Cat lovers, get your passports in order! There’s a cat sanctuary on a remote beach on the Italian island of Sardinia, Italy. Rescue cats roam the beach, and the spot has been named one of Sardinia’s hottest tourist spots by TripAdvisor. Visitors can play with the cats on the beach or watch them lounging on the sand.
The association that runs the sanctuary – I Gatti di Su Pallosu – is in charge of the feral colonies, their care, sterilization and vaccinations, and also managing the tourism to the beach.
“People love cats and they love beaches too, so it’s a recipe for success,” Andrea Atzori, who founded the non-profit sanctuary with his wife in 2011, told The Local.
The sanctuary may be fairly new, but colonies of cats have roamed the sands at Su Pallosu for over a hundred years – ever since local fishermen brought in cats to tackle the local rodent problem. Today there are around 60 cats living at the sanctuary, at least half of which are the descendants of the fishermen’s original cats.
Are you ready to visit ‘Cat Beach’? You’ll need to make a reservation in advance. The sanctuary limits visitors to 10 at a time to avoid stressing out the kitties. Your visit is free, but they are always accepting donations to help care for the cats. Learn more and reserve your spot by visiting the sanctuary’s website.
