One of the more surprising things about Alicante has been the number of stray cats wandering around. On the second day I was here, we took a short trip to the old part of town (by which I mean over 1,000 years old). As we were walking up the steps that led up to the Castillo de Santa Bárbara, a cat happened to be strolling along as well. He looked healthy and well-cared for, and used to being around people. That same day we headed to tour the University of Alicante. It’s a sprawling campus, built on what used to be the airport, with paths taking up what used to be runways and hangers repurposed as gardens. Even the old control tower is still standing. The campus was still empty as classes hadn’t yet started, so the only one walking around was a local stray. Like the other cat, she was pretty affectionate and seemed to like hanging around people. She soon scampered off into some bushes and we went on with the rest of the tour.

This week, one of my classes got canceled when the Wi-Fi went out for a few hours. As my friends and I walked out of the classroom, one of them remarked that she was going to go off to feed the cats. Up until then, the only other cats I had seen were the one on the first day, and this one that hangs around the café by the library every day, relaxing in the sun.

She took me on a cat tour and we went up by the trees to find this young black and white cat, named Luigia. Apparently, each cat on campus is named and cared for by the students. They even pay for their vet bills! We walked to the back of one of the buildings, and there in the bushes were plastic containers full of food and water, and makeshift cat houses with fluffy beds inside. We then walked over to the far side of campus into one of the courtyards and found two more cats lounging inside. Caramelo and Azucena are their names, and we sat and had a snack while they played with the mouse toys and treats my friend had brought. I’ve found a blog online with all the names of the cats and their pictures, so I think I’ll be spending a lot of my downtime between classes keeping them company. ¡Hasta pronto!

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Learn more about this blogger’s study abroad program: ALI Abroad: University of Alicante