The most important cat sanctuaries in Rome

Cat sanctuaries are an attraction in their own right in Rome: they share their space with some of the city’s most important monuments and for the most part you can get to visit, interact and support their activities. In this article we point you in the right direction if you’re a cat lover visiting the Eternal City, but first things first… We answer some of your questions!

Why are there so many cats in Rome?

Since times immemorial, early dwellers found cats useful to protect their food and goods as well as their health from rodents. Cats you see now by the most important monuments descend directly from those. They were even worshipped, when Egyptian religion and culture became a thing in Rome!

Why stray cats are not moved to somewhere else?

Some of you may find it objectionable to have cats live inside some of the most important attractions in Rome. In 2003, the city council deemed them to be part of the city’s cultural bio-heritage, exactly as pine trees or tufa stone, which means that they have to be respected and protected – yes, even when they are prowling in the Forum!

How many cat sanctuaries are there in Rome?

There are currently around 4,000 cat sanctuaries in Rome. The ones by world-known monuments are just a fraction of them, and in fact, the most part of these are in the suburbs and residential neighborhoods. The stray cats population in Rome is calculated at about 300,000 units.

The cat sanctuaries you can visit during your Roman holidays

Largo di Torre Argentina

This cat sanctuary is arguably Rome’s best known worldwide, thanks to a massive online presence (it has its own website and social media profiles). You can access the volunteers’ offices on any weekday and enjoy playing with the tabbies there – they can also be adopted (and no, distance won’t be an issue, you can decide to donate some money to keep them fed and, well, neuter the newest arrivals).

Where to find it: Largo di Torre Argentina on the corner with Largo Arenula – walking distance to many of our managed accommodations, such as Via del Governo Vecchio or Cieloterra.

Piramide Cestia (Pyramid of Cestius)

This well-know cat sanctuary is part of the perimeter of the Protestant Cemetery, near the Pyramid of Cestius, on the border between the Ostiense and Testaccio neighborhoods. You can get to the site easily by subway (get off at the Piramide stop) or by tram (line 3 from the side of the Colosseum), but make sure you go while the cemetery is open.
While the volunteers have their own website, this looks like it hasn’t been updated in a while. On the upside, they are very active on Facebook.

Where to find it: Viale del Campo Boario (but this entrance is almost always closed) or through the cemetery entrance on Via Caio Cestio, 6 – make a note of the opening times before you go in!

The Colosseum

In spite of its status as one of the most cat-friendly places on Earth, there are only two of them left in the archaeological area at the Colosseum. Worldwide famous Nerina, who was a symbol of this landmark and ended in many tourists’ photographs, died this last May (news in Italian here). There are many theories as to where the once crowded cat community ended, some of them bizarre and a little creepy. Look out for the two remaining cats when you visit the Fora!

Where to find the cats: past the entrance of the monument on Piazza del Colosseo, 1

The National Gallery of Ancient Art at Palazzo Barberini

This “unofficial” cat sanctuary has become a fixture of the visiting experience at this incredible museum just off Piazza Barberini. Many a visitor take their time to play or interact with the cats there, who like to congregate by the entrance!

Where to find it: Via delle Quattro Fontane, 13, walking distance by some of our apartments for rent such as Avignonesi 10 or Dormo da Lady.