Cats' Life in Tunisia

"Have sympathy with the animals on earth, than Allah will also have sympathy with you" (Prophet Mohamed), I would like to write that on this lovely blue sky here.                                 The revolution also effected the cats, strange, the cats out on the street are more beautiful and better fed than before. As the majority haven't got a house and live off what the garbage container has to offer, or some kind people left there for them, one can only presume the food quality has improved (though many complain about too high prices and no job). I've seen the most expensive cat of the world (with owners) and some absolutely gorgeous cats, for which one would pay a lot of money in Europe. Left behind by folks who during or after the revolution left the country? Some people believe and teach their children that cats are dirty. Looking for food among garbage certainly isn't the cats' first choice (what do starving persons do to survive?). Their fur is always clean, the white bits snow white, unless the cat is sick. Cats do "pest control", they hunt and kill mice, rats and cockroaches. In the Middle Ages, when Christians were so stupid to murder cats (believing they would assist witches), epidemic pest spread in Europe wiping out a lot of the population. - Kittens are born with their eyes closed for the first 10-12 days. If separated from their mother during this period, they stand no chance to survive. Even if fed with cow milk, e.g. from a "bottle" (originally containing eye drops) every 2 hours. On various occasions I found boxes with 4 kittens - the usual number - in front of my entrance door, thus this experience, depressing to see them all die. A little girl told me it sickens her to see "blind" cats - she didn't know it's natural, when they are born. In Souse more cats are killed by stones from disturbed kids, youngsters or even adults than by cars, I believe. Head injuries, internal bleeding, shock, broken jaw, twisted neck, etc., Cats are not even safe underneath parked cars. Their hiding places are known and these hooligans think it's fun to hunt them or lead their dogs to do so. (Hamdullah not all children are like that, but too many.) I heard Angel, one of my cats, yell with pain from underneath a car. She was shivering. I took her inside and saw a wound on her thigh. It was a Saturday evening, past vet's consulting hours. It looked as if it would be okay to take her first thing Monday morning, but she died just before.   Superstitious Tunisians (and some daft Europeans) believe black cats mean bad luck. Thus not surprising one doesn't see many here, I viewed 3, 2 are living with me. Lily, a street cat I've been feeding for a while, I found one day with a large bump on her head, not her usual lively self. It turned out she had a large abscess and a bite mark on her thigh. She's such a lovely gentle little darling. The other black cat is a "Burmese", double thick shining fur  and a "Limbo dancer".  She came to me approx. 6 months old, performing her Limbo dancing underneath my barrier fencing outside. Felicitas loves to play hide and seek, she believes I am her long lost mother. Now she is happy and friendly with everyone, man, woman or cat. When I am out on the road, she quickly climbs onto the roof terrace and calls me: "Don't lounch about, get inside!" Even before I open the front door she stands there to welcome me (marhaba). - Amira had 4 kittens, the usual number here (meanwhile we had the whole family operated to keep the number down). Interesting to see her educating her kittens: watching closely and only interfering when it's necessary. If one shows too little respect and pushes forward, Mum (or other cats) slaps her/his face. Sometimes I feel like doing that - only with adults. Cats, also big ones like lions, for security reasons take their little ones to a new shelter after a while. So Amira had a look around, saw my sleeping husband and decided he would make a good babysitter. When I discovered this she had already taken 2 kittens next to my husband while he was still having his sweet dreams. - Honey I discovered with her tail cut off, the wound bleeding, collecting dirt, formatting scurf, falling off and the procedure starting all over again. She let me take her home and to the vet. Problem solved. Now when I call her; "Honey come home," she comes running and when she wants to come in and I don't hear or see her, she walks around the house and calls me from underneath my window. - Just now kids called me, a cat got run over by a car, bleeding from the  head. The cat was dying, bleeding heavily. They thought I would remove the cat immediately. I tried to explain that there is still some life in her and one should wait a little. Some children thought it's funny to see a dying cat (strange humor), a neighbor got hysteric, declared if she sees another cat here, she will kill it..... where am I living? Later on I discovered five stones underneath a parked car near by where cats often seek protection, I wouldn't be surprised if this cat was hunted there and trying to escape got hit by a car. When I explained the cat is in the process of dying, a couple of boys suggested to speed this up by kicking her, I said how would you like to be kicked when you have an accident. - When I go shopping have two body guards lately, street cats I feed twice a day decided to accompany me for approx. ten minutes - may be they want to advice me what to buy. - Amy, a cat that used to live in the garden of a house across the road, had her kittens there and I enjoyed watching this good mother picking up some food from me to feed her little ones. One day she was killed by a stone or car.

changes for the better

People often have a bad memory when they think of the past.It seems to be so much easier to remember what was good than what was bad. Not all changes can happen over night, don't demand too much straight away. Changes I noticed already: there is so much more freedom. People are no longer afraid to speak openly and they use this freedom to critise a lot. They feel Tunisia should do so much more for them, yet there are things they can do themselves! Quite a few people (like me) sweep the pavement and road in front of their house. They want their street to be clean and proper. There is quite a lot less plastic on the road from Souse to Kairouan than before the Revolution. Generally speaking, Kairouan altogether seems to be much cleaner. In Europe you have to pay a fine, if you just drop your litter anywhere. It helped a lot to achieve clean roads! In the shops you find a larger choice, products I missed when Tunisia was ruled by Ben Ali, his greedy wife and in-laws. Products from Europe are of course more expensive and not all can afford them. Bread, fruit and vegetables are so cheap no one should go  without, but when you haven't got a job it' not easy. Don't expect to find a job sitting all day in a cafe. A lot can be done with good ideas, may be ask expats who come here with good intentions. As for me, I had thought of teaching mothers how to make toys without spending money (not for me either).               The customs no longer ask: did you bring Parabol? Most people have TV, smart phones & internet. If you think all the old cars from Europe are now in North Africa  may be in Africa, but certainly not in Tunisia! Pity though, the bikes more or less  disppeared, they are so much better for your health, the environment - don't pollute the air with noise and exhaust gas unlike those now ever so popular motor-cycles. More toys on offer, much plastic from China, as one would expect. Good books would be so much better, in spite of the internet.     In the flee market I've seen some expensive trade products, imported in bulk from Europe. No longer the third quality products like before the revolution, sounds good, but not for all. Just imagine you are a tailor, bad  for business.  If you have the money to pay a private doctor, you can find good doctors who have more time for their patients and discover causes for illnesses that their colleagues in Europe never did find (there time is money, if a doctor wants to make money, he/she needs a lot of patients as the health insurance doesn't pay much per head; even though the contributions are fairly high).      What else has                                              changed? Not so much police on the streets. Ben Ali's picture posters everywhere - they have all disappeared, thus the shops look more inviting now. Women have more rights and are more demanding now - so I am told. School lesses are extended until round about 17.00 hrs.,  5 weeks school and then 1 week off, a vast improvement. There is so much these kids need to learn and I hope they enjoy it, I as an adult, am still happy to learn something new every day.