Velvet paws worldwide – cat encounters on journeys
Often I am on the way as an animal sitter, but even if I do not look after a cat, I seem to attract the cats almost magically – or is it the other way round?? At some point I started taking pictures of the cats I meet on my travels, hikes and walks. Just like with humans, some are more trusting and some are more aloof. Some act nice at first and then are quite beastly, others are shy at first and need a bit to thaw out. Some of them are street cats, others are outdoor cats, who return to their families in the evening and my favorite cat, who I meet several times a week, lives in a boat in Berlin Friedrichshain and gets her strokes from the passing pedestrians.
As a child I was not allowed to have my own cat, but there were enough in the neighborhood, so I can almost say that I grew up with cats. Today I am a part-time mom of a fat cat and I love to combine my professional and private travels with cat-sitting.
The cat in the cover picture of this post is called Arslan and proudly watches over his neighborhood in the south of Wales and the somewhat shaggy cat below these lines I met in Palma de Mallorca – at a place where many Mallorcan street cats gather because they are fed there daily by local women. You can see that he doesn't always have it easy in life but I was glad to know that he is taken care of.
And the tiger below is Findus, a stately tomcat who roams his estates at Gut Pohnstorf in Mecklenburg Switzerland.
At some point I started to take pictures of the cats I meet on my travels, hikes and walks. Just like humans, some are rather trusting and some are rather dismissive. Some act nice at first and are then quite beastly, others are shy at first and need a little time to thaw out. Some of them are street cats, others are outdoor cats who return to their families in the evening and my favorite cat, who I meet several times a week, lives in a boat in Berlin Friedrichshain and gets her strokes from the passing pedestrians.
I was not allowed to have my own cat as a child, but there were enough in the neighborhood, and so I can almost say that I grew up with cats. Today I am a part-time mom of a fat cat and I love to combine my professional and private travels with cat sitting.
The tomcat in the cover picture of this post is called Arslan and proudly watches over his neighborhood in the south of Wales and the somewhat shaggy cat below these lines I met in Palma de Mallorca – at a place where many Mallorcan street cats gather because they are fed there daily by local women. You can see that he does not always have it easy in life but I was glad to know that he is taken care of.
And the following tiger is Findus, a noble tomcat, who roams his estates on Gut Pohnstorf in Mecklenburg Switzerland. And the following tiger is Findus, a stately tomcat who roams his estates at Gut Pohnstorf in Mecklenburg Switzerland. His job: to roam around and rid the manor of mice, to be petted from time to time and of course to look very, very pretty. Not the worst life Findus leads there, one could become directly envious!
I asked my fellow travel bloggers about their cat encounters on the road – and out came some nice stories from velvet paws around the world.
Travel bloggers and their cat encounters
Cute kittens on Koh Lanta
Like everywhere in the world there are cute kittens also in Koh Lanta in Thailand. The probably dearest, without exaggerating it, we met in the Lanta Animal Welfare. This is an animal welfare organization dedicated primarily to the suffering of injured stray dogs and cats. If you have ever been to Southeast Asia, you know that the situation with street animals is quite extreme. Thanks to the immense commitment of this animal welfare organization, suffering animals not only receive emergency medical care, but also, if necessary, a new home and can even be adopted by tourists.
The association is actually financed exclusively by public donations and thus some creative ideas were created to make tourists aware of the animal suffering. For example, they offer guided tours through the area, you can help on site, donate something and walk with the dogs at different times. Really ingenious is especially the small cat cafe in the Happy Cat House, where you can watch the cute kitties while having delicious coffee and muffins. In a relaxed atmosphere countless velvet paws are romping around, some of them like to be stroked and playing is a great pleasure for them.
If you ever find yourself on Koh Lanta, be sure to check out Lanta Animal Welfare. The staff, and of course the dogs and cute cats, will be happy about your support!
On PlacesofJuma Martina & Jurgen write about their most beautiful journeys around the globe. The two love photography and are therefore always on the lookout for the most beautiful places and locations.
Cats on the Alpe-Adria-Trail
"And when you think you can't go on, a cat will come from somewhere", this could have been the motto of my long-distance hike on the Alpe-Adria-Trail.
When my feet hurt terribly again, my mood was at its lowest point and I would have liked to just lie down on the hiking trail to sleep, then I could almost be sure that rescue was in sight.
Rescue in the form of a farm or forest cat, who seemed to be waiting to comfort me at just the right moment and provide the necessary motivation to keep going. Well, okay, maybe they just had the right nose and sensed from afar that there was a crazy cat lady on the way. One of the kind who always has some cat treats in her backpack and immediately starts to advertise them in a high-pitched squeaky voice.
