The presence of these small four-legged "beasts" has been practically a constant in the history of the Nasrid enclosure, where they rival in feline beauty with the marble lions that give name to their most iconic courtyard.
It has long been commonplace for these cats to sway and wander around the Alhambra. The courtyard is named after the towering stone lions, and these "ferocious" four-legged beasts are just comparable.
These furry mammals coexist with the thousands of tourists who daily travel through each of the corners of the Alhambra, whose managers have a specific program for their control and care, along with that of other animal species that make up a diverse and unique ecosystem.
Thousands of visitors visit the Alhambra every day, and they move around the corners and corners of the palace, while these furry little ones get along with them. Local staff have developed a special care programme for them. The programme also involves other small animals and is dedicated to maintaining the ecological harmony of this historic palace.
Thus, the CER (Capture, Sterilization and Return) plan seeks to maintain a stable cat colony, to which a sanitary control is applied to prevent the transmission of diseases. The objective of the plan is to protect a feline community in the territory, which is regularly fed, dewormed and controlled. These cats, which number around fifty, have their chip and are perfectly identified and registered.
The CER program aims to build a normalized cat community. The program includes feeding, deworming, regular hygiene checks to prevent infectious diseases, etc. In this way, the staff hopes to guard their homes and thus maintain the stability of the cat population. There are about 50 cats here, each with a chip that can be fully identified and registered.
Although they are not usually fazed by the usual movement of visitors and workers from the spaces of the Alhambra, the truth is that these small shrews are less domestic than might be expected. These are feral cats, which have always been in the wild although in a human environment, they depend on it for their food but are not suitable for adoption due to their wild behaviors.
Although in general, they are not affected by the crowds and staff that come and go, they are definitely not as easy to tame as one might expect. Although these little wild cats grew up in a human environment, they relied on humans for food and drink. But freedom is habitual, somewhat wild, so it is not suitable for human adoption.
Both coexist in any case as kings in a large territory of about 130 hectares, where they practically lack predators, have water and guaranteed food and do not have much more to do throughout the day than to walk wherever curiosity takes them, in addition to posing as authentic cat models.
Like the kings here, they move freely in a palace covering an area of 130 hectares. Here they have no natural enemies, eat and drink, and are leisurely all day long, either wandering around curiously or posing like models.
This is the life that aristocrats should have!