Tuesday, November 29, 2022

Casa de los Gatos

Casa de los Gatos (House of Cats) by Alfonso Yuste Navarro, Carrer del Museu, Valencia

Casa de los Gatos (House of Cats) by Alfonso Yuste Navarro, 2003
Carrer del Museu
Valencia, September 2022

“Cats are no strangers to urban agglomeration, especially in a warm climate, and the felines of Valencia are no exception. Feral cats roam the streets, looking for a place to rest their bones before being shooed away. The cat house offers them respite. At the foot of a blue wall on Carrer del Museu, the facade of a tiny house attracts the attention of passersby. The house is only a foot or two tall but it is designed in a classically Valencian style. It has a Spanish tiled roof, a little fountain, and a ‘garden’ to the side (actually just one potted plant). The house’s entrance is dark and does not appear to lead to the other side of the wall, but perhaps that’s just a ruse for human intruders. Legend has it that the old woman who previously owned the house behind the gate left it for the feral cats of Valencia to inhabit. Whether or not this is true and whether or not there are any cats behind the wall will have to remain a mystery—to the humans of Valencia at least.” (Cat House, Atlas Obscura)

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