One of the pleasures of being in Italy for me is getting to know their cat populations. I think you can learn a lot about a town by the condition of their cats. Towns with lots of healthy cats seem friendlier to me. Although Italian cats are usually smaller than our cats, don’t eat as well or live as long, this trio, although clearly feral, were bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, well taken care of. When I walked into their secret courtyard, where they had been basking in the sun, they were all on the alert, ready to flee, but lucky for them, I just wanted to get a look at them, and after a quick snapshot, left them peacefully. This is a painting of a little courtyard in Sersale, Calabria.
