{"id":154608,"date":"2023-11-05T10:11:18","date_gmt":"2023-11-05T10:11:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/?p=154608"},"modified":"2023-07-13T09:08:43","modified_gmt":"2023-07-13T09:08:43","slug":"like-cats-then-youll-love-these-places","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/like-cats-then-youll-love-these-places\/","title":{"rendered":"Like cats? Then you\u2019ll love these places"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Don\u2019t deny it, everybody wants to be a cat. There\u2019s something unquestionably comforting about seeing a curious furry face poking out from behind some bins when wandering backpack-first through a faraway land. Independent, no-f*cks-given and yes, very cute, it\u2019s not hard for cats to take over if and when they choose. In certain spots around the world, felines have led a fishy-breath revolution. Claiming their rightful place as rulers of towns, cities and even countries, here are 6 places cats have well and truly taken over.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Cyprus (everywhere)<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-154653 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/simona-marinkova-XuF0Lo7IoMs-unsplash.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1000\" height=\"666\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/simona-marinkova-XuF0Lo7IoMs-unsplash.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/simona-marinkova-XuF0Lo7IoMs-unsplash-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/simona-marinkova-XuF0Lo7IoMs-unsplash-768x511.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>There are 1.5 million reasons to go to Cyprus, each one with an uncanny knack for entwining around your feet and mewing pitifully for your leftover souvlakia. Floofs of all shapes and sizes linger hopefully around harbours or laze on their neighbourhood balconies in the Mediterranean sun with a can of kindly gifted tuna at their paws. Cypriot cats actually outnumber the island\u2019s human population, by at least 300,000 felines. They\u2019re a historical breed.\u00a0 The earliest record of cat domestication was found in a 9,500-year-old burial site in Cyprus; a loyal wildcat buried alongside its prehistoric hoomans. By 400 AD, legend tells how Helen of Constantinople sent Egyptian ships full of cats to hunt an infestation of snakes on the island.<\/p>\n<p>These days, local attitude varies. Some adore these pest control professionals working hard while being oh-so-soft-and-fluffy; others consider them as pests themselves. With an ever-climbing population and a lack of governmental sterilization programs, volunteers scour the streets in vans full of food while feral cats follow in Pied Piper-induced trances. While overpopulation is undoubtedly a problem, cats have, and always will be an indispensable part of Cypriot culture.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Ainoshima, Japan<\/strong><\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_154651\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-154651\" style=\"width: 1000px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-154651\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/GettyImages-1208935988.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1000\" height=\"666\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/GettyImages-1208935988.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/GettyImages-1208935988-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/GettyImages-1208935988-768x511.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-154651\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Stray cats in Ainoshima Island, Known as Cat Heaven Island, Kyushu, Japan, Asia<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Those looking for fluff therapy in Japan might think first of the many Instagrammable cat cafes in Tokyo\u2019s side streets. But why sip a mere matcha latte when you could venture to an island? Ainoshima is one of Japan\u2019s self-proclaimed \u2018Cat Islands\u2019. This feline paradise off the coast of Kyushu is perhaps more humble than the Kawaii-overloaded capital. But for three decades it has been a haven for stray cats to leisurely wash their paws on concrete jetties as they watch fishing boats return with their personal supply of fresh sashimi. Cats here are well looked after by the residents, for this reason, feeding by tourists is forbidden (so hold that kibble.) I said humble, and I meant it. You won\u2019t find neon signs and cat-shaped mochi here. Instead, stroke some kitties, hire a bicycle, and explore this tiny island firsthand before boarding the ferry back.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Greece (everywhere)<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-154652 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/john-moeses-bauan-7XUbQhWjJX0-unsplash.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1000\" height=\"666\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/john-moeses-bauan-7XUbQhWjJX0-unsplash.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/john-moeses-bauan-7XUbQhWjJX0-unsplash-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/john-moeses-bauan-7XUbQhWjJX0-unsplash-768x511.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>You don\u2019t have to walk down too many cobbled streets in Greece before finding a stand of postcards with an endless array of curious yellow eyes staring back at you. Greece without cats is like hostels without bunkbeds: it just doesn\u2019t work.\u00a0 99.9% of travellers to Greece are struck by the site of brawny toms stretched out across the crumbling steps of an ancient Greek amphitheatre, or a gang of boisterous kittens brawling in the alleys of Athens.<\/p>\n<p>While most cats you see are feral, communities knit together to \u2018adopt\u2019 their local neighbourhood residents. You\u2019ll often see bowls of food and water left outside houses and even the odd stray lounging smugly in a makeshift bed on the terrace. Alongside this united local effort, cat shelters are a common occurrence all over the country. A necessary response to the lack of governmental control.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Koshlandia, Siberia<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-154650 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/vidar-nordli-mathisen-HRScujxn8sQ-unsplash.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1000\" height=\"774\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/vidar-nordli-mathisen-HRScujxn8sQ-unsplash.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/vidar-nordli-mathisen-HRScujxn8sQ-unsplash-300x232.