Amsterdam is certainly an ameowzing place for cat lovers! Everywhere you look, you’ll find cats in beautiful places and doing unexpected things. For example, we shared the story of De Poezenboot, a rescue for cats for over 55 years. But these cats live on a boat!
There are gorgeous cats everywhere, peeking from windows, trotting down scenic streets, and even leaping from rooftops. With so many canals in the city, cats are often near the water. It’s for that reason the city also has an unofficial police cat!
Nimis, the Police Cat of Amsterdam
A black cat, Nimis, lives on a houseboat with his senior brother, Tommy. His mom, Lydia, adopted him as a kitten. At two years old, he’s still extremely playful. Unfortunately, that means he sometimes falls into the water! So his mom, Lydia, started putting a bright yellow life vest on him.
Lydia Faber with Nimis the unofficial police cat and a colleague. Images and media via Instagram/police_cat_amsterdam
As you can see, she works on the police force. But whenever she goes out for walks with Nimis, people would laugh. His vest purrfectly matches her police uniform! It made the day more fun, and to make it even funnier, she applied police patches to his vest. From that moment on, his unofficial duties began.
Nimis is the cute nemesis to anyone who would be in a bad mood.
“He’s been going through the neighborhood, and now everyone thinks of him as our local police agent cat,” she said.
“Our new neighborhood agent ❤️” from May 17 2022. Images and media via Instagram/police_cat_amsterdam
One day, Lydia started posting videos of Nimis on social media. At first, it was aimed at entertaining the family, and her young nieces. But then, the videos went viral, reaching millions of views!
“I wasn’t about to start doing funny dances, so I did this,” she said.“It’s crazy. It’s crazy! I never expected that, of course. It was just for fun.”
Every morning, Nimis wants to go on patrol, hopping to the round portal to see the view. When it’s time, Lydia opens the window and he hops out to begin his adventures.
“Good morning, can I go outside please ❤️”
Everywhere the police cat goes, a crowd of friendly purrparazzi want his picture. Meanwhile, his online fanbase has continued growing since he made his debut in May 2022. Now, he’s known around the world and tourists love catching a glimpse of him on his daily walks.
Video by That Good News Girl:
Police Cat Nimis Goes on Daily Paw Patrol
Thanks to Nimis’ daily ‘Paw Patrol,’ he’s helping keep the city more lighthearted. His ‘colleagues’ on the force clearly love having him around, too!
In many other places, police kitties have charmed their way into the hearts of their communities. Although they might not do official police work, they work wonders for building trust and making people smile. And their mere presence does deter pests like rodents, too.
As Nimis meets the local cats and dogs, he keeps a watchful eye on things and can be scrappy when things look suspicious!
‘Please don’t give me a ticket ❤️❤️❤️.”
While Amsterdam’s police cat always wears his vest, his much older brother Tommy doesn’t. At 14, Tommy isn’t as clumsy, having spent his entire life on the houseboat. With lots of practice, he’s learned how to stay dry and out of trouble. But on occasion, Lydia has to fish Nimis out of the water by his vest again. Yet if it weren’t for his wild side, he wouldn’t have become a beloved police cat!
“Tommy is 14 years old and [has lived] with me on the boat for 14 years … He knows the [canals],” said Lydia.
Nimis and Tommy on the right
Some People Think He’s a Real Police Cat
People come from all around to meet this kitty and often ask if he’s really working for the police. In a way, he really is! He’s making the community feel happier and safer.
“They ask me if this is for real. I tell them, “Yes, of course. Amsterdam is the first city in the world with its own drug-sniffing police cat,” Lydia joked with Amerstam’s NL Times.
To really sell the joke, she even points to a GPS device on the kitty’s collar.
“See this collar? It maintains a constant link with the police department and sends pictures of people found with drugs.” Laughing, she adds, “Sometimes, they don’t even realize I’m making the story up.”
You can see more of Nimis the Police Cat on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.
Below, you can see the kitty ride on his official police car!
Images and media via Instagram/police_cat_amsterdam
