A cat's life in Svalbard

Importing cats to Svalbard has been banned since 1992. However, you may hear rumours about cats in Barentsburg. They are believed to be the offspring of cats that were already here when the ban was introduced. After the last “census” and rabies vaccinations, the cat population was reportedly five. Owing to local considerations, the Norwegian Food Safety Authority (which has responsibility for pets) does not wish to eradicate the cat population. Increasing the cat population is also undesirable, so leave your cat at home when you visit Svalbard!

Amongst the Barentsburg cats, Kesha (Кеша in cyrillic) in particular has become somewhat of a celebrity, and if you grab the opportunity to visit Barentsburg with one of our local tour-operators then you may be lucky enough to meet him yourself.