Top Five Must-Visit Destinations for the Cat-Lovers

If you are a cat lover and you love traveling, you can't miss these heart-healing places!

1. Japan: Cat Islands "Aoshima" and "Tashiro"

Japanese are famous for their obsession with cats, with almost one in two households having a cat. The islands with the most cats are Aoshima and Tashirojima. The population in Aoshima is small, and the island was heavily infested with rats at the time, so the residents kept many cats to catch the rats. After WWII, the island's young inhabitants went to the city in search of jobs, and the population fell precipitously, leaving only a few retired individuals.

The cats, on the other hand, remained on the island and began to reproduce. There were more cats than people living there. The cats not only helped the islanders get rid of rats, but they also helped the local economy. Many young people began to return to the island and provide accommodations for tourists who visit the island to see the cats.

Tashiro Island is home to 25% of the population and 75% of the cats. On Tashiro Island, the cats are considered gods by the islanders, and there are several cat shrines and cat-shaped buildings. There was only one regulation on the island from the beginning: "no dogs permitted."

2. U.S: The Ernest Hemingway Hous

On Key West Island, located at the southernmost tip of the Florida Keys in the United States, there is a two-floored white building in which more than 50 cats live, and 90% of them have "polydactyly genes." This is a condition in which the subject has more than the normal number of fingers or toes. This is why polydactyl cats are also called Hemingway cats.

In this house, he wrote “Cats in the Rain” in the company of cats, using them like a thread to guide the story, which is one of Hemingway's best early works.

He once said, "Cats are the kindest and most loyal of companions. One cat will lead to another cat."

Hemingway is known to have kept more than 30 cats at a time. After his death, his cats inherited the place. But the Hemingway family's cat-loving heritage has not disappeared, and today his great-granddaughter, supermodel Dree Hemingway, is also known as a cat lover.

Dree Hemingway on ELLE Cover

3. Rome: The Cat Kingdom in Ruins (Torre Argentina)

When you think of Rome, you certainly have an image of the capital of Italy and the Roman Empire at a time when it was so prominent, as well as the traditional Roman Colosseum and other monuments. What is not known is that in Rome's Argentine ruins lies a haven for stray cats, which is now a must-see for tourists.

In 2002, the Rome City Council legislated for the protection of stray cats as a "biological cultural heritage" that could be housed and protected in the monuments.

The so-called Argentine ruins, a low-lying area circled between buildings, are the ruins of a temple dating from the Roman Republic, discovered in the 1920s. This crumbling area is over 2,000 years old and the historical monuments are still well preserved. It is here that Brutus is said to have assassinated Julius Caesar in 44 BC. The staff here have made it their mission to adopt and care for stray cats and have helped many find their new homes again.

4. Amsterdam Netherlands: Cats living on the water

Anyone who has been to Amsterdam will be impressed by the endless stream of houseboats that line the canals. Amongst the many houseboats, there is one that is very special because it is occupied not by humans, but by a group of furry friends. This is the world's only 'water-based stray cat shelter', which has been in existence for half a century.

Photos from: Bored Panda

5. Kuching, Malaysia: A City of Cats

In Malay, the word 'Kucing' means cat. The "City of Cats" has wholeheartedly embraced the feline as their symbol. The local radio station is even called Cats FM. The pace of life in Kuching is slower and the people are more relaxed, with perhaps a touch of cat-like elegance.

The Nine Cats statue is located in the Golden Triangle area. What's the deal with the nine cats? Sarawak had nine provinces, and the nine cats signify the nine provinces' love for one another, which is why this statue of a family of cats in the city center has become a renowned tourist destination.

Borneo residents have long valued cats because they help control rats. In the 1950s, the authorities tried to use chemicals to eradicate malaria-carrying mosquitoes and rodents. But the chemicals also killed many cats in the area, which led to an increasing amount of rats. Therefore, The British Royal Air Force（RAF）then parachuted 14,000 cats into rural Malaysian Borneo in a mission known as Operation Cat Drop.

Parachuting beaver image from Boise State Public Radio