An army of feral cats rules a remote island in southern Japan , curling up in abandoned houses or strutting about in a fishing village that is overrun with felines outnumbering humans six to one . Originally introduced to the mile-long island of Aoshima to deal with mice that plagued fishermen 's boats , the cats stayed on - and multiplied . More than 120 cats swarm the island with only a handful of humans for company - mostly pensioners who did n't join the waves of migrants seeking work in the cities on mainland Japan after the Second World War . Scroll down for video . Watching : Originally introduced to the island of Aoshima to deal with mice that plagued fishermen 's boats , the cats stayed on - and multiplied . A daring leap : More than 120 mostly ginger cats now patrol the remote Japanese island with only a handful of humans for company . Company : The majority of the humans on Aoshima island are pensioners who did n't seek work on mainland Japan after the Second World War . Never lonely : The majority of Aoshima island 's human residents left to work on mainland Japan in the late 1940s and early 1950s . Resting : The only sign of human activity now is the boatload of day-trippers from the mainland , visiting what is locally known as Cat Island . Aoshima , a 30-minute ferry ride off the coast of Ehime prefecture , had been home to 900 people in 1945 . The only sign of human activity now is the boatload of day-trippers from the mainland , visiting what is locally known as Cat Island . With no restaurants , cars , shops or kiosks selling snacks , Aoshima is no tourist haven . But cat lovers are not complaining . 'There is a ton of cats here , then there was this sort of cat witch who came out to feed the cats which was quite fun , ' said 27-year-old Makiko Yamasaki . 'So I 'd want to come again . ' Fangs : With no restaurants , cars , shops or kiosks selling snacks , Aoshima is no tourist haven . But cat lovers are not complaining . Furry friend : Aoshima , a 30-minute ferry ride off the coast of Ehime prefecture , had been home to 900 people in 1945 . Everywhere you look : Cats surround people as they get off a boat at the harbour on Aoshima Island in Ehime prefecture in southern Japan . A purr-fect feast : A cat carries a fish on Aoshima Island . The allure of cats is not surprising in a country that gave the world Hello Kitty . On the prowl : The cats of Aoshima are not too picky , surviving on the rice balls , energy bars or potatoes they cadge off tourists . Picturesque : An overview shows the main part of the fishing village on Aoshima Island in Ehime prefecture in southern Japan . The allure of cats is not surprising in a country that gave the world Hello Kitty , a cartoon character considered the epitome of cuteness . Cat cafes have long been popular in Tokyo , catering to fans who ca n't keep the animals at home because of strict housing regulations that often forbid pets . The cats of Aoshima are not too picky , surviving on the rice balls , energy bars or potatoes they cadge off tourists . In the absence of natural predators , they roam the island without fear . Not all the residents are admirers , though . Ready to eat : A cat leaps up at the photographer to snatch his lunch on Aoshima Island in the Ehime prefecture in southern Japan . A cat sits on a wall of a derelict school on Aoshima Island . Many of the buildings on the island were abandoned after the Second World War . Creepy : A cat is photographed jumping off a piano in the music room of a derelict school on Aoshima Island . Local residents have n't taken too kindly to the cat tourists . They say they do n't mind them coming , but want to be left in peace . Abandoned playground : A tree grows around a rusty sledge outside a derelict school on Aoshima Island . One elderly woman shooed the animals away with a stick when they dug up her back garden . Locals are trying to keep the feline population in check - at least 10 cats have been neutered . Residents have n't taken too kindly to the tourists either . They do n't mind them coming , but want to be left in peace . 'If people coming to the island find the cats healing , then I think it 's a good thing , ' said 65-year-old Hidenori Kamimoto , who ekes out a living as a fisherman . ' I just hope that it 's done in a way that does n't become a burden on the people who live here . '
More than 120 feral cats live on Aoshima Island , where they have just a handful of humans for company . The cats were originally brought to the remote Japanese island to kill mice living on fishermen 's boats . Most of the local residents left Aoshima Island to work on mainland Japan after the Second World War . But the cat population stayed and have since multiplied - meaning they now massively outnumber humans .