And there I was again, sitting in the middle of the hiking trail or some deserted road in a tranquil Austrian, Slovenian or Italian hamlet – ready for an extensive cuddle session and a small feast for the pelt-noses.
It was definitely not only the dreamlike landscapes that thrilled me on my long-distance hike from the glacier of the Grobglockner across Carinthia and Slovenia to Muggia on the Italian Adriatic Sea. Seriously, every single cat encounter on my way has contributed to my hiking happiness.
If you are curious about what else I have experienced on my almost 750 km long hike on the Alpe-Adria-Trail, please have a look at my outdoor blog.
Sabrina has always been known as a "walking travel agent". In the meantime, not only family and acquaintances benefit from her travel tips, but everyone who comes across her outdoor travel blog "Couchflucht". "Get off the sofa – out into nature" is the motto of Sabrina, who laces up her hiking boots as often as she can or takes to the mountain bike. On her travels, the Ruhrpott girl discovers her inner hippie again and again and realizes that you don't need much to be happy at all.
If you're looking for great destinations for hiking and mountain biking or weekend getaways, it's best to check her out.
The cats of Ernest Hemingway in Key West
Cats have actually met me on almost all my travels so far, when I think back to the destinations I have visited so far.
What I found fascinating, however, was the large flock of cats at the Ernest Hemingway House in Key West, Florida. Cats roamed everywhere on the grounds of the museum – sitting on the bed, on the couch, or being petted in the garden in the former home that is now a museum.
I didn't know until this point that the writer had a soft spot for cats. This can be seen especially if you look behind his house. A small cat cemetery was created there. The already deceased cats, but also the cats still living on the property, are almost all descendants of his beloved cat "Snow Shoes". The fluffy four-legged friends were given names like Ava Gardner, Mark Twain, or Sophia Loren, among others.
I don't know which famous cat personality I stroked at that time though. However, if you are a big cat lover and once in Key West, then take a look at the Ernest Hemingway House.
Anne-Katrin and Anja have been writing on GoOnTravel since 2015.de to destinations around the globe. The focus is mainly on Africa, Europe and America. But also about her home Brandenburg as well as her adopted home Sylt (Anne-Katrin) and Berlin (Anja) the reader will find numerous recommendations. In addition to travel tips, they have helpful tips on (travel) photography at the ready.
The lucky cat from the Bardo Museum in Tunis
Actually, the visit to the Bardo Museum in Tunis was not on the plan of the press trip at all. But we had already visited the souk, the artists' village Sidi Bou Said and the Roman excavation sites outside the city. The last hours to departure we should spend in the hotel. And this hotel was located directly at the sea, but it was much too cold for swimming – a substitute program was needed.
Fortunately Beatrice, the press lady of Visit Tunis, was spontaneously willing to change the program. She reorganized at short notice, ordered a cab and we ended up in the great Bardo Museum.
The Bardo Museum is housed in a former harem palace. It has the most important collection of roman mosaics. Since a terrorist attack in 2015, the museum has been closely guarded.
A lucky cat watched over the small cozy coffee house in the courtyard of the museum. The tricolored animal ensnared every visitor and circled all legs. Finally she made herself comfortable on a colorful carpet. She did not let us pet her, but she purred comfortably and looked at us curiously while we drank our tea.
Lucky cats are special, because rare animals. The tricolor spectrum occurs almost only in females. They are said to protect the house from fire and are considered the epitome of wealth and power in Japan. However, the Tunisian lucky cat knows nothing about it. She stretched her nose in the sun and purred comfortably on.
Since 2011 Gudrun writes on the travel blog reisebloggerin.at about exotic countries, chaotic cities and about her favorite city Vienna. As a bookseller, she can't pass a bookstore by and is interested in knitting as well as art, culture and music.
Cats in Istanbul
They sun themselves on the green areas of the parks, sneak around mosques or lie in the Grand Bazaar – the cats of Istanbul are practically everywhere! Loved by locals and tourists alike, you can hardly escape them. A just picturesque picture was offered to us in spring, when numerous cats were dozing in the sun among the flowers of the Topkapi Seraglio. In the bazaar we found cute little kittens on colorful kilim cushions. Even some mosques have a lot of cats that go hunting for mice. One is said to have made it to fame, the cat Gli. During a state visit by U.S. President Obama, the Hagia Sophia's house cat was petted by him.
