I heard he had several cats at his old apt that he wasn't allowed to bring with him to the Vatican. Strange, I know, since he's the freakin' pope - who tells the pope he can't have a pet in the Vatican? But it was a common news story back in the spring when Benedict was elected. Perhaps he is going back to visit some of his furry friends?
In response to the increasing public interest in the cat situation, especially in Italy, shortly after the Pope's election a spokesperson issued an official statement that while His Holiness does indeed like cats, he does not own any nor have any living with him, but he did frequently feed cats in his neighborhood.