Why Street Cats Make the Best Tour Guides

These felines make you stop and observe your surroundings

an illustration of a person sitting on a park bench with a cat in their lap and several cats eating in the background

Street cats, kitties who, unlike feral strays, were once domesticated but now reside on city streets and in parks, provide an opportunity for travelers to sit and linger.

Visbii

Jeff Bogle,

AARP

Published January 08, 2026

Relaxing with local cats has been at the core of virtually all my recent travels, from writing and photographing my book Street Cats & Where to Find Them to getaways with my daughters. Street cats, kitties who, unlike feral strays, were once domesticated but now reside on city streets and in parks, have become an integral part of my travel plans because they help me physically, mentally and emotionally, and deepen my connection to and understanding of the places I visit. When posting photos of my various cat encounters, I’d routinely get “But you have cats at home!” messages from my mom.

She’s right. While I didn’t grow up with them — one of my parents’ few failings — I’ve been a cat dad of rescues and foster father to kittens. That used to be enough. But today, I don’t go anywhere without a quick internet search to see whether there’s a local street cat community, and figure out who or which organization is taking care of them so that I may make a small donation to help. At the very least, I’d visit a good cat café. And as I observe countless travelers around the world petting and photographing cats, I know that I’m not alone.

Charlotte Russell, a clinical psychologist and founder of The Travel Psychologist, says older adults have the opportunity to ask “Who am I now”? after the children have grown up. “Travel gives us opportunities to answer this question because new situations and cultures can teach us so much about ourselves.”

One word of caution: Be mindful when petting unfamiliar cats, as they can carry germs that can make people sick, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC notes adults 65 and older are more likely to contract illnesses caused by germs transmitted by certain animals. The agency recommends washing your hands after handling cats or coming in contact with cat saliva, among other instances.

Lima, Peru

a cat sitting on a person's lap outside a historic building

The writer discovered the self-care cats provide while in Lima, Peru. He felt at ease as he sat in the park with cats and talked to local residents.

Courtesy Jeff Bogle

I first discovered the self-care cats provide while in Lima. I was there for four days, as part of a five-month trip around the world to gather information for my book on cats. I walked miles, scribbled notes, photographed cats and stressed about my tight schedule. In the bucolic parks of Lima’s Miraflores neighborhood, with cats on me and by my feet, and people caring for them with medicine and food, I sat and observed. Never before had I felt so at ease. The massive exhale the cats of Lima provided helped me pause long enough to discover that parks are the social infrastructure that all people need to feel connected to something larger than themselves. I witnessed an open mic poetry night, dozens of local couples dancing in fancy dress and a Michael Jackson impersonator — often with a cat on my lap.

Hong Kong

Dutch photographer Marcel Heijnen, 61, also relies on cats to set a slower pace when he’s traveling. He has learned that cats are a great aid for older travelers. Strolling through the Sheung Wan and Sai Ying Pun areas of Hong Kong allows travelers to witness local culture, he says. It’s “refreshingly traditional, warm and slow compared to the business districts and shopping malls.” Heijnen adds that visitors will “find a world in which time stood still and you can catch glimpses of a wonderful symbiotic relationship between human and feline.” According to his book Shop Cats of Hong Kong, Heijnen says these “lucky” felines make their home with shopkeepers who believe the scent of the kitties keeps mice away from the dry goods in their stores. He points out that the shop cats found in these areas are a perfect “icebreaker” into conversations with local people who can offer personal insights about the local customs.

Russell says that as we age and continue to travel, we can learn a lot from cats. “Cats naturally slow down [as they grow old] but still know what’s important to them,” she says. “They find more cozy spots, and there’s no more jumping on fences, but their personalities are still very much there. [Cats] are adaptable and we should be, too.”

