Caribbean Matters: The battle over cats in Old San Juan

Cats have been in the news quite frequently here in the US, given the ugly attack on “childless cat ladies” from Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance, and it feels even more timely with Thursday being International Cat Day. But in San Juan, Puerto Rico, cats are under attack in a battle that has been ongoing since the United States National Park Service announced plans for the removal of the cats in its Paseo del Morro historic site.

The cats of San Juan have been a tourist attraction for years, and many people in the community have cared for them and fed them. Some of the cats “are believed to be descendants of colonial-era cats, while others were brought to the capital by legendary San Juan Mayor Felisa Rincón de Gautier to kill rats in the mid-20th century.” 

In many ways, the attacks on these cats reflect how many Puerto Ricans feel their existence is being threatened as they are being priced out. The cats have struck an emotional chord.

Caribbean Matters is a weekly series from Daily Kos. If you are unfamiliar with the region, check out Caribbean Matters: Getting to know the countries of the Caribbean.