Around The World In 80 Cats: Fuerteventura Revisited

Kathy is a longtime Catsparella reader with a cat loving daughter, and her family often takes feline-centric vacations around the globe.

In the past, she has shared their adventures in Cornwall, Belgium, and Japan. Around this time last year, they took a trip to Fuerteventura, one of the Canary Islands located in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Africa.



The family recently revisited the island on holiday, and sent along some more beautiful photos of the well cared for street kitties they encountered during their stay.

Kathy writes:

We went for a two week holiday to Fuerteventura again last month and you’ll never guess…. we saw more cats! The lady who managed the villa we were staying at still has the same five cats (Ting-Tong, Scary, Dracula, Bitey & Raymond) and they are all still happy and well. 

She continues to be involved with the Twinkle Trust that looks after stray cats on the island. Once again, all of the ‘random’ cats we saw were in good health and some even held still long enough for a photo! Our girl (aside from being in cat-heaven again) kept checking out the cats' ears to see if they had been clipped which indicates that they had been neutered.

Ting-Tong


Scary (who isn’t scary at all, he is a sweetie)


Ray (not the friendliest, but very handsome)


This black cat was at the sea-side. I don’t think they appreciate the view.


He saw something interesting.


These two had their eye on a dog.




This white one was chillin’ in the black sand (makes him easy to spot).  

This one was eating at one of the Twinkle Trust feeding stations.


This one was waiting his turn.

Ones we saw in the vicinity of the feeding station.

Beautiful restaurant cat.


Very tame.


On the rocks!
 

Kathy's daughter is a feline fashionista!


Special thanks to Kathy for giving us yet another glimpse into one of her wonderful family trips. I'm still holding out hope that one day I will be able to visit a few of these fabulous feline travel destinations myself! 

Around The World In 80 Cats: Fuerteventura Revisited

Dapper Stray Cat Promoted To Assistant Librarian At Russian Children's Library

Kuzya, Assistant Cat Librarian

Novorossiysk children's library in Russia has its own Dewey the Library Cat, in the form of a stray tabby who worked his way up from street cat to assistant librarian, faster than you can say, "Is this book overdue?" in Russian.





RocketNews reports that the cat showed up one day in search of food and shelter, and the kind library staff couldn't resist his sweet nature. Since he lacked the proper documentation to stay, they obtained him an official kitty passport, which required he receive a microchip implant and rabies vaccination. 



Due to his punctuality and strong work ethic, the feline bibliophile was recently promoted to the position of assistant librarian by special order of the library director. 



As part of the advancement, he is entitled to 30 cans of cat food a month, extra treats, and scratches behind the ears. There's no word on if his spiffy new bow-tie was part of the bonus package, or just an effort on his part to look more purr-fesional in the workplace. 



Kuzya's responsibilities include sleeping (check), looking cute (check), and entertaining young visitors. He has been featured on the local news, has his own page on the library's website, and advises students to read more books about pets.





Kuzya isn't Russia's only famous working feline. The State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg is also home to a troupe of cat guards, who were recently honored with their own fancy portraits.

Via RocketNews / Images: YouTube / Novorossiysk Children's Library

Dapper Stray Cat Promoted To Assistant Librarian At Russian Children's Library

Around The World In 80 Cats #32

Dubrovnik, Croatia

I love cat street photography, and was thrilled to hear from Lilla, who wanted to share some beautiful snapshots taken from around Italy, Greece, and Croatia.

She writes:

I'm from Budapest, Hungary, and I also like cats, taking photos and traveling, which is how I found your blog. Wherever I go, I try to find cats and take pictures of them.

Here are some of the best. I hope you enjoy them!


Precious kittens in Rhodes, Greece.


A tasty snack in Riomaggiore, Italy.


"I'm not for sale!" in Taormina, Italy.


A colorful watchcat in Rhodes.


Enjoying the greenery in Taormina.


An existential feline channeling Henri, le Chat Noir in Firenze, Italy.

Special thanks to Lilla for sharing her wonderful cat photography with us this week!

Previously: Around the World in 80 Cats #1 - 31

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Know of any cat-themed travel destinations, or have any cool kitty pics from around the world to share? Drop me a line at catsparella@gmail.com!

Around The World In 80 Cats #32

Around The World In 80 Cats #31: Grand Junction, Colorado

George the Mesa Theater Cat

So a cat walks into a bar...

Redditor bathsaltrocker69 shared this picture of a thirsty feline taken at Mesa Theater & Lounge in Grand Junction, Colorado, where his band recently played while on tour.

