Torre Argentina Cat Sanctuary

Lonely Planet review

Cats may be as iconic in Rome as the Colosseum, but for many of the capital's felines, life is anything but purrfect. In the summer of 2007 alone, 400 kittens were abandoned at the city's volunteer-run Torre Argentina Cat Sanctuary, a common occurrence in a country where neutering pets is hardly in vogue. Expectantly, sterilisation is the shelter's primary concern, along with nursing ill and injured cats and finding them good homes right across the world.

The centre itself inhabits part of a mostly unexcavated Roman temple in the Area Sacra di Largo di Torre Argentina, close to the spot where Julius Caesar was slain in 44 BC. For the historical lowdown (ask to see the ancient latrine), join the sanctuary's daily tour at 17:00 . It's free…although a little donation is good for your karma and your four-legged Roman friends.