Mayakoba is a beautiful part of Mexico that boasts an almost 600 acre span of forest, inlaid with sparkling, clear waterways. Called the “Venice of the Carribean,” it is home to several tropical destination resorts, and recently hosted the world-renowned LIV Golf tournament.
This is what brought Walt to the destination, where he quickly noticed the resort’s native “residents:” large iguanas, furry lemurs, and cats!
If you have ever been to one of Mexico’s beautiful resorts, you likely were surprised to come across a cat or two roaming among the tourists day after day.
Right in the open walkway, no fear of humans
I laughed at the thread of comments about cats in Mexican resorts on this TripAdvisor discussion. How funny would it be to wake up with a strange cat in your bed… or on your chair… because you slept with the window open!
Cats in Myakoba
It was no different at Myakoba last week. As he walked through the palms and tropical pathways, Walt would spot the same cats each day. Sometimes just laying there soaking in the sun, sometimes actively focused on a small-prey hunt, or sometimes play-fighting with their Lemur friends. These resort cats called the place home, and acted like they owned it.
But these were definitely not indoor, lap-cats. They were sleek, strong, ferociously beautiful hunters.
To be healthy and thriving in an environment where they are allowed to stay as long as they do their job, they had to be survivors, able to feed and fend for themselves. And yet, they were friendly with the tourists, probably happy to take a handout of a bit of food now and then. How would you feel about cats at your resort?
Several Mexican resorts are known to welcome the hunters as a method of pest control for the tourists. Some of these cats become accustomed to tourists, and will show their friendly cat behaviors to any willing human. Other resorts do not welcome “the vermin,” and actively try to remove them. Mexico has traditionally viewed cats as a pest themselves, not necessarily as pets. Cats found in Mexico are typically feral, not neutered/spayed, and not vaccinated. Although that is changing, as organizations are working towards spaying, neutering, and vaccinating, such as Pet Project Rescue, Vidas, which takes volunteers and hosts pop-up spay/neuter clinics, and Compassion Without Borders, which allows you to donate $65 for the entire cost of a spay/neuter for an animal.
If you have any encounters with cats on your trips to Mexico, or stories of waking up with a cat in your bed, I would love to hear about them!! Please share here, or on Facebook, or Instagram!
Please note that CatLoveLady provides general educational information on various topics on this website as a public service, which should not be construed as health, medical, mental health, professional, or veterinary advice. These are my personal opinions only. See more in our disclaimer policy here.