Street Cats of the World

Street Cats of the World Photography Exhibition

My Streets Cats of the World exhibition was held at a Petone cat cafe to promote the great work they were doing to find 'forever homes' for cats sourced from animal rescue organisations in the Hutt Valley and the Wairarapa.

The exhibition featured a range of street cats in their urban environments, from Croatia to Cyprus, and from Mexico to Morocco. The centrepiece of the exhibition was a 1.2m by 1.2m print containing images on the cobbled streets of Dubrovnik in Croatia. It was in Croatia that my husband and I rescued a tiny sick ginger kitten from under a street stall one stormy night, and that experience provided part of the inspiration for this series of photos. The exhibition also included street cats from Hong Kong, Israel, Spain, Turkey, and the US.

One of my earliest memories is of my Mum rescuing cats off the street and taking them back to the apartment where I grew up, which was in Lima, Perú. And as I got older, if I was really, really good, I was allowed to use the family camera, a battered old Yashica, to take pictures of the cats, as well as photos on family trips. It was from those beginnings that my love of animals, photography and travel grew.

Here are the images from the exhibition, as well as the stories about each street kitty.

Cats of the Old City, Dubrovnik, Croatia

A collage of eleven photos featuring stray cats exploring rustic stone streets, doorways, and courtyards in Dubrovnik, Croatia.

Sadly, Croatia has an unbelievable number of street cats. As mentioned above, my husband and I rescued a kitten during a thunderstorm in Split, and we were relieved to find a nearby vet willing to help stray cats and other street animals. Once we got back to Wellington were thrilled to hear that the kitty we had named 'Tisak' - the local word for 'street stall' - had recovered and found a loving forever home. The images above were all taken in the beautiful walled city of Dubrovnik.

Hagia Sophia Cat, Istanbul, Turkey

Black and white photo of Hagia Sophia interior featuring massive columns, Arabic calligraphy and a sleeping street cat.

The spectacular 1,500 year old Hagia Sophia was originally a Greek Orthodox cathedral, but it was converted into a mosque after the Muslim conquest of Constantinople (modern day Istanbul). This massive monument is now a huge tourist attraction, so I was really happy to capture its resident cat napping during a quiet moment without any people in the shot.

Cemetery Cat, Zagreb, Croatia

Black and white photo of a cat standing alone in a grand arched colonnade corridor in Mirogoj Cemetery in Zagreb, Croatia.

I have a bit of a fascination with old cemeteries, and like to spend time taking photos whenever I find one. Many of them seem to provide peaceful homes for abandoned cats, such as this stunning one in Zagreb, Mirogoj Cemetery.

PeaceKeeping Cat, Nicosia, Cyprus

A cat wanders in front of a green double door on a yellow Mediterranean building flanked by potted flowering plants in Nicosia, Cyprus.

Nicosia is a divided city, with walls, barbed wire and United Nations observation towers separating Cypriot Greeks from Cypriot Turks. This doesn’t seem to bother Nicosia’s many street cats, who freely wander from one side to the other. In this case, this little street cat has found its home in a quiet Greek neighbourhood with little old cottages.

Meow! Haifa, Israel

Black and white photo of a cat sitting outside a shop window with MEOW signage and lace curtains in Haifa, Israel.

Haifa is a really funky coastal city in Israel, priding itself on its tolerant community of Jews, Christians, Muslims, Bahai and everybody else, all living together in relative harmony. This is one of two images of cats from Haifa in my Street Cats of the World exhibition, taken in a redeveloped area down by the old port.

Agave, San Miguel de Allende, Mexico

A white and gray cat with a red collar sits on a stone wall outside a charming Mexican-style building in San Miguel de Allende.

Meet Agave! Named after the famous cactus used to make tequila, she is probably the best looked after street cat featured in this collection of images. Adopted by an art school in San Miguel de Allende, she now even has a collar, but is still able to freely roam the school’s lush gardens. For more images taken into this gorgeous hillside Mexican town, you could take a look at my page about Semana Santa (Easter Week) in San Miguel de Allende.

'Seafood Street' Cats, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong

Black and white photo of a busy Hong Kong market shop with vendors, shoppers, and two cats sitting on steps among dried seafood goods.

Hong Kong’s Sheung Wan District is renowned for its markets, herbal medicines, food stalls and, of particular interest to kitties, dried seafood. I caught these two cats checking out one of the hundreds of shops on Des Voeux Road West, which is nicknamed Dried Seafood Street, because it has been the home of numerous seafood vendors since the 19th Century.

Gallery Cat, Haifa, Israel

A one-eyed tabby cat sits on a colorful mat beside a ornate sofa with blue pillows in an art gallery in Haifa, Israel.

This is the second of two street cat images in the exhibition taken in Haifa. While still able to run around the streets, the one-eyed moggy in this photo had been ‘adopted’ by a local gallery owner. It’s nice to know that there are always some people with good hearts everywhere you go.

Patient Cat, Larnaca, Cyprus

A tortieshell cat patiently sits before a blue double door with ornate ironwork on a tan stone building in Larnaca, Cyprus.

Larnaca is a pretty town on the southern coast of Cyprus. I suspect that the people living in this house give food to this street kitty. If so, I think I caught him patiently waiting for his next meal.

Adobe Cats, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA

Two cats, one black fluffy and one black and white, sitting together against an adobe wall in Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA.

I fell in love with Santa Fe when I visited there to take some photography workshops a few years ago. Its colourful adobe houses, which combine Spanish and Native American architectural styles, somehow felt very familiar – perhaps echoes of a past life ... These two gorgeous Santa Fe cats were kind enough to pose for me against an adobe wall.

Night Cat, Jaffa, Israel

A black cat sits under a glowing stone archway in an ancient Jaffa alleyway at night, illuminated by warm golden light.

The beautiful old city of Jaffa is the southern and oldest part of Tel Aviv. Fortunately, its many street cats appear to be well looked after by the locals, especially the owners of its many little art galleries.

Work of Art, Barcelona, Spain

Black and white photo of abstract metal sculptures with a tuxedo cat sitting nearby in a Barcelona art gallery.

Admiring the modern art in a small gallery in Barcelona, I was surprised to come across this street cat, who had boldly wandered in through a side door. She elegantly posed for me in front of artwork that looked coincidentally similar to herself.

Rock the Katbah! Rabat, Morocco

A cat resting by a vibrant blue Moroccan door with ornate stone columns and decorative tilework in Rabat's Kasbah des Oudaias.

The maze of old streets in Rabat’s Kasbah des Oudaias seems to be filled with cats. This oldest suburb of Morocco’s capital is perched on a cliff above the Atlantic Ocean, with almost all the houses painted in white and blue. Perhaps the cats like the smell of the sea – or of fish.

I hope you enjoyed these images of street cats of the world. And if you are interested in capturing a special image of your own local gorgeous furry baby, feel free to contact me about my pet photography packages. Or if you would like the perfect gift for any cat (or dog) lover, ask me about my pet photography gift vouchers.