Looking among the ruins in the sacred area of Largo Argentina in Rome, Italy, my daughter and son-in-law noticed a cat.
Then another.
Then another.
The area is breathtaking with toppled columns, crumbled walls, stone steps and the remains of temples. Julius Caesar is believed to have been assassinated in the square. And yet, today, the ruins have been transformed into a cat sanctuary.
Rome is filled with homeless cats, a huge problem for the area. As the cats began to take shelter among the ruins, they were fed by “cat ladies,” or “gattare” as they are called by the Italians. Many of the cats were blind, missing limbs, or had come from abusive situations.
Eventually, the cat population became greater than the cat ladies could handle.
Fortunately a group called the Torre Argentina Cat Sanctuary,
actually a no-kill shelter for homeless cats, stepped in. According to
their website, they test cats for FIV and FiLV, test for heartworm, and
practice Trap/Neuter/Release. In 2012 the group reached their goal of
more than 3000 sterilizations and placed 125 cats in homes.
I was fascinated to see that there in Rome, in the middle of all the history and ancient ruins, feral cats roamed. And even happier to see that caring people were also there, to help keep them healthy and adopt out those that are able.
Thank you Kate for these pictures.
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