When people picture Gili Air, they imagine swaying palms, turquoise water, beach bars, bicycles and that wonderfully slow island pace where wearing shoes starts to feel like a personal choice rather than a necessity.
What they don’t always expect is… the cats.
So. Many. Cats.
An extremely fluffy committee
If Bali has dogs, Gili Air has cats. It’s one of the first things you notice after stepping off the boat. While Bali’s streets are famously home to countless friendly dogs, Gili Air seems to have handed exclusive residency rights to its feline population. Dogs are almost completely absent, which somehow makes the island feel like it’s been quietly taken over by an extremely fluffy committee.
And honestly? They seem to be doing an excellent job.
The cats of Gili Air have perfected the art of island living. They’re relaxed without being lazy, sociable without being needy, and have mastered the fine balance of looking adorable while convincing complete strangers to share a little piece of grilled fish.
You’ll find them everywhere.
Free-range island residents
One minute you’re ordering breakfast and a ginger cat casually hops onto the chair beside you as if it made the reservation.
The next, you’re browsing souvenirs while another cat is supervising the cashier from the counter, looking like the assistant manager.
Walk down the beach and you’ll spot cats snoozing beneath sun lounges, stretched out on jetties, curled up outside dive shops or watching the sunset with absolutely no intention of paying for the view.
They’re in cafés.
They’re in yoga studios.
They’re outside villas.
They’re asleep on scooters (well, the parked ones).
They’re tucked into hammocks.
It’s less “stray cats” and more “free-range island residents.”
Cats of Gili
The best part is how accepted they are. Tourists quickly adopt their favourite holiday cat, greeting them every morning as if they’re old friends. Café owners know their regular feline visitors by name. Villa staff leave out bowls of water. Before long you’ll find yourself saying things like, “I wonder if the little tabby from yesterday is working the beach today.”
Yes. Working.
Because clearly somebody has assigned these cats different parts of the island.
Despite their carefree appearance, there’s also a wonderful story behind why the cats are generally so healthy and content.
Several animal welfare organisations work tirelessly across the Gili Islands to care for them. Cats of Gili, a project of Gili Eco Trust, has spent years organising free veterinary clinics, rescuing sick and injured cats, and running large-scale desexing (spay and neuter) programs to help control the population humanely. Thousands of cats have been sterilised since the project began in 2013, and volunteers continue to care for kittens and vulnerable animals throughout the islands.
Another incredible organisation, LUNI Lombok, has expanded its work onto Gili Air with daily feeding rounds, fresh water stations and an ongoing Trap-Neuter-Vaccinate-Return (TNVR) program. Volunteers feed hundreds of community cats, monitor their health, identify animals needing treatment and work closely with locals to ensure the island’s feline population remains healthy and well cared for. In 2025, LUNI even opened Gili Air’s first permanent cat clinic—a huge milestone for animal welfare on the island.
Embrace Cat's pace.
It’s one of those rare travel experiences where you realise the cats aren’t simply tolerated—they’re part of the community. Perhaps that’s why they fit Gili Air so perfectly.
The whole island seems to move at cat speed.
Nobody rushes.
Everyone finds a shady spot in the afternoon.
Sunsets are taken very seriously.
Afternoon naps are highly encouraged.
And if someone offers you food, accepting graciously is simply good manners.
By the time your holiday ends, you’ll probably have accumulated a camera roll full of cat photos you never intended to take. There’ll be the beach cat. The breakfast cat. The bakery cat. The sunset cat. The one that insisted on sleeping under your chair every evening. The tiny kitten that melted everyone’s heart. The fluffy greeter outside your accommodation.
You’ll leave with sand in your shoes, salt in your hair and the sneaking suspicion that a small part of your heart now belongs to an island cat who probably won’t remember your name tomorrow.
And somehow, that feels perfectly fitting.
Because on Gili Air, the cats don’t just live on the island.
In many ways, they are the island.
