub just opened in Bristol in South West England.

The Bag O' Nails the cat pub is called.

However, the loyal souls of the Bag O' Nails pub don't like alcohol. Instead they'd do anything for a saucer of cat milk.

The pub counts fifteen resident cats. All except one were born in the pub. The youngest one arrived in a box during quiz night.

"It's a proper old fashioned pub," says cat pub owner Luke Daniels "Coming here is all about beer and talking."

The RSPCA warns, though, not to give any alcohol to the cats because it can cause serious harm and suffering.

Click through to Trip Advisor for more info and pictures of the Bag O' Nails cat pub.

Sources: Daily Mail and Telegraph

Get my cat book Avalon as a Christmas present for all the cat lovers in your life!

"A remarkable memoir worth five stars or more likely, seven."

Cat from Westport {Ireland}

on Friday, November 13, 2015

Can a cat and a hamster really be best friends?

These heartwarming pictures were taken by cat owner Paul Mealey in Westport, County Mayo, Ireland. He saw his two-year-old rescue cat, Lala, play in the garden with his new best friend: a hamster. The cat gave the rodent kisses and cuddles, and seemed to forget that they were supposed to be best enemies instead of best friends.

Source: Daily Mail

Read my cat book Avalon: a Heartwarming True Cat Story

Cat from London {England}

on Saturday, November 07, 2015

If you've ever commuted from or to Gipsy Hill train station in London, England, you have probably met a black and white cat named Fanny.

Not only is Fanny lounging about the South London train station on a daily basis (especially for early trains), she is also known to greet passengers and to give them cuddles. Try rustling a croissant bag if you want to draw her near you. It almost always works.

This tuxedo cat loves nothing more than getting attention from local passengers. She leaves the commuters at the Gipsy Hill station with a smile to take them through the rest of the day.

Follow Fanny on her Twitter account @TheGipsyHillCat.

P.S. Have you seen the cat from Highgate Cemetery and the cat from Brixton Village?

Read my cat book Avalon: a Heartwarming True Cat Story

Cats from Amsterdam {Netherlands}

on Tuesday, November 03, 2015

Welcome to Kopjes, the first cat café in Amsterdam!

'Kopjes' is a Dutch word meaning both 'cups' and 'head butts'. The perfect name for a cat café, right?

Last Wednesday, I spent the afternoon in the company of their cats Maan, Tiny, Eleonore, Dilla, Rosie, Horus, and Donnie. Donnie had arrived at the cat café only one day before but was already feeling at home. No wonder, because Kopjes is a paradise for cats as there are plenty of climbing shelves, scratching posts, cat towers, cat beds, water fountains, catnip plants, and cat toys. It's definitely an upgrade for these former shelter cats.

But most of all: they love to cuddle. Don't be surprised if one of the cats choses you and remains by your side during your entire visit.

Cat café Kopjes has a large selection of desserts, lunch options, and hot/cold drinks. I opted for the rye bread with home-made hummus and a ginormous glass of coconut water. Really delicious.

How to behave in the cat café?

Before you enter, you have to disinfect your hands with a sanitizer. The staff will then explain the rules of the cat café:

* Don't pick up the cats;

* If a cat is sleeping, don't wake him up;

* Don't feed the cats;

* Turn off the flash when you take pictures;

* Supervize your children to make sure their behavior with the cats is not too rough.

Practical information:

You can visit Kopjes from Wednesday till Sunday from 10 am till 7 pm. Reserve a spot beforehand because there's only place for 20 cat lovers.

The entrance fee is 3 euros which gives access to the cat café for two hours.

Address: Marco Polostraat 211, Amsterdam.

Tip: Kopjes is far from the center of Amsterdam and can impossibly be reached by foot. You're advised to take tram 13 near the Central Station into the direction of Geuzenveld. It's more or less a fifteen minutes ride, but so worth it. Cat lovers with leave the place with a big smile.