Last Updated on 10 July 2025 by Vanessa
The cats of Santorini Island are plenty. Some of them are bold enough to approach hikers and beg for food, while others stay in the shadows and scavenge for scraps.
On a recent visit to the island, cat blogger Craig Rutkowske met several of the friendly cats of Santorini, especially in Fira and Oia.
Curious to see these beautiful Santorini cats up close? Keep reading to explore Craig Rutkowske’s photos and discover the unique personalities of the island’s furry locals!
Meet the cats of Santorini
A little while back, my wife and I decided to go on a relatively short-notice trip to Santorini in the offseason. We were there in November, and many shops were closed. There were very few tourists which may have contributed to this experience.
Cats of Fira
We decided to stay in the heart of Santorini, in Fira, on the cliffside.
I already knew Fira offered incredible views of the volcanic caldera, formed some 3,000 years ago. I’d also seen photos of its jaw-dropping cliffside buildings, some of the most iconic in the world. However, what I did not know about Santorini, or Greece in general, was that it had such a large population of “wild” outdoor cats.
I won’t call them feral or stray as we do in the United States. This is for a few reasons:
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Most don’t have specific owners, yet they seem in good health.
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Many seek out attention and enjoy being petted.
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Though the cats live outside, people regularly provide water and food.
We arrived in the dark and went straight to our hotel, so we didn’t run into any cats the first evening. However, the next morning, we went for a walk and ran into our first cat. His buddy watched him partake in a delicious breakfast of dry cat food.
At first, I thought it was just a one-off. Perhaps an outdoor cat that got to wander. Little did I know that he was the first of many a cat sighting we were about to experience.
As we continued on, we ran into cats large and small.
We encountered this little guy a few steps down the road.
Then even more of his pals on the way back from our first trip into town. There were feline friends all over the place. And this was just on our first trip out.
Cats of Oia
The next morning, we decided to hike from Fira to the northern side of the island to watch the sunset in Oia.
Not only was the sunset beautiful, but along the way, we managed to find a boatload of breathtaking views. And with cats enjoying them to boot. These felines weren’t just looking out the window from their beds.
Despite the fact it was offseason, it happened to be a blazing hot day. The sun was out without a cloud in the sky. We stepped off the overlook path for a few moments to find a bottle of water and ran into this friendly little lady who wanted ear scratches forever. She did not want us to leave.
However, we had a long hike ahead of us if we wanted to make it all the way to Oia before the sunset. So, on we traveled. That is until we found this fine fellow looking like he might charge us a toll for taking in the view he had.
And just below him on the cliffs, he had a friend hiding in the bushes. This little calico lady (I’m guessing it is a lady based on statistic) was too shy to come out and see us. However, she was truly gorgeous, even from afar.
As we reached Oia, we quickly discovered that this little town was equally as interested in providing a friendly and healthy environment for their feline friends.
We immediately saw a Rent a Cat sign. I inquired about whether or not you could rent a cat, but I was told the sign was merely a joke given the number of cats that frequented the area. Quite a bummer if I do say so myself. I would have gone for an extra fluffy version with extra loud purring given the opportunity.
That being said, the sign was outside one of the most famous bookstores on the island. This fine looking lady was keeping an eye out for any potential thieves or intruders, but she seemed to have a pretty light day given the offseason traffic was at an all-time low.
Before we closed up shop for the evening and headed back to Fira, we decided to stop and get some lunch at a local restaurant.
Despite being on a rooftop, there were a healthy number of cats wandering the restaurant. It was obvious one was a frequent “patron,” you could say. He knew to pounce on the plates for food before the cleaning staff could make it to the table. He also knew to meow under the table where people had French fries.
The hike took up about four hours for just one direction.
After lunch, we wanted to stick around for dinner to watch the sun set into the horizon. We found a beautiful west-facing bar overlooking the water and took it easy and had a few drinks. After watching the sunset, we decided to take a taxi back to Fira instead of attempting a hike in the dark in a place we weren’t familiar with.
The rest of our time on the island was filled with numerous cat encounters of all kinds. Young, old, fat, skinny, big, little. You name it, we saw it.
This fine feline graced a wall outside the hotel we were staying at and meowed a good morning to us.
The last cat we saw as we went to get into our taxi and head to the airport was this fine black feline. Not only did this cat know the view was amazing, he also seemed to know his contrast with the largely white and colorful buildings around him made for a great picture. He stayed still and let me shoot photo after photo, just drinking it in.
Final thoughts on the cats of Santorini
Santorini itself was beautiful. I would love to go back during a busier season when more shops are open and the island is busier. However, I think we got a rare treat going in the offseason. I’m not certain if we would have seen as many cats, or if they would have been as out and about.
If you’re looking to plan a vacation that’s loaded with cats and has a scenic outdoorsy landscape, then I would highly recommend Santorini. Even if you don’t see as many cats in the busy season, you’ll have an amazing time with everything else on the island.
About the Author
Craig Rutkowski is the founder and author of the cat blog StuffCatsWant.com. StuffCatsWant is dedicated to providing high-quality product reviews about all sorts of cat products and advice on general cat care. He has owned numerous cats, fostered even more cats, and is a long time volunteer at PAWS Chicago.
Also check out Craig’s other guest post: Athens, Greece: where to find cats in your travels
