The Cat Boat is becoming one of Amsterdam's most unique attractions. It is essentially a floating sanctuary for cats. Here the cats rescued by the volunteers all live in a houseboat on the Herengracht canal.
The Cat Boat (De Poezenboot) is becoming one of Amsterdam's most unique attractions. It is essentially about a floating shelter for abandoned cats. Here the cats rescued by the volunteers all live in a houseboat on the Herengracht canal.
The project was not born to become a tourist attraction, but The Cat Boat attracts around 4500 visitors each year, including many people hoping to find their missing cats.
The idea really came about many years ago, when a woman named in Amsterdam in 1966 Henrietta Von Weelde he began to welcome some abandoned cats into his home. However, the space was not sufficient to accommodate all the cats in danger of the neighborhood. So the woman she decided to transform a disused houseboat into a cat shelter. In 1987 the project for the floating cat sanctuary was officially approved by the Amsterdam authorities.
For decades, the houseboat has served as a safe haven for city cats. Henriette took care of them until her death in 2005. Now The Cat Boat is run by some volunteers. At least 50 cats are found here every day, of which 14 are permanent residents.
The cats present in this particular refuge are available for adoption. The Cat Boat volunteers take great care of this to make sure every cat finds a new home with a good owner.
Every self-respecting boat has its own captain. In this case it is a cat named Koeienkat. He always sits near the door visitors enter, giving them the impression of wanting to be caressed, but in reality he is a somewhat shy cat, and for this reason he is even more loved by everyone.
The project receives no government support and when visitors hear about it, there is no shortage of contribute with a donation. These are cat lovers from all over the world who come to Amsterdam as tourists.
Ten years ago the volunteers had applied for funding but the request was not accepted. Despite this, they have decided to carry out an initiative to save abandoned cats that is becoming increasingly successful. Look at the video.
Marta Albè
Font photo: The Poezenboot
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