We saw a lot of exotic animals in our travels around Indonesia. The giant mantas, gibbons and orangutans and Komodo dragons were incredible to see in person. But, did you know that Indonesia is one of the most cat friendly countries on Earth? More people have cats as pets in Indonesia than anywhere else in Southeast Asia. We learned this while meeting many cute cats of Indonesia. In between petting them and enjoying their company, I took lots of photos. So strap in, cat lovers, this one is for you!
Where We Saw Cats of Indonesia
From the day we landed in Kupang, Timor, to our last stop before checking out near Singapore, we saw cats and kittens. They were on the streets, in the marinas, and at shops, hotels, and restaurants.
And, I can happily report, the cats of Indonesia were healthy, friendly, and cute, and mostly amenable to being photographed. Cats are called kucings in Indonesia, pronounced coo-ching. It’s fun to say.
Unique Traits of Indonesia’s Cats
The one feature that differentiates Indonesian cats is their tails. Most of the cats we saw had short stubby tails as opposed to long flowing ones. From the tiniest kittens to the oldest felines, their tails were blunt or crooked, apparently a result of localized breeding.
Treatment of Cats of Indonesia
While we heard some parts of Indonesia, including Jakarta, suffer from stray cat problems, we didn’t notice this. We saw well treated cats everywhere in Indonesia.
Maybe as a result, the cats were relaxed, sweet, and friendly. In fact, we saw coddled cats at scuba shops and resorts across the country.
We also saw some cats and kittens at the local markets, known as pasars, and even there they were treated kindly. Many people filled water bowls for these animals. Mostly we saw cats being fed and cared for by Indonesians. People loved and took pride in the cats of Indonesia and we had a great time meeting them.
Considering how kindly Indonesians treated us, it’s no surprise they’re nice to cats too.
Cats on the Road and in Fields
In some of the islands, we noticed cats roaming the fields and roads. They were cute and happy.
Cats of Gili Asahan
We spent a lot of time rainy season anchored in Gili Asahan, Lombok. The beauty of this spot is the welcoming resorts on shore. One resort even allowed visitors to use their swimming pool, and was home to some truly adorable and friendly cats. We spent a lot of time there, playing games with friends, cooling off in the pool, and petting the stubby tailed kitties.
Our favorite part about these cats was how friendly and cuddly they are! The restaurant staff had food and water bowls for them, but they also tried to get us to feed them. They went as far as jumping up on people’s laps at the restaurant. These cats let guests pet them for hours.
Domino in Indonesia
In between visits with strange cats on shore, we spent time with our own boat cat, Domino.
She boarded for several weeks at a very nice vet while we visited Western Australia, and posed lots for us on Go. Domino may be an old 18, but she still looks good.
Thank you for reading about the cats of Indonesia. Hopefully you’ll get to spend time with some of them one day. Where are your favorite places to see cats? Share in the comments. Maybe I can visit.
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cats! and Domino looks FANTASTIC