In the Grand Bazaar a mother cat raised her little babies in a cardboard box. At my frowning look, the shopkeeper of the store called out with a grin "Cats are good for tourists". That is probably true! Cat fans were magically attracted by the cute little ones and maybe one or the other ended up for a cup of tea in the store.
If you want to know more about them, you should look for the movie "KEDI – of cats and humans". Istanbul locals love their cats. Some of the free-living cats are fed and cared for. For the others, private initiatives help to prevent the greatest suffering.
Renate shares tips on how to spend more time outdoors on her blog, Rausinsleben. Away from the PC and the TV, out into the open air. These can be short trips in the area, city trips or long distance trips. Renate hopes that we can all travel again soon.
Cats on the Greek island of Paxos
Curious cats meet you all over the world. Especially funny I found this little group waiting here so patiently.
The photo was taken on the small Ionian island of Paxos. Paxos (Greek Παξός) is just over 10 km south of Corfu, but not at all crowded, being accessible only by boat or ferry. Paxos and the smaller Antipaxos next to it are best explored from the water. The landscape there is a dream: cliffs and jagged rocks, olive groves, beaches, crystal clear sea. There are many beautiful bays where you can take a relaxing bath.
Picturesque are also the small villages with their idyllic taverns and bars. Gaios is the largest village and the main port of Paxos and is especially popular with sailors. I was there with a chartered catamaran. Only a few meters away from the harbor is this fish shop. The photo was taken early in the morning – the cats obviously knew that goods were about to arrive and waited patiently, but interestedly for the fish. As relaxed as they were, I'm convinced they get a little bit of the fresh fish or fish scraps every day. So some Greek islands are a paradise for cats too!
Barbara has been writing about food and travel on Barbara's Spielwiese travel blog for many years – spread over two blogs. The travel blog is their diary with reports about long-distance trips and short excursions in the region.
A "ginger cat" in Athens
During a three-day visit to Athens, I discovered by chance the small settlement of white houses on the slope of the Acropolis. Beside the cute little houses, the Anafiotika settlement, which remind me of a Cycladic village, I was especially taken by the orange-red kitty cat…how she slept there so peacefully and could not be disturbed. Even the days after there should always be opportunities to get daily cuddles from Greek cats or kittens.
Synke writes on Synke on the road about vegan food while traveling, photography, Berlin and the world.
A very special cat in Malta
In Malta you see by far less cats walking on the streets than in other Mediterranean countries. You don't meet a cat on every street corner here like in Greece, Turkey or Cyprus. Mostly cats in Malta are just suddenly there, cute but shy.
We ourselves have already met and photographed some sweet cats on the island. Normally they are not very interested in people and just go on doing their thing.
However, on our trip to the Maltese "Three Cities"- Vittoriosa, Senglea and Cospicua it was different. We were already at the end of our trip and our strength and were desperately looking for the right bus stop with the right bus. The timing definitely didn't work out as we had planned it.
When we finally found the bus stop, we had to go ca. Waiting 30 minutes for our bus. I was already a little annoyed, tired and impatient. As if she had known, a purring cat ran to me at the roadside. She came directly to me and demanded unmistakably strokes. But only from me in my friend Thomas the cat was not interested at all. That's how this photo was taken, I was busy with the cat and Thomas was taking pictures.
The cat then sweetened my waiting time for the bus. When the bus came, she also disappeared again. She has remained in my memory because she behaved so differently than other cats on Malta.
Daria writes together with her boyfriend the blog Konpasu.en. She has a special relationship with Malta since she attended a school in Malta for one year when she was 14.
Anak Kucing – kitten in Indonesian
Do you know this? You are on the road and see a cat and try to attract it directly? I feel the same way. No matter where I am. Whether at the local train station, in the neighboring town or while traveling. That's how it was when I was in the Indonesian capital Jakarta for a weekend. On one of the most famous places at the Kota Tua there were so many kittens, I think I have never seen so many at once before. They were not shy either and let me pet them and run through my legs. Would have loved to pack them all and take them with us.
evertheless, many Indonesians were not so enthusiastic about the little furry noses and therefore tried to shoo them away. The kittens were really everywhere and of course tried to get something edible. Some were emaciated, others were well built. Most of the guests of the cafe Djakarte were not bothered by the kittens, while the owners tried to chase them away. But I didn't let it stop me and distributed some strokes anyway, until suddenly a whole cat harem formed around me. It was almost like a little cat paradise.
Michelle from Wahloldenburg writes on The Road Most Traveled about her travels, cat cafes, street art and gives culinary inspirations around the world.