The Cats of Rome

The first time I visited Rome, back in 2005, I recall seeing a spot on my map entited, "Area Sacra" (holy area) and being overwhelmed with curiosity. Upon reaching the site, Torre Argentina, I was intrigued and saddened by the hoards of feral cats populating the site. Being a cat lover all my life, I immediately inquired about the cats and was partially relieved to discover there were concerned people tending after the animals. This lens reminded me of that day, and the pleasant memories I have of my first trip to Rome.

Thank you for this thoughtful lens. I hope it inspires people not only to visit Rome, but also to adopt or support the cats there or in their local area.

Good thing you brought this under the attention.

Thanks for bringing the plight of these abandoned cats to our attention; I never new there were so many stray cats in Rome. I have rescued a total of about 20 strays over the years and the first thing we do is spay and neuter them. Unfortunately, the majority of people where I live let their cats roam about and they are not spayed or neutered.

Olivia Felini is touched by the plight of these cats in Rome. She sends them a soft meow of encouragement. Thank you for publishing this lens.

I'm with you. I won't be living in a place that considers cats on a par with rodents. Obviously, anyone who thinks a cat to be rodent-like has never experienced the extreme intelligence and spirit of a feline. Shame on them! I've started volunteering at my regional animal shelter (where I adopted one of my wondrous cats). And, I had this exemplary animal welfare nonprofit added as a Squidoo partner very recently. Now, my commitment, in addition to volunteering at the shelter, is to create lenses to help raise support for adoptions, spaying/neutering, and education. I believe children are the key to a proactive stance on providing animals with the respect and care they deserve. This is an outstanding web page (as always). Thank you for being such an important advocate and champion for animals. I appreciate you!

I lived in Spain for four years, and the same problem existed there. In fact, when I moved into a Piso I had rented, I had to clean cat 6 inches of cat droppings from the patio, which I had the only access too, but the neighbors above threw food to the cats. The neighbors loved the fact that I kept it clean and disinfected, and in return, they stopped feeding the cats! Thanks for a great lens.

It is strange that the once so admired cat is now so looked down upon in Rome. Spay and neuter programs truly are the answer to end animal abuse.

Wow, I had never heard this before. I'd love to visit Rome.

Lived in Rome for years. Love the city, love cats in general. Street cats are everywhere. They seem like a timeless part of the city's legacy to me. Some are probably descendants from Rome's earliest days. Not all Romans regard the cats as pests, but stray animals can (understandably) be a nuisance. cats lovers tend to be more tolerant :-)

I want to take all of them!!

i have always wanted to visit!!!

I have visited there before and was surprised to see so many cats.

Get your feeder to accompany you to Athens - same situation over there. Blessed.

its sad how humans think they are so much better than other creatures on earth...

this just tears my heart out to see cats treated like this

very informative lens, my wife and I want to go to Rome to see the Cats now!!

Very informative lens. It is sad how they view cats there. I'm glad there is a sanctuary for them.

Some stories are just fascinating and this is one of them! Incredible information I would have never known. Thanks.

very interesting lens...congrats a ton!!!

Interesting lens. Is there the same problem in every city / Italian city?

Interesting lens. Is there the same problem in every city / Italian city?

Very interesting and informative lens. Thanks for taking the time to create it.

very noble

such a nice cats! It is said that nobody take care of all those cats :(

Except for three of my cats the rest were stray. The three others were born in the house before I could get their mother fixed. Most of the stray cats around my house know they can get something to eat and no one will bother them at my back door. I find it sad that these beautiful animals are so reviled when in fact they are so magnificent.

I have three beautiful cats. All were strays said to be feral, NOT true. Humans use the word feral because they simply are ignorant. Because an animal shows signs of caution or If you corner an animal or human for that matter it will defend itself. Donations to local Humane Societies & Organizations you know will help keep the cost of Spay and Neuter affordable which is the best solution,unless you are planning to breed.

While certain breeds are one-owner types, others are cautious and rightfully so.

People that refer to them all as Feral DO NOT KNOW how to approach them nor should

they be working around them. The GodFather's pet was a Cat!

