Aoshima: Japan's tiny Cat Island where cats outnumber humans

Aoshima is a 0.2-square-mile island in the Seto Inland Sea with about 80 feral cats and three elderly residents, and its cat population fell sharply after a 2018 spay-and-neuter program.

Aoshima is a 0.2-square-mile island in the Seto Inland Sea that is home to roughly 80 feral cats and three elderly residents. It is one of several Japanese "cat islands" where felines outnumber people. The island's cat population dropped from about 200 a decade ago after a mass spaying-and-neutering program in 2018, and no kittens are known to have been born there since then. Many of the remaining cats are older than seven, and some show health problems linked to long-term inbreeding. Key facts: - Aoshima covers about 0.2 square miles and is located in the Seto Inland Sea. - There are reported to be about 80 feral cats and three elderly human residents on the island. - The cat population fell from roughly 200 to about 80 after a 2018 spay-and-neuter program. - No kittens are known to have been born on the island since 2018; all remaining cats are older than seven. - A 2023 genetic study found distinct coat-color genes and evidence that the cats descend from a small founder population, indicating inbreeding effects. - Cats are fed by donations and by resident Naoko Kamimoto, who feeds them twice daily and gives medication; many cats live in abandoned, storm-damaged buildings, and visitors take day trips to the island. Summary: Because of limited economic opportunities and an ageing human population, Aoshima has been reported as possibly becoming fully uninhabited by people within five years while the cat population is declining. Locals report confidence that volunteers and shelters would adopt the cats if people leave. Undetermined at this time.