A Comparison, Cuba and Tunisia

 Wealth is not about having a lot of money; it's about having a lot of options." Chris Rock                                   

Both countries had dictators, a revolution,are not very big in size and have approx. 11 Million citizens. While Cuba is like an open air vintage car museum (vehicles that the mafia left behind when Fidel Castro and Che kicked them out), Tunisian streets are congested with new cars (most of them "belong to the bank" I am told). Those cars in Cuba are well worth seeing. I asked my husband to pretend he is about to enter one, so I can take a nice picture. A man appeared and nicely asked whether he can now have his car back. By the way, getting spare parts being impossible due to sanction measures restricting/stopping imports, the inventive genius Cuban folks helped themselves with spare parts from Russia or created these themselves. In Tunisia bad streets lead to more repairs to vehicles and the owners facing bills they have difficulties to meet. Education and health services are considered a human right in Cuba, free and open to all citizens. People not only from other American countries, including USA, can only dream of this. In Tunisia much requires improvement, insufficient hospitals, in particular in the south, the poor are more or less supported, not everything is for free, medication is often maktur, meaning sold out, no longer available (may be stolen, given to non- untitled persons), in particular imports. In Cuba more is own production, now also  Corona vaccines. They even send medical specialists to help other countries, often poor ones. They are great people. It is amazing how much they can repair with little resources, here you quickly hear that items are beyond repair, so much, too much is thrown away. I love Cuban music, my favourite is Bona Vista Social Club. Tunisia has of course also good music, at festivals/ celebrations often played at an ear splitting sound level, unfortunately. Animal rights generally exist in Tunisia (Penal Code, article 310 and 317 Section IV 3), 4) ). This comes as a surprise to many, as cats and dogs (not all strays), are shoot or poisoned on the streets at night, many of them, through authorities, in various places. Frankly it depresses me and viewing photos or videos is hard, I often cry. The result of this murdering of innocent animals is that kids/youngsters seeing it become insensitive, lose empathy, throw stones at animals, hit them, treat them like vermin, seldom stopped by their ignorant parents, who may even kill cats and dogs themselves. It is sadly not unusual to kick out a cat or dog that becomes inconvenient, perhaps sick, has unwanted puppies (the little family may even get brutally murdered). So not all straits originate from the streets. It shows, lovely gentle  animals with a shocking destiny. When Cuban citizens demanded animal protection laws, these were introduced (sadly still allowing traditional cock fights and religious sacrifice): Animal welfare and raising awareness in our population on the care and respect of animals is a demand of our society objective to achieve a harmonies relationship between human beings and other species in despensinate condition for the existence of all. Animals must be cared for and protected by man.- At presence we  can only dream of generally animal rights in North Africa, why folks here can be so brutal and believe it's okay to abuse, torture or even murder them, only the devil knows. It is against the Moslem religion (HARAM). The Mufti of Tunisia declared those who kill dogs and cats will go straight to hell after death. We need to educate the ignorant and their kids, teach empathy, respect and appreciation for animals and nature. Too many strays on the roads? The solution is simple, learn to take responsibility for your pet. In order to reduce the number of unwanted ones get them spayed  and neutered, authorities could partly finance this instead of their killings. If you want tourists, don't shock them with inhuman senseless and gruesome actions. By the way, Prophet Mohammed (constantly praised here) loved and  kept animals, his advice: Have sympathy with the animals on earth and then Allah will also have sympathy with you.

Amazing Amira her Life and Death

Rest in peace, my lovely one, thank you for the love you gave us. We will never forget you.

