Travel Destinations for Cat Lovers
United States
The Hemingway Home and Museum, Key West, Florida
It all began with a gift of a kitten to Ernest Hemingway by a sea captain. A cat gifted with extra toes, known as polydactyl, is said to be even better at catching mice, which is a blessing out at sea when you don’t want your stocks and supplies to dwindle from pesky pests. Hemingway was a cat person who adored his feline friends and the Hemingway Cats still reside in the writer’s former home turned museum to this day. Following Hemingway’s death in 1961, his former home was transformed into a museum. Still in operation today, the cultural space acts as a home to dozens of cats, almost all of whom are descended from Hemingway’s original kitty, and most of whom are polydactyl.
Longwood Gardens, Kennett Square, Pennsylvania
Among the plants in this garden’s conservatory, you will find cats. These dozen or so felines are rescues that serve as the garden’s ambassadors and pest control. Visitors can find these kitties wandering, napping, and purring throughout the grounds.
Roosevelt Island Cat Sanctuary, New York City, New York
The cats of Roosevelt Island walk near the abandoned smallpox hospital, through the community gardens, and in the gaps of construction fencing. For generations, these cats were abandoned on the island by persons and their presence was tolerated, and sometimes encouraged with food and water. It wasn’t until 2005 that a group formed to trap and neuter strays and create an adoption program, after being inspired by the death of a beloved local cat by the name of Princess Yin Yang in 2004, a Now, these stray cats are cared for by the Wildlife Freedom Foundation, a shelter that provides housing, food, and veterinary care, with the ultimate goal of giving these cats loving homes
Cat Mountain Lodge & Roadside Inn, Tucson, Arizona
This eco-friendly B&B has been open since 2010. The lodge and inn are close to hiking and biking trails. You can also relax on the patio and observe the wildlife. Because it is located near the base of the Tucson you’ll spot bobcats and mountain lions roaming nearby.
Cat Video Festival, St. Paul, Minnesota
When the Internet Cat Video Festival first launched in 2012 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, it was expected to be a small event but ended up attracting 10,000 cat-loving and costumed people. The renamed Cat Video Festival is now held annually at St Paul Saints’ CHS Field in Minnesota.
The Cat's Estate, Los Gatos, California
This estate was a home and an artists’ retreat owned by author Charles Erskine Scott Wood and poet Sara Bard Field. The entrance to Poets Canyon and The Cats Estate is guarded by two tall, white cat statues, named Leo and Leona, who were completed in 1922 at the direction of the estate’s original owners. The home has since passed to a few different owners but remains highly esteemed in the artist community for its feelings of creativity, of peace, and of being at one with nature.
International
Torre Argentina Cat Sanctuary, Rome, Italy
Housed at the archeological site were Julius Caesar met his end, this sanctuary is the largest in Italy. Cats started populating this area in 1929 after the site was excavated. For decades, sweet volunteers kept the cats fed and healthy. In the mid-90s, the sanctuary was officially born and since then, they have TNR’d over 100,000 cats! If you’re ever in the area, make sure to stop by their underground shelter and visit their resident special needs kitties.
Carreras Tobacco Company, London, England
In the 1920s, this office building was originally owed by the Carreras Tobacco Company, which adopted a black cat as their logo. As a nod to their roots, the building had faces of black cats with yellow eyes lining the walls and two large black cat statues at the entrance. Although the decor was replaced when the building was converted into offices, it was restored under new ownership in the late 1990s, complete with replicas of the original cat statues.
The Big Cat Sanctuary, Smarden, England
Located in the Kent countryside in England, the Big Cat Sanctuary is home to various wildcat species. With 32 acres of grassland, this sanctuary aims to help in the conservation of wildcats and genetically diverse breeding. The sanctuary is private, but you can book a tour or an overnight safari experience on their open days. They even offer a traditional afternoon tea package in a conservatory overlooking a big cat enclosure.
Holy Monastery of Saint Nicholas of the Cats, Akrotiri, Cyprus
According to legend, in 326 CE, Saint Helena (who founded the monastery) arrived at the island of Cyprus and found it infested with snakes. She had a shipload of cats delivered to destroy the snakes. Another part of the story has Emperor Constantine appointing a local governor, Kalokeros, to make sure monks were on hand to care for the 1,000 cats brought in to devour the snakes. Although the truth is lost to history, cats still live in the monastery and are cared for by nuns. In honor of the felines’ centuries of service, the Holy Monastery of Saint Nicholas of the Cats now takes in any stray cat brought to them.
The Seven Cats of Shantang Street, Suzhou, China
The stone cats on this street are an homage to wordplay. The street, Shantang Jie, runs of the length of 7 lǐ - lǐ being part of the Mandarin word for “mile”. A similar character appears in the name of a famous Chinese cat breed: Li Hua. This bit of linguistic serendipity is celebrated in the street’s seven feline adornments, which are placed at the bridges that cross over a parallel canal. Each of these cats represents one of these good fortunes: elegance, wealth, knowledge, happiness, health, fate, and opportunity.
Ranthambore National Park, Rajasthan, India
Formerly the hunting grounds of the maharajas of Jaipur, this park is nestled amidst the Aravalli hills and is home to a large number of Royal Bengal Tigers in their natural habitat of dry, deciduous forest. The sanctuary also hosts 40 species of reptiles, and 320 species of birds. This is one of the best places for tiger sightings (via guided tours).
Gotokuji Temply, Tokyo, Japan
This Buddhist temple is famous for being the birthplace of the maneki-neko (beckoning cat). According to legend, a monk’s cat at Gotokuji Temple saved a feudal lord from a storm by waving him into the sanctuary. To express his thanks, the lord donated large sums towards the rebuilding of the temple and made the cat a temple patron. Visitors today can see the hundreds of maneki-neko on display around the goddess of mercy, Kannon.
Bonus: Japan celebrates cats on a holiday known as Neko no Hi. It is celebrated on 2/22 since the date’s numerals are pronounced closely to the Japanese sound for a cat’s meow (nyan nyan).
Neco Republic Cat Spa and Cat Ryokan, Osaka, Japan
This “spa” is actually a café, but these rescue cats will recharge and relax you like an actual spa! If you can’t get enough of your cats, you can stay at the ryokan (hostel) that’s attached to the café. Neco Republic happens to have several locations throughout Japan, so if you ever travel there, you can squeeze in a visit! Neco Republic’s proceeds go toward feeding and caring for these cats.