Ode to Henriëtte van Weelde | Founder of the Cat Boat

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The Cat Boat is known by everyone even around the world. But do people also know that Henriette van Weelde is the founder of this world-famous boat? She was born in on April 3, 1915 in Den Helder. She moved to Amsterdam where she went to live with her husband on the Herengracht. She was always a great animal lover but especially loved cats immensely. In 1966 she found a mother cat with kittens on her doorstep next to the tree opposite her home. She took on the task of caring for the cat and kittens in her home. Finally, another stray cat came in and another and another.... Soon she was known as the cat lady and was approached when people could no longer care for their cats.

The first boat in 1968    

Her home was not that big, but the cats did have their own terrace as well as a roof terrace, but eventually the time came when the space became too small for all those cats. She decided to buy a houseboat, a Tjalk, and it was purchased in 1968. At that time no permits were required, to accommodate cats and she could moor the boat at the Singel. There was now not only a house full of cats, but also a houseboat located near Singel 40. The Tjalk was furnished and made suitable for the shelter of cats. Cages in it, dividing the interior space into separate rooms and so on.... 

And soon after commissioning, the first cats arrived. Foundlings, renounced cats and cats that were no longer wanted. Lovingly they were taken care of. People came to help take care of all those cats, the first volunteers, which was much needed! Judith Gobets was one of the very first volunteers. She has been involved with the Catboat since she was a teenager. Henriëtte and her husband had no children and Judith told me, that Henriëtte was so busy taking care of the cats with their kittens that her husband sometimes felt that he didn't get enough attention. Henriëtte was a lady who liked to dress extravagantly and until old age wore hairpieces, which she ordered from a barber store in Amstelveen. She also liked to go out to dinner. Henriëtte sometimes suffered from the responsibility she felt for the cats she cared for. She loved them so much that it was very difficult for her to give them up to people who wanted to take them in. After several bad experiences of people not taking good care of the cats, or just dropping them off in front of the Catboat, she no longer trusted anyone. She got into trouble with the Municipality for housing too many cats on the boat.   Fortunately, things have improved now and there are fewer stray cats and cats are spayed and neutered more often. They are also microchipped so that the cat's owner can be traced. As long as she had the boat, Henriëtte never went on vacation even with her good friend Jet. She absolutely did not want to leave the cats alone.

How it went on. A roof terrace, a Tjalk and a second boat

Within 3 years of commissioning the Tjalk, it became too cramped there too. And what succeeded the first time must succeed again in 1971, Henriëtte must have thought. A second boat was purchased and furnished and came to lie near the first boat, t.o. 20. People came not only to bring or pick up cats but also just to see how things were going. A floating cat shelter, that was unique! 
The Tjalk served faithfully for about 10 years and was replaced by an Ark at the end of 1979. And because the Ark was specially built at the shipyard for the shelter of cats, this boat immediately met all the requirements that needed to be made of it. And that Ark lay in the same spot until 2-10-2023. Through crowdfunding, a new boat, which is very durable and can last for many years, has arrived from that date. In 1986 Henriette received a silver medal of honor from Queen Juliana and was associated with the Order of Orange-Nassau, an award for her special services. At one point, famous Dutch people also came to the Poezenboot, such as Major Boshardt and Annie MG Schmidt.

Foundation the Catboat is a fact in 1987

No one could have imagined at the time that that one mother cat would be at the foot of the founding of a now world-renowned cat shelter. In consultation with various controlling municipal authorities, it was decided to make the shelter a real Foundation.  In 1987, on June 3 to be exact, the foundation was established. They did not have to think long about the name: The Catboat.

Henriëtte van Weelde passed away 

Henriëtte van Weelde died May 21, 2005 at the age of 90. Until a ripe old age she remained committed to the Catboat and used to walk to it from her home on the Herengracht. Yet the work had to be continued and slowly the baton was handed over to Judith. Judith was a caregiver for Henriëtte and helped her move to St. Jacob on Plantage Middenlaan when she could no longer live independently.

Source: interview Judith Gobets of the Catboat and website Catboat.