 "We must learn to live together or perish together as fools." Martin Luther King

When we arrived in Kairouan 2013, many lovely cats came to our house to welcome us, among them the gorgeous Amira, white with orange and dark brown patches. She chose us and we chose her, love at first sight! A very sportive little darling who liked climbing on roofs, in the beginning not easy for me to watch, always happy to have her return safely to spend the night with us and during the day checking that we are okay, a real treasure! When the young lady decided to get engaged, she did so at least four times, as far as I could see. We provided the food for the short- lived engagement and as Amira was our first Tunisian cat, there was no need for "family planning" at that time. So in May 2013 Amira gave birth to Tiger, Sandy, Bijoux and Soleigh. All looking differently, only Bijoux resembling mummy (this is usual here). Amira allowed me to be present a great experience. Her babies were so cute. Tiger and Sandy, meanwhile eight years old, are still living with us. Bijoux suddenly fell ill and died in November 2019. Soleigh, a beautiful white feline with yellow patches went outside in Sept. 2019 and never returned, most probably stolen, as we tried in vain to find her and she had no reason to stay away. One day, my husband was sleeping, Amira decided he might as well be her babysitter and brought her babies, one after the other, to him in bed. (My hubby just continued snoring) Great girl pity I didn't make a video. I studied her education method: watch your kittens, interfere only when it's necessary. Don't scream at your babies, show them that you care for them and that they are very special to you. Gentle mothers have gentle well behaved kids/kittens. We moved to Sousse, Amira and her family got a new home and had to adjust to a different life style. The street with all those cars, motorbikes, racing from time to time around our house, we considered too dangerous for our little treasures, as a substitute we offered two terraces, the big one on the roof. One day Amira ran out on the street and returned after a little while. When her children were old enough we had the whole family operated. Amira stopped liking her gentle son, even though a bit of a gentleman with other cats, I guess she feared he may see her as the female rather than just mummy. So we separated them. The vet discovered that Amira had just started to fall pregnant again when she operated her. We hadn't expected this and felt very sorry for our little darling. She had lately changed her way with her kittens, maybe so they perhaps leave and make space for a new family? Anyhow, it turned out that she wasn't very happy with us accepting more and more cats in our house - nothing we originally planned. We didn't buy them but we were and still are confronted with street cats needing help or simply folks dumping their unwanted felines at our door step. So depressing and irresponsible. Anyhow, beautiful Amira decided to leave us. She walked out, only returned once for a bit of food and another time to day hello from the roof of a house opposite. I tried in vain to persuade her to come down and live with us a again. It hurt so much. For some time we tried to find her in the neighborhood. Not very long before she left we discovered a lump on her tummy. The vet diagnosed that the growth may be cancer. We had her operated, actually twice. Our sweetheart unfortunately did not think that she would need to be looked after much. We felt so helpless. Time passed, after 18 months we had to fear the worst, leaflets with her photo brought no result. Nobody seemed to have seen her anywhere. A few days ago an adult cat, looking tired, sick and dirty, came to my house, calling me. I did not recognize Amira at first, her voice had also changed. I felt so happy to have my wonderful love back. While combing her fur, I was shocked to see a new big growth on her tummy, shaped like a thick cone, looking bloody. Amira refused to eat, just drank water. She had pain. We contacted an animal surgeon. The blood test showed that her kidneys were not working as well as one would wish, age and living rough took its toll. While the operation would be recommendable, it's not without risk. We decided to take the risk. All went well, but Amira again refused to eat, just wanted to drink a lot. I cooked chicken with rice and carrots for her. She just took the broth. The veterinary gave her an infusion, also the following day. It started to look promising, but then Amira had a lot of pain. On account of her kidney problems we were advised not to give her any drugs. I cuddled with her, stroked her fur, gave her a massage, fell asleep holding her. She enjoyed it, but her pains remained. She collapsed on the toilet, I gently lifted her on her bed again. During the three hours I slept my lovely precious darling passed away. I can't describe the loss I feel, she didn't deserve all those pains. I am grateful for the love she gave and all she taught me. 

