Such a fun little adventure into a topic I hadn’t even heard about! Italian feral cat colonies? Now I need to go and meet them! The pictures were absolutely gorgeous as well!

As a cat owner I obviously HAD to get my hands on this book! I’m also Italian so that took part as well but really it was the cats! You get the see around Rome in the pictures of all the wonderful cats! You also find out about the women caretakers of these cats. This is a cat owners must!

Thank you NetGalley and Chronicle Books for sharing this advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review!

Cats of Rome is a love letter to history and all feline friends. The photographs of the cats are beautiful with the ancient architecture and cityscapes, but my favorite moments of this book were the notes written by Scott about each location and their experience photographing these cat colonies. I loved hearing about how they live and coexist with both the Roman locals and tourists. This book is great for anyone who loves cats, travel, and history. It was really enjoyable and I would rate it 4 stars out of 5! My only complaint is that I wish the author elaborated more on each section! I loved hearing Scott's perspectives on these cats just as much as the photographs.

Right from the start, this book shows you some beautiful pictures and a historical background of the Cats of Rome. I've learned some cool things about these cute little buddies from each chapter and its associated location, and the pictures are excellent. I was thoroughly intrigued by each new sight described, demonstrating Traer Scott's strong narrative skill. Amazing read.

This was an advanced reader copy granted via NetGalley, and the final copy may differ from that of my review if the author or publisher deems it necessary. Thank you to Princeton Architectural Press for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

My heart is singing! What a beautiful book, I love it so much! Its my second one from Traer Scott and - just like ‘Rescue Cats’ - this one too is beyond amazing. The author proves again that she is an advocate for animal welfare and a compassionate photographer. The book is a must for everyone who takes care of a feral colony, engages in TNR (Trap Neuter Release) and loves traveling, like me. Apart from the stories and photos of the Cats of Rome, there is enough historical information to pick your interest. The description of the individual colony locations are remarkable, and the photos are superb. These are all feral cats, some might be a little rough looking, but all are beautiful in the eye of every cat lover. The photos are natural in the cats’ habitats, not staged which I love. The introduction is written so wonderfully, it made my heart melt. Each chapter is dedicated to one of the many Roman feral cat colonies with photos from that area. Some show the gracious volunteers - called gattaras - who feed the cats day in and day out. I’m overwhelmed with gratitude knowing that these cats are protected by law and well cared for. I’ve been to Rome many years ago but this book makes me long for another trip just for the cats’ sake and especially to meet Augusto, one of the only two remaining cats in the Colosseo. I adore this author/photographer and cannot wait for publication day (4/22/2025) to run and pick up my own physical copy of the book. This is definitely a book I want to have on my coffee table.
I’d like to thank Netgalley, Chronicle Books/Princeton Architectural Press and especially Miss Traer Scott for gifting me an advance copy. I am truly honored and immensely enjoyed the book. The above is it my honest review and own opinion.

Some beautiful and moving picture with nice factoids along side it, A fun and informative coffee table book suitable for all ages!!

When someone I know visited Rome, they commented on the cats. Now I see why!

There are many cats, a number of whom live outdoors, in the Eternal City. In this title, readers get to meet some of them. It is delightful to look at the photos and to learn more about the neighborhoods in which they live, the history of Rome, and their lives in the city.

Recommended to those who love cats, Rome, and travel whether real or virtual.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Chronicle Books for this title. All opinions are my own.

Cats of Rome
Disclaimer - This is Not a Romance Genre Book
By Traer Scott
Chronicle Books - April 2025
Non-Fiction

Visitors to Rome will see cats who make this ancient city their home. Many of these visitors probably also alternate taking photos of ancient relics and cats. Traer Scott begins this book with an explanation of the cats of Rome, the laws that protect them, and the "gattaras" who care for them.

Then each chapter is dedicated to a location within Rome. There is a bit of the history and then the pages are filled with amazing photos of Roman architecture, artifacts and cats.

Cats of Rome is a beautiful picture book guaranteed to please cat lovers. Having been to Rome years ago, I still remember learning about the cats and how they were protected and cared for. I was one of those people who snapped photos of cats in Rome. To be honest, I do it on any vacation, or if I see them in a store, or... Cats of Rome unites history and cats. It is always a pleasure to search a photo to find a cat. Seeing parts of Rome and learning history while doing so is an added pleasure.

Kathy Andrico - KathysReviewCorner.com

If you love cats and you love travel, then you will love this book. It is a nice visual stroll through the various streets of Rome where you will encounter not only beautiful scenery and landmarks, but many glimpses of the feral cats that roam the streets. There are eight specific sites that are covered with a short blurb regarding the historical significance and then many cameos of cats in those areas. I did not realize there were so many colonies of feral cats and appreciated the insights on the people who help care for them. I love that cats are cats, no matter where they may be found. Whether they are walking proud, indifferent, or being a little silly, it is fun to see them in a setting where I would not expect them to be found.
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher via NetGalley and all opinions expressed are solely my own, freely given.

