At the end of the day, we jump onto our favorite wall and purr contentedly. From here, we can see the whole area, which is 296 hectares, no less. It’s not just the windmills that make Kinderdijk special. The animals too have been here an exceedingly long time. They still offer us company and protection and keep our yard tidy.

Keep your eyes peeled: who knows, we might secretly come with you.

A day in the life of our two Kinderdijk cats

Bring the kids to Kinderdijk

Hello! We’re Pip and Sam, the Kinderdijk cats. We know everyone and everything here. The nineteen windmills are turning merrily. The visitors are taking pictures. And while they’re all busy, we sneak around everywhere. No fence can stop us. No dike can hold us. You’re lucky today because we’re going to introduce you to our animal friends. You better believe it: there’s plenty to see.

The GOAT

Our first stop is to meet the goats. When they first arrived, they were a bit unsure, and wobbly on their tiny feet. They were overwhelmed by the 370,000 visitors a year. They love all that attention now. That’s what they whisper to us.

In the olden days, the millers would keep these animals for their milk and wool. These goats are particularly happy when children visit them. As soon as they hear the patter of little feet approaching, the goats run merrily to the fence. We cats think that’s real celeb behavior. Real divas, they are.

Egg-stremely happy

The chickens are pecking around a little farther on. They cackle loudly and run about, a bit like a headless chicken. Miller Cock is their friend. When they see him, the yard turns into a real hen party. The chickens know that a delicious meal is on its way to them. Sometimes we steal a peck or two. Chickens have always been kept here for their eggs, so that the millers had a healthy meal every day. Nowadays, their eggs are sent to windmills in the neighborhood.

Cross the bridge

These are our new bodyguards: our giant geese. Are you brave enough to come close? They honk loudly and act tough, but secretly they’re glad they live here. They graze a lot and help keep the area green and healthy.

They see their distant cousins flying overhead every day, but they can’t join them: giant geese are so sturdy, they simply can’t fly. Luckily, they are happy to be our bouncers and stay on guard at the windmill.

The rabbits hop around quietly on the grass. They’re a bit shy. But they’re very happy if you give them a friendly look. Once upon a time, they were kept for their meat and their fur. Nowadays, they are just cuddly housemates in the windmill’s yard.

We cats get everywhere, slipping in and out, over and under all sorts of things. Over the dikes. Along the fence. Among the visitors. Just like in the olden days, we catch mice. Sometimes we pretend we are giving a guided tour. Then we amble past the windmills and meow to the visitors. “’Hey, look down! We’re the most important animals at Kinderdijk!”