Cats!

[Updated July 13 with more cats. See end of post.]

While I started adding cats to other posts, cats that haunted the ruins of Benevento and Herculaneum, for example, I thought I might as well post a collector page of cats–just for fun. Cats across the countries I have visited! Aren’t you thrilled?

First is the guard cat of the old (fortress) city of Dubrovnik, Croatia (or does she/he look too sweet to be a guard cat?)

Then, there was the fierce cat of Venice–look at those eyes. When I got closer to get a better photo, Gato di Venezia hissed loudly at me. Watch out!

I was not the only one taking pictures of cats. When I raised my camera to take a picture of this cat in Montefioralle in Chianti, who was enjoying the warmth of the spring sun, someone stepped right in front of me and took a picture.

I came back to that cat after being diverted to a picturesque courtyard and some flowers to get another shot–of a very sleepy cat. At least in this photo the eyes are open a little.

My best cat photo, as cats go, was in Koto, Montenegro, a cat resting comfortably very near a museum to cats! The cat did not seem to consider it might be stuffed someday to join the displays in the museum (although the museum was not part of our pre-arranged tour, so I have no idea what was in that cat museum).

But there are other kinds of cats than just the domesticated type and I found them in several places. Take these, as examples:

 

 

First, a protector “cat” on the gate of the church in Montefioralle

 

 

Or one standing guard at the cathedral in Lucca

 

 

 

 

 

 

Or this gigantic cat in command of the famous Las Ramblas street in Barcelona.

[Added July 13th.] I found more cats–from Egypt, preserved in the Neues Museum in Berlin. Cats from ancient days (date not clear on sign in museum).

(Still, a post on dogs sometime, anyone? Don’t hold your breath.)