Stray Cat Sanctuaries

Other than the cats hiding out near restaurants where they get plenty of handouts, stray cats (nora neko) call public parks home a lot of the time. It's here that local residents might sneak them some food, despite signs saying it's illegal to do so.

On a recent visit to Aobanomori Park in Chiba City, we found that there was a kitty volunteer who knew the cats well. He told us a few of the cats' names and knew which ones were friendly enough to want pets. He even knew how old they were and we found this one was 14 years old - incredible for a feral cat. On average I've heard they usually live only around four years.

There is a small space reserved for the cats where they can escape from park visitors and rest. This safe 'home' including covered shelters and fresh water is probably the reason the cat has lived to be so old. It made me wonder if other parks in Japan offer this type of space for stray cats. I haven't ever seen one before this.