Feline Lives Matter

 "Only the one who walks his own way can't be overtaken." Marlon Brando

Spring is here, no more cold and damp nights, life could be easier for the homeless, but Corona created a new problem, less places where food can be found, travelling restricted, restaurants closed, folks with less money. Most of my usual visitors to my Cats' Table still turn up, but some that have become dear to me are missing. Unfortunately I can't provide shelter for all. Gaby, a young inexperienced cat mum had two babies in a box I provided for emergency cases. Just like some humans she didn't seem to be willing to spend too much time with her little ones, after two days her first baby died, the other poor little darling after another week. I don't know what became of Mary's kittens after she took them away on account of excessively loud music last year. Lately Mary was on heat again, I hope I can get her operation (spayed and neutered) financed before the next generation developes. Last month I found five black/ black and white kittens in front of my door, the next day another black cat appeared, all approx. 6 weeks old. At least no longer new born babies, still blind. Looks like my message spreaded that if separated from the mother so extreme quickly their chance of survival is zero. Anyhow, another two yellow golden kittens followed. That is not the end of it, the latest arrival a little kitten, grey, yellow. white with both eyes sealed. I ignored her telling me to leave her alone. With Physiol solution I gently cleaned her eyes and then put a drop of Tobracort 3M in both eyes. And wow, the sweet little treasure managed to see the world again. Just as well there is mother milk powder on the market, even croquettes for kittens and thanks to my vet I knew how to treat her eyes. Quick reaction is important, the little treasures can end up blind otherwise. It is a hard world for the innocent darlings. The special croquettes I bought for my babies they enjoy, but they also want to try those for my big girls and boys who in return are interested in baby food. Experts say that cats ' IQ can reach that of an average two year old child. They can be little mischiefs as well. All are not alike, some are very gentle and love to cuddle, others are shy and prefer human to feline company. My Suzy is very fond of eating, it shows, and from time to time she likes to act like a male but she is always gentle with me. Suzy has got lovely fur with a red shine and managed to keep her full teeth, she's been with us since 2017. Next week we can celebrate Tiger and his sister Sandy's eights birthday. Their gorgeous mother was our first Tunisian cat, we are still very sad that she's no longer around. Having many cats doesn't prevent us from feeling deep sorrow every time one passes away. In the mornings I get very spoiled, woken up with purring (Tiger and Sandy) and a massage by Sandy, later on another one by Malek. His name means Angel. I couldn't have found a more suitable name for my lovely golden and white big boy, blind on one eye, part of our family for three years now. Great to have him! A young lady turned up, she wanted a cat, white, Turkish (in Europe called Persian), with vaccine, checked by a vet, spayed and neutered, could she choose one from my house? I advised her that though I have many cats there aren't any to choose from, most of them have become part of my family, only one of my cats has vaccine, I can't afford that treatment for so many. She was shocked. Folks here know what they want and they want it for free. You can have everything in Europe, including a chip, so if lost or stolen your cat can be traced. But there is a snag, you have to pay for all that and it's not at all cheap. By the way, the number of very young kittens secretly left at my front door lately adds up to eleven. I could of course ignore them and risk that they get run over by a car, which unfortunately happens around here from time to time, in particular to the inexperienced little ones. Another danger are sometimes dogs ( some folks even train their dog to hunt cats) and stone throwing kids, which my husband and I managed to reduce. The kids in the neighborhood all know that we won't tolerate this and several now even come to inform us if a cat gets injured and needs help. Positive changes are possible, they require patience. At present I don't know how to finance vet treatments including the family planning (spayed and neutered) and the extra food when my babies start growing up. I hope they can get adopted one day. They deserve a good family, not where they are treated like toys or worse. 

Continued: One Decade after the Revolution

"There is only one good, knowledge, and one evil, ignorance.Wonder is the beginning of wisdom. To find yourself, think for yourself." Sokrates.

A middle-aged unknown woman knocks at our door asking for money for medication which she said her mother needs. She was not amused when this was denied. We experienced that it's better to help folks that we know, as the story you are told may not be actually true. Besides, we spend a lot on homeless/ previously with a family cats, and that doesn't exactly make us rich. Prices are rising, this applies to fruit, vegetables, coffee, bred, pet food, medicine - often imported - for humans and animals, medical examinations and treatments. On top of this, whenever you discover a product you like or which seems to be an acceptable substitute, next time you want to buy it, you may be in for a surprise, it's gone and it will be for a while. Corona doesn't improve the economy, just like in other countries. The restrictions, though comparatively mild, and most certainly not abided  by all, led to various businesses to close down. Sad to see. I remember a time when it was difficult to get a seat in a cafe or restaurant. I wonder who is less motivated, the students or their teachers. Long holidays, less hrs because of Corona, and then students on the street saying that their teacher didn't turn up or on strike for more money. Not that the kids and youngsters mind very much. More time to play football and who needs education? Some call them the lost generation. The street doesn't teach self-control, empathy or respect. In Denmark empathy classes are part of the national curriculum, brilliant idea. Much better than spanking children, which the ignorant consider to be perfectly okay, though it usually doesn't improve bad behaviour, spanked kids on the contrary are likely to develop anxiety, depression, behaviour problems and other mental health problems. Recently a 14 year old boy from the neighborhood died, he was riding a motorcycle and had a fatal accident. Hopefully this will put another boy here, half his age, off risking his life and that of others, by riding a motorcycle as well. I watched a young man with a bleeding slight injury and treated him with Betadine and a plaster. A few days later young ladies knocked at my door. One of them had a scratch on her face and politely asked for a plaster. Before folks only asked from time to time for medical aid for cats. If you help one, word spreads and 

and someone else turns up asking for the same. I am not a vet, but I learnt how to treat common health problems of the local cats (i.e. pus in the eyes, can lead to blindness, blocked nose, makes a cat stop eating, as they won't eat what they can't smell, mites in the ears, can destroy the ears, effects the balance). Some street vendors have a motorcycle to pull their cart, others have to pull it themselves, just to earn a little money to get by. A hard life.