"So I guess this dude shows up every night and everyone in the bar thinks this is normal," he wrote, adding "This cat is named George and sits at the bar every night where we played in Grand Junction. Part Maine Coon and part rad dude if you ask me."

The Post Independent reports that the two-year-old cat (they recently threw him a birthday party) was rescued from a local shelter by bar manager Michelle Nelson, and now makes his home at the popular drinking spot.

Nelson tells the paper, "We’ve had such a positive response to having a cat, especially one with such a unique personality. I think it gives us a friendly vibe and the feel of a neighborhood bar rather than just a theater. He’s definitely part of the family and we love him greatly.”

Since the hard partying puss isn't allowed in the food serving areas (except when he's guzzling shots of water and Party Mix), he likes to while away the hours by snoozing in the office, where he is shut in during shows to keep him from running on stage and making a surprise performance. 

Via Reddit (bathsaltrocker69) / PostIndependent.com

Previously: Around the World in 80 Cats #1 - 30

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Know of any cat-themed travel destinations, or have any cool kitty vacation pics to share? Drop me a line at catsparella@gmail.com!

Around The World In 80 Cats #31: Grand Junction, Colorado

Around The World In 80 Cats #30: Istanbul

Gli
(christie yunhwa)

Over the past fourteen hundred years, the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, Turkey has been a church, a mosque, and finally a museum, dedicated to preserving its religious and cultural history. BuzzFeed recently revealed that it's also home to a friendly and photogenic feline, who goes by the name of Gli. 


(kradeki)

There are dozens of photos of the adorably cross-eyed cat floating around the internet, and he even has a Tumblr devoted to fan sightings. The kitty curator's hobbies include perching, napping against spotlights, and soaking up attention from cat loving museum-goers, such as this one, and the one below.


(y entonces)

The caption from the photo above reads: 
This cat, who was hanging out inside the Hagia Sophia, was getting a lot of attention from the tourists.. He was mostly polite, sometimes indifferent toward the tourists, until this woman showed up. The cat was immediately drawn to her. He acted like he had just been reunited with a long-lost best friend.


(connie5001)


(echiner1)


(gga)

According to reports, Gli is around 7-years-old, and has lived at Hagia Sophia his entire life. He met Barack Obama during the President's visit to Istanbul in 2009, and is one of several cats being cared for at the museum.


(AsranQ)


(kradeki)


(chrisafer)

To check out more pics of Gli, visit hagiasophiacat.tumblr.com. 

Via BuzzFeed

Previously: Around the World in 80 Cats #1 - 29

***
Know of any cat-themed travel destinations, or have any cool kitty vacation pics to share? Drop me a line at catsparella@gmail.com!

Around The World In 80 Cats #30: Istanbul

Around The World In 80 Cats #29: Taipei

Cat Overpass

On March 30, officials in the Houtong area of New Taipei City’s Ruifang District, (aka "Cat Town"), unveiled a 200 foot long feline-friendly indoor overpass, constructed in the shape of a cat's body and tail. The ambitious project cost the city over half a million dollars, and took eight months to complete.


Exterior shot - Can you see the cat?




Interior view

According to the Taipei Times, Houtong has become a popular tourist destination in the past few years because of its large cat population and feline-friendly atmosphere. When the city recently underwent renovations, officials felt that a cat upgrade was in order. The purpose of the bridge is to benefit tourists and cats, who will now be able to walk, relax, and interact with each other side by side in the new structure.





Even before the bridge was conceived, the town featured a cat-themed train station, souvenir stands, and over 100 friendly roaming felines, happy to pose for pictures.





The images in this post were found on the New Taipei City Tourism Facebook page, taken during the bridge's unveiling. Not only do they include the overpass itself, but also some neat surprises you might encounter around Cat Town, including these cool, feline appointed buses!





While explaining the inspiration behind the overpass, city official Chen Ching-fang told the Times, “We must take the cats’ needs into consideration because they have become an important part of the town.” 





She also added that she hoped the bridge would "reflect the harmonious coexistence of the town’s residents and the cats, as well as promote animal protection."

Check out more pics here and here, and read more about Houtong cat village at China Tour Advisors and TripAdvisor.

Via Taipei Times / Images: Facebook (新北旅客) 

Previously: Around the World in 80 Cats #1 - 28

***
Know of any cat-themed travel destinations, or have any cool kitty vacation pics to share? Drop me a line at catsparella@gmail.com!

Around The World In 80 Cats #29: Taipei