I must say it was the intro photo that drew me here. I had no idea Rome had so many stray cats. We'd like to adopt them all too, but alas, only room for two cats in our RV. Thanks for letting us know about this Vladi.

Just super - I have seen the cats of Rome for myself and it nearly broke my heart. Excellent work - I am sure you ARE making a difference

Very nicley done on your Roman cousins (visit Athens for similar): Angel Blessed.

This was interesting. I had no idea! Nice lens.

We have street cats by the tons in Kuwait, too... they are also not feral.... but they aren't house cats, either. They do breed very fast, and some people feel that it's unethical to spay and neuter them.....for religious reasons.

As a cat lover, I loved your lens! Very interesting and educational...

Poor cats....hope that their welfare will be properly taken care of.

Interesting lens! I learned something today ... I've never seen a Pallas Cat. Very Cool!

Cats are a problem just about everywhere it seems. I have one and two ferals which I caught and paid to have desexed. Now I feed them, but they will not come too close. Thanks for this lens. Very interesting.

It makes me sad too. I love animals. This is a photo of me and a baby tiger. We have Charlie the cat at home.

Animals need help everywhere. Thanks for bringing this to the attention of everyone, Valdi.

Hi Vladi, I once started a lens on the cats of Dubrovnik, but never got it finished. One of these days I will start it up again. I don't know what the laws are about cats there, but it certainly is a lovely place for a cat to live. Lots of sunshine and tall places for a cat to lay around looking important.

Interesting report on a topic of concern. By the way, I particularly liked the opening photo - is that one of yours?

I've seen the cats of Rome. I've also seen a calendar of them - I hope the sales go to the cats!

As a cat lover, this makes me quite sad... thank you for sharing.

Poor things - thank you for sharing this lens.

I have seen the cats of Rome! I didn't know about the Cat Sanctuary, though. This is a great lens!

I do love cats, and its sad to see the way some people treat their pets. Thumbs up to the Cat Sanctuary.

I went to Rome this past summer and don't remember seeing many, but they do sell calendars featuring these "gatti" and I recognize some of the picture locations :)

enjoyed browsing upon your lens tonight, earned a 'thumbs up' from this avid reader.

Never knew about Cats of Rome. Very informative lens

Thanks for sharing this. Never really knew about this til now.

The city of cats and the city of men exist one inside the other, but they are not the same city. - Italo Calvino.

this is an awesome lens with awesome photos!

I got dumped in front of this 'sanctuary' from an over-stuffed bus. The stench was horrific! I have no idea what the solution is, but first the community has to believe it has a problem, and I don't think they do! Tourists pay for their food, the community supports it. I am almost amazed that someone did a lens, but I'm glad you did!

congratulations a ton ...enjoyed your lens....

These many cats will make Rome mice free.......

Romans needn't worry about a plague epidemic again.......

Sadly, Rome is just one of Italian cities with this same problem...

Excellent lens. Interesting (it's about cats so it can't help but be lol) factual and full of links for more info. Blessed. Bear hugs, Frankster aka Cat-Woman

great and informative lens.

I had no idea! Fantastic lens!

that's crazy, I just went to rome last month and I loved the city, i don't even remember seeing all the stray cats but maybe because i was looking at architecture haha :-) great read, thanks!

I love cats and I love Rome :) I visited Rome new year 2007 ... this bring lot of happy memories. Thank you

300,000 cats is a lot of stray cats. But I love cats.

I like lens. i know rome but didnt know this is a big problem for them and that cats are so downgraded there. its sad!

I was fortunate enough to visit Torre Argentina and was not previously informed of the cat population in this sanctuary as well as in Rome itself, so it was a very big surprise to see so many cats roaming around, especially coming from Ohio where most cats are pets or on farms and not ever seen in the cities. It is sad that the cats get treated as pests when it is the people who caused the problem in the first place. Cats are wonderful animals, not annoyances.

Great lens. I must admit I enjoyed taking photos of the cats throughout the ruins of Rome. They looked like guardians of a temple, and sent my imagination flying. Regarding the "insensitivity" of the Italians, it really is a matter of education, and all countries in Southern Europe need it.

I didn't know about this place. You have just been blessed!

I had no idea! Another great lens.

