I'm not sure why, but Romans really have a thing for cats. It's not just a tourist thing. We've come across at least two landmarks that have been turned into cat sanctuaries: the Republic Forum and the Protestant Cemetery.
In the Forum, you can't really get near the cats. The Forum is essentially a big hole in the ground with some ruins, but everyone goes there to see the cats. There are even signs posted how to abandon your cat safely in the Forum.
When we went to the cemetery, however, cats were walking all over the place. Supposedly they're feral cats (not domesticated, have no idea how to interact with humans). But these cats are so used to human presence that they even welcome it most of the time.
Every once in a while you'll seem them wandering on the street. I don't know if they belong to anyone or if they're strays, but they enjoy walking down the streets. Most people don't even give them a second glance. We saw one guy today essentially have a conversation with a cat. I'm assuming he was telling the cat to get out of his store, and the cat just looked at him and kept meowing. I laughed... cats act the same here as they do at home!
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