Cat Sanctuaries: Unique Feline Shelters Around the World

Cat sanctuaries are located all over the world, and are often thought to be an average building to house feral and stray cats. However, there are several unique and interesting cat sanctuaries located in Europe and North America. These sanctuaries range from ancient ruins to miniature political buildings. Where are these sanctuaries located?

Parliament Hill, Canada

The Parliament building in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada is typically thought of as a beautiful building where the Prime Minister spends his time. Although this assumption is true, there is an even more remarkable, miniature parliament building located on the hill where stray cats spend all of their time.

A colony of stray cats has been living on Parliament Hill since the 1950s. This colony was given a proper shelter in the 1970s thanks to a woman named Irene Desormeaux. This sanctuary was upgraded in 1997 to look like the Parliament building, and now has room for 10 to 20 felines per house. The cats are able to freely roam the area, which is a delight to visitors to Parliament Hill.

Stanford University, United States

The Stanford University Cat Network was founded in 1989 due to the large amount of feral cats living on campus. The Cat Network chose to use a Trap, Neuter, Release program to control the population of cats in a humane way. Trap, Neuter, Release is a proven way to reduce the population of feral cats by safely trapping feral cats, neutering or spaying them, and releasing them back into their home environment.

In addition to caring for the cats on a daily basis, the Network has been working to educate people on the importance of Trap, Neuter, Release as a positive choice to help with cat overpopulation concerns.

Amsterdam, Netherlands

Amsterdam has a very unique sanctuary located on the Singel Canal. The sanctuary was created in 1966 with help from a woman named Henriette van Weelde. Henriette was a cat fanatic, and always loved caring for stray and feral cats. She began bringing home stray cats to give them shelter in her home, and soon her house was so full of cats that she had no more room for new cats.

In 1968, Henriette decided to purchase a houseboat on the Singel Canal to make room for more felines. She renovated the interior of the boat so that it was feline-friendly, and she soon began housing cats on the boat. Henriette was able to recruit several volunteers and soon had a perfect home for the stray felines.

Today, there are two boats on the Singel Canal. They have been renovated over the years to meet the legal requirements for an animal sanctuary, but still serve the same purpose as a cat sanctuary.

Largo di Torre Argentina, Rome

Roman ruins would not be the first location someone would imagine as a cat sanctuary. However, some of the most famous Roman Ruins are just that. The Theatre of Pompey, the site of Julius Caesar's assassination in 44 BC is also the site of the cat sanctuary, Largo di Torre Argentina.

Largo di Torre Argentina is a home for over 250 cats. If you look close enough, these felines can be spotted lounging on the Roman Ruins in the area. Cats began taking up residence in the area in 1929, shortly after the area was excavated. For over half of a century a local woman cared for the cats, and not until 1994 was a safe building built for the felines. Today, Largo di Torre Argentina is run by volunteers 365 days a year to ensure that the felines are healthy and happy in the shelter.

The Pyramid Cat Colony, Rome

Largo di Torre Argentina is not the only cat sanctuary in Rome. In fact, the Pyramid Cat Colony is only 15 minutes away from Largo di Torre Argentina.

The Pyramid Cat Colony is located just outside of the Protestant's Graveyard in Testaccio, Rome. This colony was founded in 1850, though it was not officially recognized until 1984. The colony received proper recognition thanks to a woman named Matilde Talli who fought for years to get into the archaeological site to build a proper shelter for the cats. Today, the graveyard acts as a sanctuary for over 200 abandoned and stray cats.

As you can see, cat sanctuaries all over the world not only play an important role in caring for feral and stray cats, but they also do so in their own unique way. Most of the sanctuaries do allow visitors, so if you are in one of these areas perhaps you can stop in to see these incredible shelters and their cats.

Niki Rebin, along with her parents Norm and Delva have helped over 3,000 stray and feral cats through their non-profit cat sanctuary Paws On Your Heart. Having worked with cats for over 70 years, the Rebin family is often asked: "Why do cats do such strange things?" To find out what makes cats such unique animals, download our FREE e-book "95 Fun and Fabulous Feline Facts" here: http://www.pawsonyourheart.org/squeeze_pages/7165-95-fun-and-fabulous-feline-facts

Does The World Need More Cats?

Aren't they cute? Yes, they are! A nest of meowing and crawling little kittens leaves only the fiercest cat hater indifferent. But does the world need more cats?

A cat is the second most popular pet in the world. People love them for all kinds of reasons. Cats are social, but still have a will of their own. They have sweet faces and love to be hugged, but at the same time they are predators that don't mind about killing a bird.

In short, cats are fascinating animals. The world would be a boring place without them.

Fact: the world needs cats. But how many?

According to recent figures, in the US alone over two million cats are being put to death each year in animal shelters because there are no homes for them.

That's shocking. And you can't blame the animal shelters for that. They do their best, within the limits of their budget. There are just not enough people that want to take care of these cats.

So if you have a pet cat, there is no need for you to breed. Don't worry, cats will never become scarce. Professional breeders will always be happy to meet the needs of real cat lovers.

Fact: the world does not need MORE cats. But how can you prevent new litters?

Simple. Get your cat castrated or spayed.

The answer may seem obvious, but still many people don't have their pet neutered. Some believe it is too expensive, or they think it will harm their cat. Or people just don't know how easy cats make babies.

But neutering is not as expensive as raising kittens. And although it may change your cat's behavior a little, there is no real harm done. Cats will only become more loving.

Fact: neutering is the solution. But what if your cat gets pregnant before getting spayed?

It happens. You left the door open for a minute, Molly went out, met Tom and returned with 65 days of cat gestation ahead.

Now you have a responsible task. Take care of your pregnant queen as good as you can. Get the right advice about what to expect the coming months.

