Alley Cats
of the World

My portraits of abandoned, feral, stray and wild cats.

Updated December 11, 2023

Alley cats are found throughout the cities of the world. Abandoned cats can tell us a lot about the places they dwell. Feral cats are also among the world's greatest threats to biodiversity. Here is my galley of the alley cats of the world - this is my gallery of love for those who care for the weak, for the delicate domesticated creatures which live amongst us, and particularly the environmentalists who advocate for fewer outdoor cats in the world - these things needn't contradict each other.

Alley Cats

Alley cats tell more about a place than all the restaurants and houses and gossip. Through the eyes of its cats, we see its heart.

Habana Vieja Alley Cat

I found this alley cat outside a small kiosk in Habana Vieja.

Cadaques Cat

In the small coastal town of Cadaques, cats are revered and protected, partially due to the history of Salvador Dalí in the area, and his love for cats.

Cat drinking gutter water in Paros, Greece

Alley Cat in Cadeques

Photographed in one of the towns most known for its love for stray cats.

Seaside Cat

A cat dwelling along the coast of Paros in Naoussa, Greece.

Lefkes Cat

Stray cats are ubiquitous in the small villages of Paros, Greece, known for its traditional white-walled buildings and mandated blue windows.

Piso Livati Cat

I love how all cats, even alley cats, are entranced by sunlight. I found this alley cat half asleep near the harbor in Piso Livati.

"Cats would rule the world if they had longer attention spans."

- Arthur D. Hlavaty

Athens Alley Cat

A resident of this small neighborhood in Athens told me this stray was a 'Russian Blue', but it sure seems to share the same face as so many other strays in Athens.

Motorcycle Cat

This cat spent nights perched on a moped seat in Naoussa.

Evil-eye Cat

This gentle cat in Lefkes had the eyes of Kaa from Disney's Junglebook adaptation.

Good Morning Cat

I photographed this cat in Lefkes, Paros when the light was just coming out and most everyone else in town was still asleep.

Rekjavik Cat

I found this cat in a back alley while photographing doors and windows in Iceland.

Doorway Cat

Photographed in the Antifiokita neighborhood of Athens.

Black Kitten in Croatia

I photographed this feral stray kitten at the church in Rovinj, where a small population of feral cats are fed.

Istrian Cat

Photographed on the peninsular old town of Rovinj, Croatia.

Chimera Cat

I found this genetic marvel, a chimera cat whose coloration is split vertically down the face, near the Acropolis in Athens.

Harbor Cat

This cat from Naoussa, Greece reminded me of one of my favorite graphic novels, The Lions of Valletta by Ursula Murray Husted, which depicts life among alleycats in seaside Italy.

Cabo Cat

I photographed this shy cat in a very dark alley in San Jose del Cabo, Baja Sur, Mexico.

Sweet Cat Means Trouble

I photographed this tomcat in Rovinj, Croatia.

Adriatic Cat

I photographed this beautiful feral cat at the Church of St. Euphemia in Rovinj, Istria, Croatia.

Curiosity Cat

I photographed this young cat in Rovinj, Croatia.

Country Cats

My snapshots of rural outdoor-dwelling feline companions.

Guanacaste Cat

A country cat in a small town in Guanacaste Province, Costa Rica.

California Cat

I photographed this cat on a small farm property near Trinidad, California.

Palermo Kitten

I photographed this kitten on the porch of a single room home in the swampy country near Palermo, Colombia.

Bamboo Cat

I photographed this cat in a small village in the Santa Marta mountains of Colombia. The village is surrounded by stands of Guadua bamboo, which is used liberally to build fences, houses and other constructions.

Alley Cats of the World