What time does last Colosseum Tour start on December 21?

I'm not sure I've ever seen a cat sculpture in Rome. Do you mean cats sitting on the ruins? If you wish to see cats sitting on the ruins visit the Largo di Torre Argentina. There is also a cat sanctuary there where you can visit the cats.

As for final tours of the colosseum, you'll need to call to ask this. With early closings for winter ( 4:30 pm) I wouldn't expect it to be later than 3pm or so.

Donna

Also, when is the best time to see the cats in the Colosseum.

There are no cats in the Colosseum that I'm aware of either, although there used to be. You are probably thinking of Largo di Torre Argentina (also Area Sacra di Largo Argentina) and your best resources there are the two websites below:

http://www.romancats.com/torreargentina/en/introduction.php

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g187791-d4416917-Reviews-Torre_Argentina_Cat_Sanctuary-Rome_Lazio.html

Cats are the least interesting thing there, IMHO, as Julius Caesar was assassinated in the Curia HERE instead of the Roman forum. You cannot access the excavated ruins but you can look down into them from the sidewalks above. I don't know if it's still true but there were signs in English which explained some of what you were looking at when we were there. Some initially sloppy archeological work was done on this site which was unearthed during Mussolini’s rebuilding effort in the late 1920's.

I have books picturing cats in the ruins of the Colosseum. I tend to think the cats would stay away when crowds are there and are probably only seen in the early mornings and late evenings, by locals who have access to the environs at those times. I am a cat lover, so the Cats of Rome are of great interest to me, as are the lovely women who care for them. I also want to visit the Romeow Bistrot Restaurant.

How old are those books? I can't imagine with the refurbishment and all the activities that go on around the colosseum, including the night tours, that the cats are still there.

Anyway, if you want pictures of cats in the ruins I would go to the Torre di largo Argentina.

Donna

I haven't seen a cat in the Colosseum in over 30 years. It's way too crowded, and cats are smart. The food is now at Largo Argentina, so that's where the cats go.

You can buy a calendar of cats photo-shopped onto monuments.

The books are not old, but the photos in them may well be. Thanks for letting me know we shouldn't spend time looking for cats in the Colosseum. Good to know. That's exactly the type of info I was hoping to find out here. Are there any neighborhoods aside from Argentina that are rife with the community cats? Would there be some in the Villa Borghese area, for example? My sister's niece posted FB photos of these well cared for homeless cats sunning in various neighborhoods of Rome, but I'm not sure which neighborhoods they hang out in? We do plan to go to the Argentina sanctuary, as we are both huge cat lovers.

I've been finding a lot of current articles about cats in the Colosseum. A Wikipedia blurb claims 200 cats live in the Colosseum. I'm thinking my chances of seeing them will be better in December than they were in April, with fewer people milling about: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4mfcE5E1Pvk

In all my years of going to Rome in high season as well as the off season I have NEVER seen catS inside the colosseum. I mainly travel in the off season and have NEVER seen catS in the colosseum, either during the night tour nor during the day, even in December, January (really off season) or February. You may see a random single cat but you are not going to see herds of catS wandering around, sunning themselves or sleeping on the ruins of the colosseum. If you wish to see lot cats on ruins go to the Largo Argentina!

If you are not going to rely on the advice of those of us who have been there many many times why did you ask us for this information?

Donna

I use lots of sources of information, Donna, not just one. Because I have learned from another source that there are 200 cats living in the Colosseum, now I will know to keep on the lookout for them when we are there at different hours of the day. We might just get lucky and get that perfect picture. I found out from another site that there is also a cat sanctuary in the Protestant Cemetery, where Keats and Shelley are buried, too. It's very near our lodging, so it will be easy to explore.

I want to visit all the sites where seeing feral cats is a possibility. I don't care whether it's a random cat or a large number of cats. If anyone has photos of the cats of Rome, I'd love to see them!

http://romantiqueandrebel.com/gatti-di-roma-the-cats-of-rome/

Do you plan to feed the cats or just photograph them?

I will be making donations to the cat sanctuaries, Norma, so they can care for the cats as best they see fit. I don't feed animals that are not my own. They might be on special diets, and it is likely illegal to feed them. I'll leave that up to the Cat Ladies of Rome, who know their individual needs.

I am smiling at the thought of a feral cat on a special diet.

Gracialynne, you are likely to bump into cats anywhere and yes their may be a couple in the colosseum or the forum, but I have not seen them in a long long time. as others have stated the largo torre Argentina is a great spot to see them and to visit the cat sanctuary there. Also there are cats languishing on the tombstones at the Cimitero Acattolico di Roma near the Piramide. I assume that may be the case at other cemeteries.

Thanks for the Cimitero Acattolico di Roma near the Piramide tip, Jkc! We will check it out.

Yes, Norma. We had a stray show up who lacked good teeth, so she could eat only small kibble. And then some ferals suffer from Ascites, also known as water belly. Anything with salt can be deadly for them. I found a marvelous Pinterest page showing many cats of Rome. I'll see whether I can find it again.

This link lists several children's books about the Cats of Rome. I want to read them all. Can anyone think of any other titles on this topic (adult books are of interest to me, too). https://www.pinterest.com/sadiecathrina/cats-of-rome/?lp=true