CATS' SPECIAL STATUS IN ROME
Recently, on the 17th February, Italy celebrated the annual Day of the Cat, complete with the animal's special patron saint, the medieval mystic, Saint Gertrude de Nivelles, who recognized the importance of the presence of cats in her convent in controlling the spread of the plague. Cats have always had special protected status in Italy, especially in Rome where an estimated 300,000 feline “friends” have made their home – 170,000 registered as domestic pets and another 130,000 or so living in cat colonies, where they are looked after and fed by local volunteers. The cat, in fact, enjoys protected citizen status in Rome where the city council has declared it part of the “city's bio-cultural heritage”.An incalculable number of cats, however, prefer a free and footloose existence hidden among the ancient ruins and gardens scattered round the historic centre.
Italy's annual International Super Cat Show was held in November, with some 600 cats of various breeds competing for the title of Super Cat and won by Mila, a young British shorthair blue tabby. An important part of the event is the Adoption Corner, where stray cats chosen from the 600 cat sanctuaries dotted round the city centre and suburbs are available for adoption, complete with vaccination certificates and health checks.
The typical Italian cat is the European Shorthair, which comes in variations of white, black, grey and ginger, with the all ginger colouring predominant in males.
M.STENHOUSE
Info: https://supercatshow.com