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/vidar-nordli-mathisen-HRScujxn8sQ-unsplash-768x594.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>At first glance, you might mistake this farm to be like any other in western Siberia. But Alla Lebedeva\u2019s property in Prigorodny sets itself apart with every fluffy resident leaving its\u2019 pawprints on the snow-covered rooftops. It all started in 2003, when the 59-year-old farm owner and her husband Sergey got their first Siberian feline, Babushka (cue my awful Kate Bush rendition.) Her legacy begins here. Today, you can find the trademark shaggy fur and bushy tails poking out of hay bales or huddling together atop wooden fences. Domestic? Not quite. Many of the cats here are prone to month-long hunting exhibitions in the harsh Siberian wilderness. But rest assured, they almost always return to this frozen feline paradise so many of them now call home.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Istanbul, Turkey<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-154649 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/babamurat-usmanov-UW0L9BPomAU-unsplash.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1000\" height=\"664\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/babamurat-usmanov-UW0L9BPomAU-unsplash.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/babamurat-usmanov-UW0L9BPomAU-unsplash-300x199.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/babamurat-usmanov-UW0L9BPomAU-unsplash-768x510.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>A leisurely stroll in the colourful markets of Balat or the maze-like streets of Karak\u00f6y reveals the four-legged attitude behind this cosmopolitan city. It\u2019s hard to picture Istanbul without the odd paw or pair of torn ears creeping into view. And several hundred thousand cats proudly roam the streets of Istanbul with as much bushy-tailed confidence as their human counterparts. The unspoken rule here is that cats = family. These felines are as much of a part of the community as the local kebab shop owner feeding them scraps of doner meat. Citizens provide strays with basic necessities, and you\u2019ll see evidence of this throughout the city. Public parks lay out food and water dishes for ever-peckish visitors, and makeshift shelters are built outside homes to accommodate pitstops on long nights hunting mice (or raiding dustbins.)<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Houtong Cat Village, Taiwan<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-154648 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/faye-yu-iQJFMJlow0c-unsplash.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1000\" height=\"662\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/faye-yu-iQJFMJlow0c-unsplash.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/faye-yu-iQJFMJlow0c-unsplash-300x199.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/faye-yu-iQJFMJlow0c-unsplash-768x508.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>In Taiwanese, \u2018Houtong\u2019 = \u2018Monkey Cave\u2019. 100 years ago, this riverside town in the Ruifang Valley was famous for having a cave full of monkeys. Now, a very different mammal rules the roost. It\u2019s quite an experience to walk off the train and onto a giant metal cat-shaped footbridge. But hey, what do you expect from a town whose feline residents outnumber its humans? The strays here are unsurprisingly well-fed, plump balls of glossy fur block your path on every hillside walkway you turn down. Wandering around, you\u2019ll see painfully cutesy cat signs and statues (even the train ticket is adorned with printed kitties.) There are cat-themed shops; cat-themed cafes; cat-themed restaurants\u2026 If you were looking for a new cat plushie \u2013 I wouldn\u2019t judge \u2013 here\u2019s the place to buy one (or twenty.) These days, the town is looking decidedly rough around the edges. But despite the fading shopfronts and peeling statues, you can rest assured that the living, breathing four-legged residents remain the real stars of the show.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\">Download the Hostelworld app to start meeting people from the moment you book<\/h3>\n<h4 style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/itunes.apple.com\/us\/app\/hostelworld-hostels-hotels\/id348890820?mt=8\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" class=\"post links\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-51103 aligncenter post links\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/App-IOS-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"203\" height=\"60\" \/><\/a><\/h4>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/play.google.com\/store\/apps\/details?id=com.hostelworld.app&amp;referrer=mat_click_id%3Da7e362b8d8149e63507f7d1f7184f176-20171011-8816\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" class=\"post links\"><br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-51106 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/App-google-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"203\" height=\"60\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h3><\/h3>\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 20px;\"><strong>You might also like&#8230;<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/how-i-discovered-i-was-neurodivergent-whilst-solo-travelling\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" class=\"post links\">How I discovered I was neurodivergent whilst solo travelling<\/a><\/span><\/h3>\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\"><strong><a title=\"10 struggles of a solo traveller\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/solo-travel-struggles\/\" rel=\"bookmark\" class=\"post links\">10 struggles of a solo traveller<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Don\u2019t deny it, everybody wants to be a cat. There\u2019s something unquestionably comforting about seeing a curious furry face poking out from behind some bins when wandering backpack-first through a faraway land. Independent, no-f*cks-given and yes, very cute, it\u2019s not hard for cats to take over if and when they choose. In certain spots around&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":171,"featured_media":154651,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9659],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-154608","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-inspire-me","authors-mayahawes","wpbf-post"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Like cats? 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