London Zoo to create a map of cats in the city

LONDON - The Associated Press

The first interactive map of London’s domestic cats was launched. AP photo

The London zoo is taking stock of an animal you don’t often find behind bars, launching what it says is the first interactive map of the British capital’s domestic cats.

The zoo said it would allow Londoners to upload scientific survey-style photos, descriptions, and locations of their cats creating a capital-wide census of the city’s felines. The map may not ultimately have much in the way of scientific value, but it could prove popular among Britain’s cat owners.

Dozens of felines

Even ahead of its official launch, the site was filling up with dozens of felines, along with tongue-in-cheek field notes. Among the early entrants was Ollie, a ginger cat who “likes fish and octopus toy (but) dislikes biscuits.” Another was Dorothy, a black tabby who “has intimacy issues.”

Quality control doesn’t appear to be a strong suit of the site. At least one person uploaded a picture of a “Nyancat,” the name given by Internet pranksters to an animated cat with the body of a Pop-Tart.

But the other listings appeared legitimate and the map was already yielding its first figures. Nearly half of Britain’s domestic cats are black or gray, according to the map, and roughly one-sixth are ginger or rust-colored.

Officials said they were launching the map to mark the arrival of two Sumatran tigers at the zoo.

They add that cat fans from outside the city, even outside the country, can also upload their pets’ photos to the system.