Cat islands in Japan

A number of islands in Japan have become known for their large feral cat populations. These cat islands (猫の島 (neko no shima)) tend to be the result of the introduction of cats for pest control. On islands with an appropriate climate, the lack of predators such as dogs, and sometimes a lack of cars, mean these introductions led to large cat populations that faced few threats. Today, the presence of these cats has turned some of these islands into tourist attractions.

In many of these islands, the cat populations are larger than the human populations. The presence of cats has sometimes influenced local folklore: there is supposedly a taboo on Kakarajima against keeping dogs, and a shrine to a cat deity exists on Tashirojima. Stray cats on these islands are often fed by locals and tourists. However, as they are wild, it is rare that they receive further care or veterinary attention. The use of trap–neuter–return to control cat populations has been used on some occasions. On Aoshima, one of the most famous cat islands, the human population has decreased to just four people. All of its cats have been neutered, and it is expected that Aoshima will soon no longer host humans or cats.