Catsparella: Around The World In 80 Cats #8: Amsterdam

The multilingual cat

Amsterdam is not only one of the most popular tourist destinations in Europe, but it's also an extremely cat-friendly area. In addition to a cat boat and a cat museum, you're also likely to encounter kitties working for their kibble in the city's numerous stores, pubs, and cafes.

(dtsomp)

The Cat Boat (De Poezenboot)

One must-see attraction while visiting is De Poezenboot (The Cat Boat), a floating sanctuary for stray and abandoned cats, located in Amsterdam's picturesque canal belt. The boat has a long and storied history, beginning in 1966 when Henriette van Weelde found a family of cats living outside of her house and decided to take them in. As other strays followed, van Weelde quickly became the town cat lady, with people dropping off cats they could no longer care for. She soon ran out of space, and with more kitties coming in, decided to purchase a houseboat where she could provide refuge for her rescues. Today, The Cat Boat remains the only floating animal sanctuary in the Netherlands, and a popular tourist destination thanks to its attractive location, and adorable cargo!

(snapboot)

Inside the KattenKabinet cat art museum

After you spend some time with the kitties of De Poezenboot, make sure to leave time to visit KattenKabinet (Cat Cabinet), Amsterdam's very own cat art museum. The museum features the work of Pablo Picasso, Rembrandt, Théophile Steinlen, and more, plus there are real cats who live in the building, providing a bit of purrformance art. Cat Cabinet was founded in 1990 by Bob Meijer, in memory of his red tomcat, John Pierpont Morgan. It reportedly boasts an impressive collection of feline-inspired paintings, drawings, sculptures, and more.