© Reuters
0 / 31 Fotos
Cats are king - They prowl the island, curling up wherever the afternoon sun hits, or strutting around the quiet village.
© Reuters
1 / 31 Fotos
The island - In 1945, the mile-long island served as a fishing village with a population of approximately 900.
© Reuters
2 / 31 Fotos
A solution to a problem - A small colony of a few breeds of cats were originally brought over to help with pest control, particularly the abundance of mice that were plaguing fishermen’s boats.
© Reuters
3 / 31 Fotos
The cats got off the boats - And they multiplied fast, almost at the same rate as the human population dwindled. In 2013, the island was estimated to be home to just 50 human residents.
© Reuters
4 / 31 Fotos
But they were welcome - Residents cared for the furry creatures, and veterinarians still come to the island to check up on them.
© Reuters
5 / 31 Fotos
Japan loves cats - Cat cafés have been popular in Tokyo for a while, catering to the feline fans who can't keep pets at home because of strict housing regulations.
© Reuters
6 / 31 Fotos
They've left their mark - The adorable creatures have become an inseparable part of the island.
© Reuters
7 / 31 Fotos
Every home is shared - If you've got a ledge, a doorstep, or a roof, that's free real estate for a feline.
© Reuters
8 / 31 Fotos
Things can get a bit tight - There is only so much space on an island.
© Shutterstock
9 / 31 Fotos
Mostly they just snooze - These island cats are, naturally, quite laid back.
© Shutterstock
10 / 31 Fotos
Fresh air, fish, and lots of friends - These cats have it all.
© Shutterstock
11 / 31 Fotos
The unique opportunity to see a community of cats - How they act when they are no longer a pet.
© Reuters
12 / 31 Fotos
You can't go unnoticed on the island - The inquisitive eyes of cats will find you.
© Shutterstock
13 / 31 Fotos
A rise in tourism - The tiny island has become extremely popular online, bringing boatloads of tourists to see the phenomenon with their own eyes.
© Reuters
14 / 31 Fotos
It's by no means a tourist haven - There are no restaurants, cars, shops, or kiosks on the island.
© Shutterstock
15 / 31 Fotos
Thirty minute ferry ride - The island is accessible via a ferry that leaves from Port Nagahama, yet neither the trek nor the lack of tourist amenities put people off.
© Reuters
16 / 31 Fotos
The cats aren't picky - They seem to be doing fine surviving on the rice balls, energy bars, potatoes, or fish scraps they're fed.
© Reuters
17 / 31 Fotos
They'll love you if you feed them - But really, who wouldn't?
© Reuters
18 / 31 Fotos
The residents are mostly retirees - Some feed the felines, and others shoo them away.
© Reuters
19 / 31 Fotos
Aoshima isn't the only one
- There are actually about a dozen “cat islands” in Japan. Another popular cat island is Tashirojima, in the Miyagi Prefecture, which has a human population of less than 100, but a much larger cat population.
© Reuters
20 / 31 Fotos
Tashirojima - The stray cat population thrives because locals believe that feeding cats will bring wealth, healing, and good fortune.
© Reuters
21 / 31 Fotos
No dogs allowed - No dog would last on an island of feral cats.
© Shutterstock
22 / 31 Fotos
They have no natural predators - And in the absence of threat, they roam the island without fear.
© Shutterstock
23 / 31 Fotos
Tashirojima also wanted the mice gone - Much of the island once raised silkworms for their textiles and fishing nets, so they introduced cats to chase the pestering mice away.
© Reuters
24 / 31 Fotos
And again, they multiplied - Over time, the cat population began to grow quickly while the human population dwindled down to less than 100 residents.
© Reuters
25 / 31 Fotos
The humans don't mind being outnumbered - The residents and thousands of tourists who flock to the island every year genuinely enjoy the presence of cats.
© Shutterstock
26 / 31 Fotos
The more cats there are, the more good luck - Perhaps the tourists are all in search of money and good fortune.
© Reuters
27 / 31 Fotos
The luck of the cats has spurred many stories - Some claim that it was the cats who kept the majority of the island from being destroyed during the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami in 2011.
© Shutterstock
28 / 31 Fotos
There's even a cat shrine - Known as Neko-jinja, it sits in the middle of the island, and was originally built for a cat who accidentally died when hit by a falling rock.
© Shutterstock
29 / 31 Fotos
They're cute, but they have to stop multiplying
- The cats on the island are reportedly being spayed and neutered in order to lower the feline population, especially since the human population is seriously declining. Interested in a feline companion of your own? Check out the best cat breeds for your home.
© Reuters
30 / 31 Fotos
© Reuters
0 / 31 Fotos
Cats are king - They prowl the island, curling up wherever the afternoon sun hits, or strutting around the quiet village.