It’s not that our cats at home aren’t restorative. It’s just that while they may snuggle us, we’re also busy feeding them, washing bowls, cleaning up hair balls and scooping litter. Caring for our own cats can be stressful work. Being with the shop cats of Hong Kong and the street cats of Lima is not. They offer us a reprieve from our routines, like being the grandparent who has nothing but fun with a grandchild before dropping them off at home.

Ofelia the cat sits on Icelandic wool in Reykjavík, Iceland.

Courtesy Jeff Bogle

Reykjavík, Iceland

In downtown Reykjavík, many of the cats you’ll see have homes. However, with so few land animals in the country, even fewer of which pose a threat to the city cats, many owners allow their kitties to explore outside freely during the day (when it isn’t seabird nesting season). Bardi Gudmundsson, a local guide who gives cat-walking tours in the capital, says his hometown cats help him “forget time and stay in the present.” During tours, Gudmundsson has witnessed people “smile, laugh and even cry from happiness” because some of the cats remind them of those that have been in their family. Having taken his tour, I heard firsthand how he cleverly uses the cats to teach visitors about Iceland’s history and its beloved Norse mythology. He also uses the cats to explain the present: namely those dried fish snacks and famous Icelandic wool sweaters, both of which are as popular with tourists as they are with local felines.

New Orleans

When visiting New Orleans, the French Quarter, with its jazz, beads and beverages is the place to be. But when the incessant buzz of the Big Easy becomes too much for older adults, there are other neighborhoods providing a quieter escape … and cats! Marigny has its share of bars and jazz clubs, but the pace of life is more peaceful, evidenced by the many cool kitties chilling out on porches, atop trash cans and on sidewalks.

Slowing down by spending time with the community cats of the different neighborhoods in the city will not only recharge your batteries, says Kayleigh Bruentrup, founder and photographer of NOLA Neighborhood Cats, you’ll also get a more authentic taste of New Orleans. Travelers can “discover some of the great small shops, bakeries and businesses just a short stroll outside the French Quarter.”

Bruentrup thinks “residents really rally around their community cats, especially cats that like to hang out at local watering holes.” For example, she has a “Foxy for Mayor” yard sign planted in front of her house, supporting the calico often found at a neighborhood dive bar. Bruentrup notes the significance of Trap Dat Cat, a volunteer-run organization with a “passion for educating the community on how to keep the community cats healthy, safe and happy.”

Athens, Greece

Irene Contostanos, seen with an orange cat in Athens, Greece, is the founder of a community-based cat rescue initiative that helps feed, provide medical care and control the population of street cats through trap-neuter-return services.

Courtesy Jeff Bogle

Trap-neuter-return (TNR) is at the heart of what Irene Contostanos does for cats. The founder of Cats of Thissio, a community-based cat rescue initiative helping to feed, provide medical care and control the population of street cats through TNR services in Athens, also helps travelers experience cats without turning them into an “attraction.” During her walking tours, she “encourage[s] observation, patience and quiet sitting” while explaining “how street cats live in Greece, how they coexist with the neighborhood and how human behavior affects their well-being.”

For Contostanos, “sitting with [cats] often becomes a quiet moment of connection, a feeling of being chosen!” She adds that when travelers press pause to be with cats they “learn about authentic Greek neighborhood culture, away from the hustle and bustle of the city and historic sites.”

“For many travelers over 50, sitting with a street cat offers permission to slow down,” Contostanos says. “It’s a pause from schedules, must-sees and movement. Emotionally, it can bring comfort and familiarity, especially for those who’ve had animals in their lives. Physically, it encourages rest. Mentally, it creates mindfulness without asking for it.”

As I prepare to turn 50 this month, I think I have a clear picture of who I am now. I’m a traveler who lets street cats guide me to the rest I need, and toward the local knowledge my curious mind craves.

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Jeff Bogle is a dad of two daughters, an avid traveler, an award-winning photographer and a freelance writer who lives in the suburbs of Philadelphia with his wife and their cats. He has written stories for BBC Travel, The Washington Post, Parents magazine, Fodor’s and Wine Enthusiast, among other print and online publications.