Rome is said to be home to more than 300,000 cats. It's estimated about one third of these are feral, and they are cared for by devoted women who dedicate themselves to their individual clowders. The cats are protected by law, and often found amongst the stunning architecture tourists flock to Rome to see.

I didn't know anything about the cats of Rome before I read Scott's book, but I was enchanted with the images she captured, and the stories she told. I found myself chatting with my mother about it one evening, and she humored me as I rattled off all the fascinating new things I'd learned. Scott's book is a charming compilation of beautiful photography, personal stories, and historical information about the cats of Rome. This book is definitely worth picking up, and I dare say, one of the most charming coffee table books I've read lately.

I expected this to be a book full of cats, but it was so much more than that! I appreciated the introduction which narrated the entire trip and shared insight into each of the colonies. I love how each location is separated and you get to see the unique makeup of each colony and how the cats interact with nature and architecture. Of course, the cats were adorable too! I could spend all day flipping through these pages and perusing the most adorable cats I’ve ever seen. I felt like their personalities were perfectly captured by the photographer in every single photo.

An adorable premise-who wouldn't love to see cats contrasted with the beaty of Rome? The context this work provides was an unexpected bonus. Sadly I had a very hard time reading/seeing the text due to copyright watermark and the images were extremely pixilated. 1 star for NetGalley Reader and readability but 3.5 stars for the book itself. Okay, fine, 4 stars because the fact that this even exists is a delight.

I wanted to check this book out because I absolutely love Cats! It has some interesting information that I would have never known about feral cats in Rome. It would make a nice gift for a cat lover. Very beautiful photos throughout. Just all around set up nicely. Thanks Netgalley and the publisher for the advance ecopy.

This was a lovely book full of beautiful cats and corners of Rome! I absolutely loved learning that there are thousands of feral cats in Rome protected by law — and taken care of by the community of Gattaras. What a magical, special lifestyle and calling for these people (mainly women!) “caring for the guardians of the city” and devoted to “giving a huge part of their life over to the care of [the] iconic Roman residents.” It feels truly mystical to think that these Gattaras are given keys to different corners of the city where they feed and take care of their own cat colonies — and even pass the role down through generations.

I’ve been to many parts of Italy, but this book makes me excited to go see the cats of Rome myself one day!

As a cat lover of course I was going to pick up collection of photographs of the cats that live in cat colonies in Rome. The author takes some time to explain the history of and the current placement of the cat colonies, I wish the pictures that were interspersed with this section were a bit more relevant. The pictures themselves were nice, there were a few that took me a second to find the cats in them. Definitely a solid coffee table book for the cat lover.

Was kind of expecting a little better quality photos. I also wish that there were more photos of what we were reading. Like examples of the cats from the Colosseum gift shop would’ve been perfect. I think this is a great concept still and absolutely adorable, fun, and inspiring. I love Rome and sad that I didn’t see any cats when I visited. I did enjoy learning more about these creatures as well as the beautiful culture they reside in. The maps were also a great touch! Will update this feedback shortly.

I've long been fascinated about the over 300,000 feral cats that roam Rome. The author speaks to some of their volunteer caretakers, called. Le Gattere, and maps the locations of many of these colonies. It's an interesting look beyond the tourist take.

The true glory in this book is the photography. The author captures these fabulous felines in all manner of spots in Rome, frolicking in the ruins, stalking cemeteries, sunning themselves in courtyards, etc. If you enjoy cats and photography as much as I do, you'll dig this book.

I appreciate the advanced copy from NetGalley and Chronicle Books | Princeton Architectural Press.

Cats of Rome is a photographic guide to cat colonies in Rome. It includes short anecdotes about how the cats ended up in these areas and beautiful photographs of some of the cats. It is an entertaining tour of Rome via cat colonies.

I loved reading about the history of Rome and the feral cats that have lived there for generations. Some of the photos were exceptional while others were not. I appreciate the care that Romans are showing in caring for the cats and that they are utilizing the Trap, Neuter, Release Program to decrease to keep the population under control.

Thanks to NetGalley and Chronicle Books for the Advanced Reader's Copy.

This was a cute book that had some interesting facts about the cats in the area of Rome.

I didn't think that the pictures themselves were exceptional, but they were nice enough. I sort of felt that I could have taken similar photos if I had been there. But I did enjoy the explanations that went along with some of the photos. I do think that a physical copy without watermarks would probably be better than the digital copy that I had.

I received a copy of this book via Netgalley but was under no obligation to leave a positive review.