What could be a cat shelter?
It is not surprising that in the city of Amsterdam, where you will see almost a hundred water canals, floating houses come at every step. Nevertheless, there is something unusual about one of these boats, located in the historic part of the city (Herengrach district).
A total of fifty cats and cats live in this houseboat. No, this is not a normal shelter or the home of a crazy old lady. This is the real floating sanctuary of these animals—one of a kind. In Dutch, it is called “de poisenboot,” which means “cat boat.”
No one is surprised by the flying shells on the hard ground. In more or less every big city you can find at least one such shelter. In this type of home, volunteers bring homeless animals found for healing, shelter them, and hand them over in good hands. But a floating shelter is a completely different story. What is special about this shelter? First, it should be noted that cats are not entirely water-friendly. However, the residents of De Pozenenbut do not seem to be worried about the proximity of this material. After crossing a houseboat, you sometimes see how two or more seals live in the sun on a special closed porch that overlooks the canal.
Why was this boat supplied to cats? There is no shortage of ordinary homes with land in Amsterdam. Of course, the reason is hard to find. But don’t forget that life on the water is a huge part of the culture of Amsterdam and its people. You can create the following from the history of this amazing city.
Some of the canals that are empty in the field are more than one hundred years old. Many of these were once used to transport various goods. Their owners and their families lived in special small rooms under the deck. After the owners retire, they are fascinated by the ships and live in them. After the end of World War II, they became a great solution to the housing crisis.
Probably a factor as to why they’re doing so poorly. Also, it is mainly located on land. In 1966, it was opened by Henrietta Van Wild. She used to take care of homeless cats living near her aunt’s house. Soon his home space was clearly lacking, so he had to find a building where all the pets could move. Although houseboats are an expensive option today, they were the most affordable. In 1968, Henrietta acquired the first small boat, where she kept all her cats. There, he and other volunteers were better able to take care of them.
Today, De Poisonbut is an exclusive charity project supported by volunteers. In most cases, cats are kept here for a while until they find a loving home, but 14 cats are constantly sitting in a boat. The Cat Boat Foundation provides vaccination, disinfection, and microchip administration. And all this is absolutely free.
Every day (excluding Wednesdays and Sundays) from 13.00 to 15.00, “De Poisenboot” tourists and residents can see for no admission fee, but you can donate if you wish.