© Reuters
1 / 31 Fotos
The island - In 1945, the mile-long island served as a fishing village with a population of approximately 900.
© Reuters
2 / 31 Fotos
A solution to a problem - A small colony of a few breeds of cats were originally brought over to help with pest control, particularly the abundance of mice that were plaguing fishermen’s boats.
© Reuters
3 / 31 Fotos
The cats got off the boats - And they multiplied fast, almost at the same rate as the human population dwindled. In 2013, the island was estimated to be home to just 50 human residents.
© Reuters
4 / 31 Fotos
But they were welcome - Residents cared for the furry creatures, and veterinarians still come to the island to check up on them.
© Reuters
5 / 31 Fotos
Japan loves cats - Cat cafés have been popular in Tokyo for a while, catering to the feline fans who can't keep pets at home because of strict housing regulations.
© Reuters
6 / 31 Fotos
They've left their mark - The adorable creatures have become an inseparable part of the island.
© Reuters
7 / 31 Fotos
Every home is shared - If you've got a ledge, a doorstep, or a roof, that's free real estate for a feline.
© Reuters
8 / 31 Fotos
Things can get a bit tight - There is only so much space on an island.
© Shutterstock
9 / 31 Fotos
Mostly they just snooze - These island cats are, naturally, quite laid back.
© Shutterstock
10 / 31 Fotos
Fresh air, fish, and lots of friends - These cats have it all.
© Shutterstock
11 / 31 Fotos
The unique opportunity to see a community of cats - How they act when they are no longer a pet.
© Reuters
12 / 31 Fotos
You can't go unnoticed on the island - The inquisitive eyes of cats will find you.
© Shutterstock
13 / 31 Fotos
A rise in tourism - The tiny island has become extremely popular online, bringing boatloads of tourists to see the phenomenon with their own eyes.
© Reuters
14 / 31 Fotos
It's by no means a tourist haven - There are no restaurants, cars, shops, or kiosks on the island.
© Shutterstock
15 / 31 Fotos
Thirty minute ferry ride - The island is accessible via a ferry that leaves from Port Nagahama, yet neither the trek nor the lack of tourist amenities put people off.
© Reuters
16 / 31 Fotos
The cats aren't picky - They seem to be doing fine surviving on the rice balls, energy bars, potatoes, or fish scraps they're fed.
© Reuters
17 / 31 Fotos
They'll love you if you feed them - But really, who wouldn't?
© Reuters
18 / 31 Fotos
The residents are mostly retirees - Some feed the felines, and others shoo them away.
© Reuters
19 / 31 Fotos
Aoshima isn't the only one
- There are actually about a dozen “cat islands” in Japan. Another popular cat island is Tashirojima, in the Miyagi Prefecture, which has a human population of less than 100, but a much larger cat population.
© Reuters
20 / 31 Fotos
Tashirojima - The stray cat population thrives because locals believe that feeding cats will bring wealth, healing, and good fortune.
© Reuters
21 / 31 Fotos
No dogs allowed - No dog would last on an island of feral cats.
© Shutterstock
22 / 31 Fotos
They have no natural predators - And in the absence of threat, they roam the island without fear.
© Shutterstock
23 / 31 Fotos
Tashirojima also wanted the mice gone - Much of the island once raised silkworms for their textiles and fishing nets, so they introduced cats to chase the pestering mice away.
© Reuters
24 / 31 Fotos
And again, they multiplied - Over time, the cat population began to grow quickly while the human population dwindled down to less than 100 residents.
© Reuters
25 / 31 Fotos
The humans don't mind being outnumbered - The residents and thousands of tourists who flock to the island every year genuinely enjoy the presence of cats.
© Shutterstock
26 / 31 Fotos
The more cats there are, the more good luck - Perhaps the tourists are all in search of money and good fortune.
© Reuters
27 / 31 Fotos
The luck of the cats has spurred many stories - Some claim that it was the cats who kept the majority of the island from being destroyed during the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami in 2011.
© Shutterstock
28 / 31 Fotos
There's even a cat shrine - Known as Neko-jinja, it sits in the middle of the island, and was originally built for a cat who accidentally died when hit by a falling rock.
© Shutterstock
29 / 31 Fotos
They're cute, but they have to stop multiplying
- The cats on the island are reportedly being spayed and neutered in order to lower the feline population, especially since the human population is seriously declining. Interested in a feline companion of your own? Check out the best cat breeds for your home.
© Reuters
30 / 31 Fotos
Peek inside Japan's surreal island of cats
It’s truly fur-midable
© Reuters
Aoshima Island, or “Cat Island,” is a small slice of land in the Ehime Prefecture of southern Japan, and it's one of the few places on Earth where there are significantly more feline residents than humans. Cats actually outnumber humans six to one!
Check out this gallery to get a glimpse of the cat lover's paradise.
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