A metropolis alongside over i hundred kilometers of canals , it’s no surprise that Amsterdam is total of houseboats. However , i such boat inwards the historic Herengracht district is hiding something peculiar inside. On whatsoever given solar daytime it’s habitation to nigh fifty felines!
No , this isn’t a hoarding nightmare gone wrong. The truthful cat boat , or “de poezenboot” inwards Dutch , is the world’s but floating truthful cat sanctuary.
Photo credit: Antony Stanley/Flickr
A truthful cat shelter on reason is zippo to write habitation nigh , every major metropolis has i or two. One on H2O , even thence , is a dissimilar story.
For starters , cats in addition to H2O don’t just larn hand-in-hand. The residents of de poezenboot seem to honey it though. When I visited , a distich were basking inwards the Sun on the boat’s enclosed balcony looking out onto the canal.
Why a truthful cat boat though? Amsterdam has no shortage of buildings on land. Firstly , life on the H2O is a big business office of the city’s history in addition to culture. An article on What’s Up With Amsterdam states:
Some of these former ships are over a hundred years old. The ships were used to carry goods piece the possessor in addition to his menage unit of measurement lived inwards the little quarters below deck. After retirement , the shipowner would moor the send in addition to buy the farm on living on it. After the 2nd basis state of war , these former carry vessels became the respond for the housing shortage inwards Amsterdam.
Secondly , the truthful cat boat sanctuary did start out on land. Back inwards 1966 , a adult woman called Henriette van Weelde started to accept tending of needy cats inwards her habitation on the banks of the canal. She apace ran out of infinite in addition to began to await for a dedicated place to job solid them.
Although demo houseboats are an expensive pick pop alongside so-called “wateryuppies” , dorsum in addition to thence , they offered a pocket-sized , affordable infinite to live. In 1968 , Henrietta purchased the the get-go truthful cat boat in addition to continued to tending for its residents alongside the help of volunteers.
Photo credit: Annie Cooper
Now , de poezenboot is a fully fledged charity which is supported exclusively yesteryear donors. It takes inwards stray in addition to surrendered cats alongside the finish of rehoming , although fourteen felines alive permanently on the boat. The Cat Boat Foundation takes tending of vaccination , sterilization in addition to microchipping of cats inwards demand also every bit working alongside behavioral specialists where necessary to give the kitties the best direct chances of rehoming.
De poezenboot is opened upward to visitors daily from from 1pm until 3pm except on Wednesdays in addition to Sundays. There is no entrance accuse even thence donations are highly encouraged. It’s located inwards fundamental Amsterdam , nigh 10 minutes walking distance from the primary station. You tin honour directions in addition to a map on their official website.
One betoken to deport inwards heed if y'all are visiting is that this is non a truthful cat cafe. Since unopen to of these cats direct keep been rescued from abusive situations , they may non desire to survive touched in addition to at that spot is a endangerment of existence scratched. The staff create utter English linguistic communication in addition to are happy to suggest on which cats are friendly in addition to appreciate a few pets from a stranger.
Photo credit: Annie Cooper
Photo credit: Annie Cooper
Photo credit: Annie Cooper
Photo credit: Annie Cooper