Love your kittens. Make sure they get a good home once they are old enough. Because a nest of meowing and crawling little kittens leaves only the fiercest cat hater indifferent.

------------------------
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Journalist Marc de Jong runs an acclaimed web site on cats and is the author of the book How To Take Care Of Your Pregnant Cat, available through http://www.pregnant-cat-care.com The book is filled with insider tips and tells you how your cat can deliver and raise a healthy litter - with your help.

Cats Around the World: 3 Fascinating Feline Themed Museums

People all over the world love cats. It is not uncommon for felines to be the main attraction on internet websites, in books, and even in movies. However, who would have known that there are museums all over the world that are dedicated to our feline friends. From Russia to Malaysia, there are museums that feature cats as their main attraction. Where are these museums located, and what can you expect from them?

Russia's Hermitage Museum

The first cat-centred museum is located in St. Petersburg, Russia. The Hermitage museum is known to be a home to priceless works of art, but hiding in its basement is a whole other world... full of cats.

Cats have been living in the Hermitage since the 1700s when the building was still a home to Russian Tsars and their families. The Empress Elizabeth became fed up with rodents roaming the halls of her home, and she adopted several cats to guard the home from these rodents. These lucky felines were given the best treatment during their stay with the Russian royals, even having their own servants to take care of their every need.

Despite the fall of the Russian Tsars and the threat of war in Russia, cats have continued to live at the museum. Although their population decreased during the 1900s, today the cats are thriving more than ever. In fact, the number of felines residing in the Hermitage has drastically increased due to homeless animals taking refuge in the museum. The museum now acts as a sanctuary for stray and feral felines. There are several feeding areas for the felines, a clinic, and a relaxation room for them to rest.

Visitors to the museum always have the chance to spot a feline roaming in the museum's courtyard. Because the sanctuary also adopts out a few of the felines every year, some lucky visitors even have the opportunity to own a one of a kind Hermitage feline.

Amsterdam's KattenKabinet

Amsterdam is a world-renowned city that is full of all sorts of attractions. Hidden among the well-known attractions is a smaller, cat-themed museum called the KattenKabinet (or CatCabinet).

The KattenKabinet museum is in a Patrician style home located near the Herengracht canal in Amsterdam. A wealthy Dutchman named William Meijer once owned the home. In 1990, Meijer founded the museum to preserve the memory of his feline friend John Pierpont Morgan. This unique museum is home to everything feline related, with cat artwork, sculptures and books displayed throughout the building. Visitors might even be lucky enough to see one of the three resident cats lounging on the furniture.

Malaysia's Kuching Museum

Malaysia is home to one of the largest cat themed museums in the world. The Kuching museum is 1,035.9 Square Metres, and is located on a hill overlooking the city. This unique museum is home to over 2,000 feline artefacts and cat memorabilia.

The museum has some extremely interesting displays, including a mummified feline from ancient Egypt, and cat statues from all over the world. There is even a small section dedication to cats in advertising and media. This section has cat posters, stamps, and even a display of different brands of cat food.

Although the museum is a strange concept, it is definitely worth a look if you are travelling in Malaysia.

Whether you are in Amsterdam, Russia, or Malaysia, if you find yourself close to one of these museums during your travels, be sure to stop in for a once in a lifetime, cat themed experience.

Niki Rebin, along with her parents Norm and Delva have helped over 3,000 stray and feral cats through their non-profit cat sanctuary Paws On Your Heart. Having worked with cats for over 70 years, the Rebin family is often asked: "Why do cats do such strange things?" To find out what makes cats such unique animals, download our FREE e-book "95 Fun and Fabulous Feline Facts" here: http://www.pawsonyourheart.org/squeeze_pages/7165-95-fun-and-fabulous-feline-facts

Does The World Need More Cats?

Aren't they cute? Yes, they are! A nest of meowing and crawling little kittens leaves only the fiercest cat hater indifferent. But does the world need more cats?

A cat is the second most popular pet in the world. People love them for all kinds of reasons. Cats are social, but still have a will of their own. They have sweet faces and love to be hugged, but at the same time they are predators that don't mind about killing a bird.

In short, cats are fascinating animals. The world would be a boring place without them.

Fact: the world needs cats. But how many?

According to recent figures, in the US alone over two million cats are being put to death each year in animal shelters because there are no homes for them.

That's shocking. And you can't blame the animal shelters for that. They do their best, within the limits of their budget. There are just not enough people that want to take care of these cats.

So if you have a pet cat, there is no need for you to breed. Don't worry, cats will never become scarce. Professional breeders will always be happy to meet the needs of real cat lovers.

Fact: the world does not need MORE cats. But how can you prevent new litters?

Simple. Get your cat castrated or spayed.

The answer may seem obvious, but still many people don't have their pet neutered. Some believe it is too expensive, or they think it will harm their cat. Or people just don't know how easy cats make babies.

But neutering is not as expensive as raising kittens. And although it may change your cat's behavior a little, there is no real harm done. Cats will only become more loving.

Fact: neutering is the solution. But what if your cat gets pregnant before getting spayed?

It happens. You left the door open for a minute, Molly went out, met Tom and returned with 65 days of cat gestation ahead.

Now you have a responsible task. Take care of your pregnant queen as good as you can. Get the right advice about what to expect the coming months.

Love your kittens. Make sure they get a good home once they are old enough. Because a nest of meowing and crawling little kittens leaves only the fiercest cat hater indifferent.

------------------------
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Journalist Marc de Jong runs an acclaimed web site on cats and is the author of the book How To Take Care Of Your Pregnant Cat, available through http://www.pregnant-cat-care.com The book is filled with insider tips and tells you how your cat can deliver and raise a healthy litter - with your help.