If you’re like me, then you know what I mean when I say that cats have a certain irresistible charm. These furry friends make great companions, whether your cat is staring silently at you from across the room or cuddling silently.
One thing that many cat lovers around the world have in common is that their cats have been adopted from shelters, rescue organizations, or straight off the street. After all, some of us didn’t adopt our cats; our cats adopted us when they came along one day.
Regardless of how you started owning your cat, you’ve probably seen the importance of providing shelter, safety, and veterinary care for cats, all of which shelters, rescues, and sanctuaries accomplish perfectly.
One cat rescue you may not have heard of is De Poezenboot in Amsterdam.However, there is one thing that sets this shelter apart from all others:De Poezenboot is located entirely on the water.
What is De Poezenboot?
De Poezenboot is a cat shelter, also known as a “cat boat”, and for good reason. The cat shelter is located entirely on a boat on the Herengracht canal in Amsterdam. Before the cat shelter became a full-fledged shelter, it started the way most rescues and shelters start: with a cat lover who kept the cats.
Mrs. Henriette V. Weelde lived across the street from the canal in Amsterdam. Under a tree near the canal, she found a cat with a litter of kittens and took them in. She continued to adopt stray cats, so much so that she became known as “Mrs. Cat” and people started bringing her more cats.
Eventually, she ran out of room in her house for cats. In searching for a solution, it became clear that the boathouse on the canal was a good solution, as it gave her more space to take in the cats while still being able to care for them nearby.
Poezenboot Amsterdam
Is De Poezenboot on the original boat?
In 1968, a Dutch sailboat was purchased to house the cat sanctuary, which was completely stripped down to make it safe for cats to live in. Once the cat boat was up and running, volunteers soon came to help manage the sanctuary.In 1971, a second boat was purchased and the first boat was given gut and rebuild treatment.
In 1979, the first boat was allowed to be decommissioned and was replaced by what is commonly referred to as an “ark”, which seemed very appropriate considering the number of animals that live at De Poezenboot.
To this day, the second and third boats still house cats in the Herengracht Canal, although both have undergone numerous maintenance and upgrades to ensure the safety of the cats, volunteers and visitors.
Who pays for De Poezenboot?
De Poezenboot is 100% supported by donors from all over the world. If you’ve ever donated to this organization, then you’ll be happy to know that your donation goes beyond supporting the cats that live on board.
De Poezenboot is responsible for all forms of feline support around Amsterdam. They support the neutering of stray cats in the city, and they help people get microchips for their cats.
They can adopt cats from citizens who can no longer afford to keep them, or from citizens whose cats have bred to the point where their owners can no longer afford to keep them.De Poezenboot does everything in their power to find suitable homes for their cats, but when they can’t find a suitable home, they also provide them with a safe and loving home.