I was perusing a guidebook during a flight to Italy in 2004. Imagine my surprise (and, I must admit, delight) when I found a listing for a cat sanctuary in Rome. When my cousin, also a cat fanatic, and I went looking for the area, we took a few wrong turns but were determined not to give up. Luckily we found it and Colonia Feline Torre Argentina became one of my favorite places in Rome.

Rome is known for its cats. They find shelter in the ancient ruins so prevalent in the city. Numerous postcards feature cats cavorting or napping among ancient masonry and stone. The majority of these cats are feral – there are estimated to be 300,000 feral cats living in over 2000 colonies.

Torre Argentina Cat Sanctuary occupies an entire city block in Rome. Amidst the ruins of four Roman temples (where Brutus stabbed Julius Caesar in 44 BC) 250 to 300 feral and abandoned cats are fed and cared for. Many of the cats that reside there are those that cannot be returned to the streets after sterilization, due to age, injury or other handicaps. An adoption program has been set up for tame, stray cats that show up at colonies, are abandoned at the sanctuary or are identified during spay/neuter clinics.

The sanctuary sees its primary function as the prevention of future generations of suffering street cats and is very active in Trap/Neuter/Release. In 2007, they had 1598 cats brought to their shelter from different colonies in Rome. 1389 of these cats were returned to their original colonies while 209 were kept at the sanctuary. 174 cats were adopted out. Torre Argentina also gives spay/neuter vouchers to people of limited income.

The sacred area upon which Torre Argentina lies was first excavated in 1929 and cats came naturally to the protected areas located below street level. From then until 1993, the cats were regularly fed and protected by a succession of cat ladies, often called "gattare", a condescending nickname. In 1994, the major caretaker was overwhelmed and running out of funds when two women, Silvia and Lia Viviani, took notice and began to help her. Eventually they were acquainted with AISPA (Anglo-Italian Society for the Protection of Animals). AISPA helped them get their feet on the ground, assisting them with material and moral support. Today, Torre Argentina is professional and organized and much more effective with fundraising. If they have extra funds after covering their own expenses, they share them with some of the smaller, poorer sanctuaries in Rome.

When we finally located Torre Argentina, we entered via some stone steps that led into a small garden and a cavelike area beneath the street. Here, we were warmly greeted by volunteers. They were so thrilled with the sanctuary that they had made a guidebook about it. Tourists are one of their main sources of funds and they also have a gift shop – where I spent quite a few euros! Most of the area is closed to visitors, but you could look down upon the inhabitants from the street above. What a joy to see so many cats, right in the middle of this bustling city, sunning, napping and openly enjoying a quality life.

Interestingly, the land on which Torre Argentina exists, is still owned by the city of Rome – the "cat lovers" (the term preferred by the sanctuary volunteers) and their cats are squatters and, as such, are not connected to the city sewer system! Some people think that the cats are a nuisance and should be removed, but the city council came out in favor of the cat's existence in Rome by citing their ancient heritage. They even went so far as to protect the cats, designating cats living in the Coliseum, the Forum and Torre Argentina as part of the city's "bio-heritage."