Kitten season on the island runs almost continuously, and shelters are permanently over capacity. An unsterilised female can produce three litters a year here, which is why every responsible rehomer sterilises before the animal leaves and why you should plan for it if you take on a kitten too young.

Free-roaming carries real risk in Bali: traffic on gang roads, territorial dogs, and feline diseases that spread fast in dense cat populations. Many owners settle on a secured courtyard or a catio, especially in Canggu and Seminyak where traffic is heaviest.

Ask about vaccination against panleukopenia and respiratory disease, and about worming and flea treatment. Kittens from a street litter may carry all three; they are treatable, but you should know what you are taking on before you fall for the face.