The Cat Lady Abroad

As an animal lover, it has been tough traveling in southeast Asia. Sad stray dogs and cats run rampant everywhere, and even in touristed Bali, the cacophony of cockfights can pierce a peaceful evening. It breaks my heart constantly. So I was determined to plan my trip around some volunteering at animal sanctuaries—I wanted to make this world walkabout a little bigger than my own personal journey.

First up was a day at Villa Kitty Bali. Run by Elizabeth Henzell, an expat from Australia (via Papua New Guinea and Malaysia), it’s an incredible sanctuary just outside the main drags in Ubud. Our homestay hosts offered us bicycles to get there, which was appreciated as it would have been a pretty far and treacherous walk. However, biking on regular bicycles in the zooming Balinese motorbiking streets was intimidating! We got there in one piece, though, and were welcomed by a menacing three-legged corgi mix who promptly flopped over for belly rubs as soon as we approached.

A tour of Villa Kitty revealed beautiful indoor/outdoor structures for tons and tons of cats, with plenty of space, toys, plush couches, and innovative climbing structures. This is not a culture that necessarily treats cats as part of the family, so seeing the cats here being well-fed and well-taken care of was heartwarming, even if it made me a little overwhelmed at the need for homes.

First up, we were treated to a delicious vegan lunch of tofu, tempeh, quinoa, green beans, and water spinach, with watermelon juice to boot. Other volunteers included a hilarious Australian couple, a return visitor from Finland, and a fervent frog and toad rescuer from Bath, England. Although I love sinking into local culture when I travel, sometimes it’s also inspiring to meet up with expats and fellow travelers and share stories—especially when they are English speakers!

Elizabeth is not only a kindhearted human being and an intrepid traveler, she’s a natural storyteller and kept us entertained all day. I could sit and listen to her for hours on end, as she told us of her move to Bali after a broken marriage, her route to rescuing animals, and her childhood in Papua and early adulthood in Malaysia.

After lunch, it was time to get to work: kitten cuddles! Elizabeth is able to employ 23 full-time local Balinese workers, who run Villa Kitty swimmingly. So our job was to give attention to the needy kitties. Well, you don’t have to twist my arm!

If you are in the Ubud area, I can’t recommend a visit to Villa Kitty enough. They have quite a lot of dogs who need walking, too, if cats aren’t your thing! It’s a great way to spend an afternoon and give some abandoned animals some love, especially if you, like me, are despairing about what you can do to help the stray animal problem here in Asia or at home.