Winter time

 If you are not high class, at least your cat should be (but of course all cats are more or less). The former most expensive cat in the world, white with brown paws, ears, nose, mask and blue eyes has become very fashionable in Tunisia. I used to have two of this kind for a while, without specially searching for them. My sweat Diana went outside one day and did not return (which she would have done if she could) because a woman from around here picked her up in front of my door and took her home. I was feeling sad and miss my darling. The lady admitted it some time later, Diana is now one of her four cats. I am not happy but Diana prefers to live with less cats than we have that I know. She has been spayed and neutered, does the lady know that? I don't get my cats marked (a bit cut off the ear) as we have all operated at the right age, I keep a record. I hope my darling is treated well. My other Siamones cat, Minusa, was brought to us by a young man in need of money. She has become a little princess and daddy's girl. - Corona restriction led to a considerable reduction of air pollution including all that noise created by those popular huge loudspeakers employed at various celebrations. For a while there was also more social distance keeping, no more women and men pushing in front, trying to be served first. But it still exists, old bad habits die hard! And this strange (at least for most Europeans) last arrivals getting served first. Customers feel entitled and those behind the counter frequently support it. At the optician's the young employee asked every customer entering the shop how she can help them. While my husband tried to convince me that those four people arriving after us had been asked to return a little later and therefore should not be requested to que up, the fifth customer turned out to be a beggar. Feeling happy to have him "served first" in this case, the young lady declined to do so and just send him away! I have been told that folks working for STEG (electricity and gas company) don't have to pay for their consumption. Lately they stopped sending an employee to read the meter, because of Corona, customers should do the reading themselves. Since we are now doing their work, shouldn't we at least have a reduction of the costs? - On account of bad experience I usually send my letters by registered mail. This time they run out of forms for the procedure. I wonder whether my letters will arrive. Four weeks have past. Several small parcels and seven of ten letters from a friend of mine in Germany disappeared in the Tunis Bamurda Triangle (or elsewhere), also mail from Great Britain. It can only get better. If you want to have your temperature checked, on account of Corona precautions it has become a free service at the entrance of several supermarkets. 

Prescious Diamonds on Four Paws

 "One of the most beautiful qualities of true friendship is to understand and be understood." Seneca

In Tunisia I discovered a lot of prescious diamonds on the the streets. The cats here are such amazing little beauties, why are so many out on the streets? Several obviously had been living in families before that don't regard them as a kind of family member, like Europeans usually do. Unfortunately there aren't animal protection laws ( more and more folks are demanding them). The way animals are treated tells you a lot about a society. Europeans are often horrified about the plights of animals. Guess that explains why women from various European countries living here decided to create animal protection organisations and shelter. I discovered e.g. women from Great Britain, Italy, Netherland, Swiss, France and Germany doing so, often with Tunisian partners. So much needs to be done. A few days ago a woman with hardly any money asked me for help. Her cat has been poisoned, looking as if she got epilepsy. I brought my transport box, we quickly took a taxi and brought the cat to my vet. She confirmed the poisoning and suggested to leave the patient with her overnight. The next day as I was about to start picking up the recovered cat, another woman from the neighborhood arrived, stating same problem, same symptoms, asking for my help. Same procedure. Fortunately this lady, though, knows the person responsible for the atrocity, a middle-aged woman who had stated that she wants to kill all cats around here. So I decided to pay her a visit. She lives around several corners, nearby. Having been shown her house, I rang the bell. As soon as she saw me, before I could say a word, she banged her door closed. Being in urgent need to address her, I kicked at her metal door (once, not several times as she lied later on). When she came storming out, I took my mobile phone and told her it's for internet. She tried to hit me and steal my phone. I shouted Haram, Haram Halufa. The Prophet Mohammed said: " Have sympathy with the animals on earth and then Allah will also have sympathy with you." What makes you think you have the right to kill innocent cats (and dogs)? Don't you know the Quran? The next day when I returned with my husband, a neighbor tried to defend her, that woman is her friend and also doesn't like cats I am told. I called her a liar. The woman who poisoned those cats (possibly more) told my husband she only used rat poison in her house. I replied that her house must be very dirty if she needs to do that! And that is is evil and Haram anyhow to make cats suffer like that and poison them! Other neighbors decided to support me and speak to her husband, how can his wife poison cats while he prays in the Mosque, don't they know that the Prophet loved cats? He promised to throw the rat poisoning into the toilet and that it will stop now. Every morning I count the number of cats attending my Cats' Table and of course I know my regular guests, some arrive from a small distance. Whenever any are missing I worry whether they are okay or something happened to them. For unknown reason Jasmina, Bella and Black Beauty don't come every day. The very young ones tend to disappear quickly again, unfortunately I can't offer shelter to all of them, the traffic is a big problem. We keep telling drivers to look out for cats and those who park here that a cat or more may be sitting underneath their vehicle. As it is getting colder the little treasures tend to be more hungry (those inside our house and the others). I learned from our vet that cats won't eat what they can't smell, so a blocked nose can kill a cat, horrible thought. Occasionally a homeless little darling allows me to clean her nose. I noted an adult black beauty stopped eating outside. Unfortunately she didn't let me clean her nose. A little while later I discovered she sneaked inside my house. As our precious angels on four paws didn't complain, the cat must be female. She cuddled with other cats but wouldn't allow me to touch her, at the same time carefully watching me. She can see that the others love me and come to cuddle with me. Shouldn't that make her feel secure? No, it doesn't work that way. If I could at least get her inside a transport box, then our vet could help e.g. with inhalation. I am getting desperate, she really needs help. My husband hopes she secretly eats, as we viewed her drinking water. By the way, the two poisoned treasures are fit and well again, thanks to our excellent vet who also managed to save several of our fur family members who fell sick or had an serious accident. We now have four cats with only one eye: Aisha, Grace, Tariqa and Myriam (plus two with one blind eye, Malek and Milka), two had successfully a broken jaw operated: Myriam and Precious. The "lady in black" our cat visitor, I named her Ramona, unfortunately left us the way she arrived, she sneaked out while we weren't watching. I looked for her everywhere, she also didn't turn up for breakfast anymore. Bad news. Poor darling.