Cat Lover? Take A Trip To Cat Island In Japan

If you are a cat lover or considering being a cat parent, then this is for you.

On an island in Ehime Prefecture, Japan lies an island dominated by cats. As its description, the island, known as Cat Island or in its Japanese name, Aoshima, has a number of 36:1 of cats to man. 

Take a journey via a ferry from JR Iyo-Nagahama station in Port Nagahama to the coast of the Nagahama district of Ōzu, where you will find an island of roughly 1 mile and the perfect home to over 200 cats.

Originally a fishing village, the over 900 humans who lived there as at 1945, introduced cats because of the rodents problem.

Rodents were said to have eaten captured fishery and there was an urgent need to take them out. Moreso, the island produced silk and mice wouldn’t stop attacking the silkworms, hence the introduction of the felines. As the rodents reduced, the locals thought them to be good luck, leaving them as permanent residents. However, since then, these cats have reproduced and taken over the island while humans dropped to 6 in 2019 after sardine factories became obsolete or inhabitants died off. 

Due to the declining number of the human population, the Aoshima Cat Protection Society announced that the cats will be neutered.

Here, you will find a cat shrine. The people of Japan believe that cats bring good tidings. The god of fishing also takes the shape of a cat hence its revere. As such, the shrine is decorated with cat figurines.

A one-way ticket to this island will cost you 1,230 yen (N3950). Plus, If you are visiting, ensure you take water, lots of it, and wet food as the cats seem not to like dry food. To this day, the cats feed on food primarily provided by the Aoshima Cat Protection Society.