UPDATE 2021: This blog post was first written in 2016 when the sanctuary was conducting guided visits of the beach and facilities (it even won an award on Trip Advisor). In July 2021, the sanctuary announced that they will no longer offer guided tours. The population of cats (thanks to sterilization and a prohibition on abandonment) is down to about 30, of which only three are original to the site.
On the western coast of Sardinia there is a tiny fishing hamlet called Su Pallosu, and not far from there is a secluded beach that is home to 61 cats.
Photo: Gatti di Su Pallosu
The beach, named after the town, is now a sanctuary for these cats. Although the sanctuary is fairly new, cats began inhabiting the beach over 100 years ago when they were brought there by local fishermen to help eliminate a rodent problem in their barracks.
The barracks were taken down in the 80s, but the cats stayed and were cared for by locals.
Two of those locals, Andrea Atzori and his wife, Irina, started the non-profit sanctuary, I Gatti di Su Pallosu, in 2011. It is supported entirely by private donations and the sale of cat souvenirs to tourists. These donations cover food, sanitary conditions and population control (all of the females are spayed and most of the males are neutered). No new cats are accepted at the sanctuary.
Photo: Gatti di Su Pallosu
Photo: Gatti di Su Pallosu
Su Pallosu was recently given Trip Advisor’s Certificate of Excellence, and since then has become a popular tourist destination in Sardinia. Tours are free but must be booked in advance.
Photo: Gatti di Su Pallosu
For more information, visit the sanctuary’s website: http://www.gattisupallosu.org/?lang=en_US
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