What are these random washing machines doing all over the place in Monchique? That’s one of the most commonly asked questions among people who visit the picturesque mountain town in southern Portugal, and it’s no surprise really. The painted washing machines are basically everywhere. What is even more confusing is the fact that they don’t even work! Every single one is broken.
Apparently, it all started as part of an innovative solution for dealing with the stray cat problem the town was having.
Ana Silva, the local veterinarian was so shocked by the number of street cats around Monchique and their poor living conditions that one day she finally decided to do something about it.
That is how the Aqui Há Gato (Here is a Cat) project began.
The idea was to provide the stray cats with care and shelter, the Correio da Manhã newspaper reported.
“Those who have cats know that washing machines at home are the preferred spot for them to sleep in,” Silva explained.
Instead of sending the broken washing machines to the landfill, they decided to convert them into housing.
For a street cat, a washing machine is basically a mini-mansion. Each machine even has its own rooftop terrace.
After getting a nice comfortable rest in the interior, cats head to the top of the machines to bask in the sun and soak up the rays.
The reason they are painted is mainly to prevent the housing from being considered eyesores by local residents.
School kids and graffiti artists in the area worked diligently to help decorate the machines, transforming them from literal junk into beautiful street art.
The local council is pretty happy about the project as well, as the washing machines help keep cats from invading people’s garden sheds and backyards. Because the machines maintain a pretty regular temperature inside year round, the cats love them. They no longer have to worry about freezing in the winter or it being too hot to sleep in the summer.
Silva first came up with the idea when two cats at her practice jumped in the machine there.
“I had two kittens in the clinic and since my washing machine had broken down they went in. I put in some blankets, and after that, they never left,” recalled Silva.
So far, the project seems to be working out really well, but unfortunately, not everyone who lives in Monchique is happy about it.
“There are people who are less keen on animals, but they are balanced by the people who do,” Silva told Lusa news agency.
She added that the school has helped bring people around to the idea.
“It serves a useful teaching purpose, so children can see that cats aren’t harmful, and parents have even joined in decorating the machines,” Silva said.
Now that they have proved the concept in Monchique, Silva hopes to extend the project to other towns in Portugal.
If this catches on, maybe every cat in the world will one day have their very own cat mansion! A cat can dream at least, right?
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