Rome has a centuries-old tradition of caring for its stray cats, in a special bond that stretches back to ancient Roman times and continues to this day. The historical links between Rome and its felines can be traced back to the fifth century, according to the capital's website, after carbon dating showed evidence of a cat colony at Trajan's Markets.

Cats appear in the sonnets of Trilussa and Belli, while the 20th-century Italian writer Giani Rodari in a poem described the cats of Rome as "cultured cats" that "only gather in the most celebrated places" such as the Pantheon and the Forum".