I was born in Rome, and Ive been living there for 38 years. I know the Sanctuary very well, and I know how bad some Italian people can be. But - I know Im telling something obvious - not everybody is that way. In Rome maybe youve heard the word "gattara": we use it to call a lady who feeds the stray cats.

Unfortunately, its not only a matter of education - and I know it well, because Ive worked for almost ten years as environmental educator, and I did my best to rise the attention about the problem of the abandon of animals.

But... like you say... never give up trying!

Thanks for writing about this. I never would have thought that cats would be seen as a nuisance anywhere!

I couldn't imagine abandoning any cat like that after I have made a commitment to take care of them. It's really sad that these cats are thought of as rodents.

A very unique and beautiful lens. A bit sad too

So sad to see so many beatutiful cats wandering like that.

Congratulations on the well deserved Purple Star. I hate to think of cats being treated as rodents.

Congrats on that pretty purple star

So a precious purple star for you dear Vladi. I know you won't let it go to your head but you're free to get into some small-to-medium boasting

Hoping to see this get a little purple soon.....it deserves it, any cat that looks out for his global friends deserves it :)

What a wonderful topic! Beautifully described. (I should do a lens on the strays that were howling in my front yard tonight.)

I had no idea they weren't liked either. Blessed.

Very interesting Vladi and I can see why you would want to let us know about these cats in the Colosseum. Blessed by an Angel :)

That is very sad. I wish cats had a better rap. I would love to have a cat but I'm hesitant as many Australians consider them pests too.

Fascinating lens, I had no idea that cats were viewed in this way in Rome. Beautifully written and presented, I hope it brings much attention to their plight.

That is so interesting to read about the cats of Rome. I also did not know that the people there did not like them much, and that these cats were decendants of cats brought from Egypt. Thanks for doing this lens.

I remember seeing lots of cats in Rome- didn't realise that the Italians disliked themthough- I thought they must love them!

Cats are mystical and like all living things deserve respect and admiration. Apparently we humans who alter the natural order and must take responsibility for that.

What fascinating information i never knew. Cats believed to be 'rodents' incredible!

I love your articles...all wonderfully researched on topics that grab the heartstrings.

Great Lens. I do Animal rescue in the United State. Sadly too many unwanted cats and dogs is a world wide problem.

Vladi, thank you for your work in spreading the word about abandoned cats. This is a beautiful lens. It is receiving an Angel blessing and will be featured on my SquidAngel At Your Service lens.

@mythphile: I hadn't saw this lens before by the First Giant Squid Cat on Squidoo. This cat can make nice lenses for worthy causes. Well done Vladi! Oh how I would love to visit Rome, and I would bring kitty treats galore!

Aw, Vladi! how beautiful and sad. I don't recall seeing cats in the ruins like that when I was in Rome 25 years ago. I'm glad someone's taking the initiative and helping.

I've just sent them a bit of a donation to help out. I wish everyone would get the spay & neuter message. It's hard to believe that the world has a sufficiency of cats, but it does. Samhain is a shelter cat. My mother's new cat is one that some jerks dumped out of a car -- in the SNOW -- and he is now being treated with the honor, food and adoration any self-respecting cat deserves.

Anyway, this is a lovely lens, and I enjoyed seeing these beautiful cats! Thank you for getting the word out.

Thank you, Vladi, for getting the word out about the Roman cats. I too would love to adopt Tarek, he is almost as handsome as you are.

I have seen the cats of Rome myself but did not know they were not feral cats. While it is indeed horrible that people will dump cats, it was also heart-warming to see the housewives of Rome turning out with the remains of the evening meal to share with the stray cats. There are kind souls and cat friends everywhere.

So sorry I did not see this lens before now as I would love to have seen this win a Sunshine Award. Angel blessed in any case.

wow, I had no idea that there were all those unwanted cats in Rome. I have a good friend who has over twenty cats so I will have to suggest that she go rescue these. This lens is now featured on Squidoo's Summer Sunshine Award Nominees and I nominated. Good Luck.

Nice of you to highlight the plight of your fellow species mates! Especially since you're so jealous of competition! Are your cat eyes green? (LOL captcha is dogtoes)