Rome has approximately 200,000 feral cats living in the city's archaeological sites, parks, churches, and ruins, the highest density of urban feral cats in Europe. They aren't pests. They are classified under Roman municipal law as a protected species, sterilized and managed by a network of volunteer gattare (cat ladies) and recognized cat sanctuaries. The largest is at the Largo di Torre Argentina, the same Republican-era temple complex where Julius Caesar was assassinated in 44 BC, where hundreds of cats live among the ancient ruins in conditions that would delight any urban feral cat. How did this happen? The history is genuinely interesting and goes back significantly further than most people expect.
How do you want to see it?
Rome · LazioCompare the same experience on GetYourGuide and Viator, save what you like to My Trip, share it, and book when you’re sure. Nearest to this page first.
Why Rome Has So Many Cats
Cats have been in Rome continuously since antiquity. Roman sources mention them, cats appear in Roman mosaics, and the Colosseum and other major sites have sustained cat populations for centuries. The specific explosion in Rome's feral cat population in the modern era is linked to a 1991 municipal regulation that classified the city's feral cats as part of the "urban fauna" of Rome, giving them legal protection, establishing the right of cat colonies to remain in their locations, and creating the framework for the volunteer sterilization (trap-neuter-return) programs that have stabilized the population. The cats can't be removed from their established colonies. They can be trapped, sterilized, treated for illness, and returned. The colonies can accept new cats surrendered by residents. This system, now copied in cities across Italy, was invented in Rome.
Torre Argentina Cat Sanctuary
The Area Sacra dell'Argentina (Largo di Torre Argentina) is a Republican-era archaeological site in the center of Rome containing four temples from the 4th to 1st centuries BC. Since the excavation in the 1920s, feral cats have inhabited the ruins. The Torre Argentina Cat Sanctuary was formalized in 1994 by two volunteers and is now a nonprofit operating with a medical clinic, adoption service, and volunteer network. The cats (approximately 150-200 at any time) live in the ruins, visible from the street-level viewing area, and are cared for daily. You can descend into the excavation area to meet the cats directly (donation appreciated). The cats that have been socialized enough are available for adoption internationally through the sanctuary's program.
Questions About Rome's Cats
Where are the best places to find cats in Rome?
Torre Argentina is the most accessible and most organized. Other significant cat colonies: the Colosseum (the cats live in the archaeological zone around the exterior, visible from outside), Largo dei Librari (near Campo de' Fiori), Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II (large park with established colony), Villa Borghese (park cats), and many neighborhood colonies in Trastevere, Testaccio, and the Jewish Quarter. The cats are most active in the morning and late afternoon. Midday they tend to sleep in the shade of the ruins.
Can I volunteer with Rome's cats?
Yes. Torre Argentina Cat Sanctuary accepts volunteers who can commit to regular sessions. For shorter visits, the sanctuary welcomes help with socialization (sitting with the cats), cleaning, and fundraising help. Contact through gattidiroma.net. Other cat sanctuaries (Colosseo, Largo dei Librari) also accept volunteers through their respective organizations.
Are Rome's cats healthy?
The managed colonies are vaccinated (rabies, feline distemper), sterilized, and treated for parasites by the volunteer networks and the municipal veterinary service. Unmanaged colonies in peripheral areas may be less well maintained. The cats at Torre Argentina specifically receive veterinary care at the on-site clinic. Approaching and petting the cats is fine, they are comfortable with human contact in the managed sanctuaries.
Why are cats specifically associated with the ruins?
The ruins provide exactly what urban feral cats need: structural complexity (hiding places, elevated positions, varied microclimates), consistent food supply (pigeons, rodents, and the offerings of human visitors), and protection from traffic. The ancient stone also retains heat. Roman ruins in winter are significantly warmer than surrounding open spaces, making them year-round habitats for cats that would otherwise suffer in the cold months. The relationship between Roman ruins and Roman cats isn't symbolic, it is practical habitat selection that has been stable for centuries.
Curiosità sui Gatti di Roma
La gattara, la donna anziana che si prende cura dei gatti randagi di quartiere, è una figura così caratteristica della vita urbana romana da essere entrata nel vocabolario sociologico italiano. Le gattare non sono filantropiste di gatti professionali: sono spesso donne sole, di età avanzata, che hanno trasformato la cura dei gatti in una missione quotidiana che struttura la loro vita e le mantiene attive nella comunità. La municipalità di Roma riconosce il loro contributo formalmente, le gattare registrate hanno diritto di accedere alle colonie feline nei siti pubblici e di ricevere cibo a prezzo agevolato attraverso i programmi di sterilizzazione. Questo sistema informale-formale è uno degli aspetti più caratteristici della relazione tra Roma e i suoi animali, non gestito dall'alto ma cresciuto dal basso e successivamente istituzionalizzato. Vedi anche: Rome · Rome vs Naples · cose gratis a Roma.
