About

Kat and abandoned kitten, Olivo before adoption at the shelter. 2010

This blog is mostly for adopters, volunteers, fosterers living in Italy.  I hope this page will help the English speaking animal lover in Italy get connected, ask questions, get tips & receive cat news. ^_^

My blog could be titled ‘The Diary of a Japanese-American Cat Shelter Volunteer in Italy’, because in essence that’s what it is. From 2008, I’ve been volunteering at a nonprofit cat rescue shelter as if it were a fulltime job. And it’s been one of the most rewarding life experiences ever! Only a normal pet cat owner before, I can now handle bewildered cats (you don’t), nurse orphaned kittens and tame ferocious ferals.  But what I like most is working with people and hearing their stories about their furry Italian friends. And yes, sometimes Italian friends can be hairy! ^_^

All that and more in an acquired language. I’m originally from San Francisco and after studies in Cultural Anthropology, I moved to Italy with my Milanese husband.  In all of our moves around Northern and Central Italy, Trieste is where the hills and windy sea air feels a little like home and where I really developed my passion for cats.

“Another blog about cats by a volunteer”, you might think. Well, on top of the usual, I hope to describe a world where domestic cats have lived in the culture for a couple of thousand years. The truth is I became  a cat lover in Italian…and I’m addicted. But whoever you are and wherever you’re from, if you love cats I think you’ll find something of interest. After all cat-talk is universal: miao is meow!

Hope you enjoy the posts!