I didn’t used to be a cat person. It wasn’t until I enlisted and my wife wanted a low-maintenance companion that I finally caved and adopted our first kitten. He’s a Grey Mackerel Tabby that we named Taco, and he is my first great cat love. We later rescued a Black Tuxedo off the streets and named him Nacho, because he had a little chip in his ear. Bringing them and our dog Goldie to Thailand was quite the battle, one I’ve already written extensively about.
Once we arrived however, I was surprised to see how many cats were running around in Bangkok. Not only that; the majority of them actually seemed pretty relaxed and well cared for. Walking the streets of Bangkok, it’s pretty common to see small bowls of food and/or water set aside, with a few cats nearby. It became impossible to ignore after a certain point. I became curious as to why Thailand seems to be such a cat-friendly space, and want to share what I discovered with you all.
- Quiet Co-Residents, Not Pets
I want to begin by making it abundantly clear that the cats I’m describing here are not explicitly owned by anyone, and aren’t even tame in the strictest sense. These cats are largely semi-feral, with no collars or even fixed homes.
Typically, most of the local neighbors I’ve met tend to leave food out for them with no expectation of bringing them home. I’ve heard a variety of reasons for this, from one neighbor saying it’s in keeping with their Buddhist faith to care for the creatures in their home, to another neighbor stating that caring for the cats helps to prevent rats and disease from hitting the city. One of my other younger neighbors simply said that she loves cats and enjoys caring for all of them as if they were her own. My wife can certainly relate to that school of thought.
What intrigues me about this is the perspective that the cats belong both to everyone and no one at the same time. They come and go as they please, and the community treats them like a valued guest, so there’s no annoyance if one of these furry strays chooses to sleep on someone’s balcony. It will probably be the next neighbor that will play host the very next night.
- The Buddhist Angle
As I mentioned earlier, one of my neighbors is a practicing Buddhist. From my limited experience with the faith, it’s a very gentle spiritual outlook that places an emphasis on non-harm as well as compassion towards all living beings. Talking with my neighbor a little more, I was surprised to learn that Buddhist temples often love having cats around as opposed to dogs due to cats being just a little less boisterous than the average canine.
On top of that, in more ancient times where tenets of the faith were preserved in scrolls, cats would serve as pest control in Buddhist libraries where rats would often hide and potentially damage the soft fabrics of said scrolls. While this is less of an issue today, the relationship between cats and Buddhism is a deeply rooted one. I was pleasantly surprised to learn of it.
- What Cats Reveal About Daily Life in Thailand
Back in my military days, I recall taking long walks with my wife around enlisted housing. Almost every family I met would have a dog of some kind, and while cats were relatively common too, they were almost always exclusively house cats that stayed with one family. Collared, chipped, and neutered, these cats belonged to a family.
The contrast here in Bangkok is quite striking then, to see almost the exact opposite is true. Dogs are far less common, and of those that are around, they are typically smaller breeds like Pomeranians or Terriers. Meanwhile, cats are a constant that can’t be unseen once noticed.
What strikes me the most with them is the sense of community they bring. Everyone shares in the responsibility for caring for them, from the apartment where I live even to restaurants throughout the city that leave food and water out for them. Seeing cats so loved in the city helps show the soft humanity hiding in the urban landscape.
Little Things Mean a Lot
I moved to Bangkok for many reasons, and the cats definitely weren’t one of them. However, after seeing how the community treats them, I’d say that cats have formed a significant aspect of my experience here. From their relaxed attitude to the sense of community they bring out, I find myself learning more about myself and Thailand as a whole by appreciating these feline friends. I hope that once you notice the cats, you start noticing everything else differently too.
