We love to pet animals, not just because they serve as a companion when we’re alone but also because we believe that they can somehow lessen the burden we have in life- they’re believed to be therapeutic.
We want to let them stay inside our house and considered them as part of the family. But would you even believe that cats from Japan are actually staying in an island? Yes, you heard me.
A Japanese fisherman village, Tashirojima is known to its strange inhabitants which are cats. This village is located in the Pacific Ocean and now known as the ‘Cat Heaven Island.’
Before our feline friends permanently reside in the island, they were originally brought here to protect silkworm farmers from mice. Back in the day, fishermen used silkworms to make their fishing nets.
The cats’ population in this island spans around 100 inhabitants and dogs are prohibited. Though they’re too many, fishermen and locals feed them and vets check up on them to see if they’re healthy. This cat heaven island is now a huge tourist attraction.
Take a look at these photos captured by Japanese photographer Fubirai, who has spent the last five years documenting Tashirojima’s phenomenon.
They’re so cute and apparently, there’s also another ‘cat heaven’ found in Aoshima, Japan. Take a look at the video: