Floating Cat Shelter Is One of Amsterdam’s Greatest Lesser-Known Attractions
Amsterdam has plenty of famous sights, but one of its most unusual attractions is a floating cat shelter with a story all its own. De Poezenboot, or “The Cat Boat,” has been home to rescued cats since 1968, and it remains the only floating cat shelter in the world.
The shelter was founded by Henriette van Weelde after she began taking in stray cats near her home and quickly ran out of space. Today, around 50 cats live there, including longtime residents who have made the boat their permanent home.
Visitors can still stop by during limited hours, and anyone hoping to adopt can arrange a meeting. Read on.
This beautiful cat is one of the Cat Boat’s occupants
It all started in 1966 when animal lover Henriette van Weelde noticed a family of cats taking shelter under a tree near her home. She couldn’t leave them stranded and decided to take them in. After a while, another stray cat joined them, and shortly after that, another one.
Because of her kind heart and love for felines, Henriette became known as “the cat lady.” People from all over the town started giving her felines that they could no longer care for. Before she knew it, her house became too small for all the cats there.
While looking for a solution to her space problem, Henriette came up with the idea of a boat for her cats. Luckily, her house faces a canal, so she acquired a Dutch sailing barge in 1968 and adapted the interior for its new residents.
This is the only floating cat shelter in the world
There are nearly fifty felines living there
The boat is a shelter for neglected and stray felines
When the first inhabitants of the cat boat started to move in, people began offering their help with the cats. Unfortunately, the first barge Henriette purchased was “bursting at the seams” after just three years. So she had no choice but to buy a second one in 1971.
The cat boat received more and more visitors, and people were not just coming to drop off cats, but to adopt them as well.
It’s the same kind of stubborn compassion as when a woman bought a car to shelter stray cats.
De Poezenboot received its first occupants back in 1968
It was founded by Henriette van Weelde, and it is a home for ill, abandoned, and stray kitties
But it became an official charity
The Cat Boat was listed as an official charity in 1987, and a Stichting de Poezenboot (“Catboat Foundation”) was formed. Unfortunately, in 2006, one of the barges had to be removed after the city authorities determined it was necessary. “Now we have to work with half the space,” the volunteers say. “That is very regrettable, but of course, we will carry on.”
Most of the cats living here are available for adoption
The cats have about 25 volunteers caring for them
The shelter is open to the public during specific hours
The boat can be visited, but only for a few hours each day. The main idea behind the shelter remains the same as it was decades ago when it was founded: caring for the cats and helping them find their forever homes.
The adoption process is very strict and lengthy, but it is only to ensure that the cats are going to good homes.
Because of the coronavirus epidemic, the shelter will not be greeting visitors at least until June 1st. However, people who are looking to adopt a kitty from there can call first and arrange a meeting.
After Henriette’s cat-boat legacy, see how Captain Jack the cat was rescued from a sailboat.
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