Torre Argentina Cat Sanctuary In Rome

cassiopea

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Hello Everyone! Hopefully this is an ok spot to post here!


I was on a trip to Rome and visited this cat sanctuary there. They take in strays and abandoned cats, providing shelter, food, professional healthcare, a foster/adoption system and a spay and neuter program. It is entirely run by volunteers and totally dependent on fundraising and donations from tourists and locals as they do not receive any funding. They also share funds with other poorer sanctuaries around Rome when available.

Link for more detailed info:

Torre Argentina Cat Sanctuary


Outside and entrance. They are located beside closed off Ancient Roman Ruins (The same place where Julius Caesar was assassinated) below street level with the shelter itself being underground, so the healthy cats who venture outside of the shelter roam freely and safely among the ruins:






Chillin' and snoozin' near the entrance/little shop area:



Quarantine area for the disabled, elderly, injured and sick cats where they relax and recuperate. They do not go outside at all. Many of the unadoptable cats will live here permanently and remain indoors fulltime:
















Myself petting a friendly cutie pie in the main area:




If or when you are ever in Rome, please visit! You can spend time with the kitties who enjoy playing and snuggling with visitors, engage with the amazing volunteers and donate or purchase goodies in their little shop. It was also nice to mingle among like minded visitors.I myself bought a 2019 calendar (Has pictures of some of the resident kitties), cat toys, a tshirt and a hand made kitchen towel with cats all over it. If unable to go to Rome, you can donate online as well :)

Hope you guys enjoy my small adventure! It was an amazing little place, I wholeheartedly appreciated their efforts there. There are thousands of ferals and strays in Rome, so knowing there are wonderful people and wonderful place like this is of great ease in many ways. They not only take care of their own, but also try and spay and neuter cats of other colonies. So far, if I remember correctly, over the years of existing they have reached out to around 27,000 cats and growing.

Because of their location, they were threatened with closure and eviction a few years ago, but thanks to 30,000 signatures they were able to remain - although the threat still lingers.


There is a bio-heritage law in Italy, where if there are five or more cats who live together in their natural home and habitat, they cannot be removed or chased away
 

aliceneko

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It sounds like a wonderful place to visit! I'm happy that you managed to go there and meet all the cats and kittens who have taken up residence.
I had a similar experience when I visited the Cat Cafe in Avignon in France; a local cat protection agency has teamed up with the cafe and many of the cats and kittens they rescue live at the cafe until they can find a permanent home. There was a gallery full of photos of customers who ended up adopting cats, and it was really lovely to see the cats looking happy with their new families. (There was one adorable little kitten that I would've adopted in a heartbeat had I lived locally!)
 

1CatOverTheLine

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cassiopea cassiopea and aliceneko aliceneko - You just have to Love Cat people. I can imagine both of you planning your vacations - "Ahhh... no cats for a week! This is Heaven. Avignon - the great Bridge, the Palais des Papes, the Cathedral!" "Oh, a catless week spent with Ancient history - the Coliseum, the Vatican, the Catacombs!"

And then, before you've even left the baggage line:

"CAThedral?"

"CATacombs?"

"Must. Go. See. Cats!"
.
 
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cassiopea

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cassiopea cassiopea and aliceneko aliceneko - You just have to Love Cat people. I can imagine both of you planning your vacations - "Ahhh... no cats for a week! This is Heaven. Avignon - the great Bridge, the Palais des Papes, the Cathedral!" "Oh, a catless week spent with Ancient history - the Coliseum, the Vatican, the Catacombs!"

And then, before you've even left the baggage line:

"CAThedral?"

"CATacombs?"

"Must. Go. See. Cats!"
.

Hahaha indeed, when you think you might be sans cat for awhile, but then suddenly "A place devoted entirely of CATS?" *Disappears .05 seconds later*
 
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