o 

Sweet Grace, an Obituary

 "One of the most beautiful qualities of true friendship is to understand and be understood." Seneca.                                    When the cat passes away all her servants are in mourning. Sweet gentle Grace, grey fur, was born underneath my yucca plant in Oct./Nov. 2018, a daughter of Esperanza, a street cat and regular visitor to my Cat's Table. When I discovered the little family, Esperanza at first didn't allow me to touch her babies which she moved to a place behind my metal fencing that was difficult for me to reach. This changed after two of her tiny ones died. I made space in a small corridor for the little family. From time to time Esperanza desired to go outside. Two kittens that I found in front of my door I added to baby Grace and her brother Sami. Esperanza seemed to be happy to adopt them, but unfortunately they didn't live long. Their vice mummy disappeared for 18 days. I looked in vain for her everywhere. Then Esperanza returned, I discovered her under my Yucca plant, bleeding from her mouth and nose, broken jaw. The vet did a good job and my little treasure recovered. I was happy to see her doing so well but then she disappeared again and never returned. Being a beautiful three coloured fairly young cat she may have found a good family, hopefully, otherwise if still alive she would at least arrive at feeding time, she knows my house, so I fear she may have passed away. - Esperanza's gentle daughter Grace integrated well into my big fur community. All accepted her, but she turned out not to be very healthy, she lost one eye, had breathing problems, coughed a lot, sometimes a bleeding nose, obviously a weak immune system (like many cats here). We often took her to the vet for inhalation, to give her some relieve. Saladin developed a method to knock at our sitting room door by banging the key attachment against that door. She watched and copied him. Some cats become especially attached to my husband, so did Grace - daddy's girl! I joked "Don't know what she sees in you....." We always fear the day one of our beloved little treasures passes away. In Tunisia cats are considered to be old when they are seven, in Europe at least 15-20. Suddenly Grace acted strange, she wet herself, went in hiding, reappeared, screamed a few times. I stroked her to comfort her. My husband desperately phoned the vet. Grace passed away, we lost our unforgettable darling much too early, end of March 2021.

PostScript They are Family

"If you kill a cat you must build a Mosque so that Allah forgives you." Saying from Turkey

A cat killed a snake that threatened the life of Prophet Mohammed therefore some people consider cats as holy. Approx. 125.000 cats live in Istanbul and they are allowed to enter every building, restaurants, cafes, mosques, churches, etc. no problem, they are tolerated everywhere. Cats get spayed and neutered by the state to keep their numbers down and shelters for homeless cats are financed. In ancient Egypt killing a cat was punished with capital punishment. Why is it so different here and also in Egypt nowadays? In Europe millions of cats and dogs live in families and are seen as family members. Strange, countries interested in tourists from Europe do they believe that these don't mind seeing or hearing of "family members" being murdered in the streets? Experts have proven a positive influence of pets on children's development. It can teach them empathy, responsibility, understanding the value of animals as fellow creatures. But unfortunately not all who keep in particular a dog have the right attitude. I have seen kids and teenagers thinking it funny to make an innocent dog aggressive. Often puppies are taken away from the bitch and sold at a much too early age. In addition the food is not always suitable, like noodles (also fed to cats, for which in particular salt and other spices are bad). Kids can play with pets but should be made aware that they are not toys and in particular should not be thrown away like no longer wanted toys. An elderly woman from the neighbourhood decided that she's too old to look after her cat and suggested that I adopt it. It turned out that she lives with her son who's got a job. Strange, she said she loves her cat. I would never part from a cat I love if I can somehow help it. Why can't her son fed the cat in the morning and evening and that woman enjoys the cat's company during the day? In Europe it has been proven that folks in old people's homes who are allowed to keep a pet stay mentally and physically longer fit and are more relaxed. Anyhow, we are already living with 25 cats, they don't welcome additions, (definitely none that hasn't been spayed and neutered, like the one in question) they sometimes fight already. I have reached my limit reference my expenditures (food, medication and medical treatments) and energy (involved work) and for all I know we aren't getting younger. In the morning approx. 15 cats want to join me in the kitchen, try to hurry me up preparing their breakfast and once they have had theirs ( as well as the visitors to my "Cats' Table), watch me have mine with at least three on my lab. Heard of songs that help you fall asleep? Mine is very special. Gorgeous little lady Sandy likes to crawl next to me under my blanket and purrs until I fall asleep. This is my luxery.

They are Family

 "He who feeds a hungry animal feeds his own soul."      Charlie Chaplin.   The  most beautiful cats one can find out on the streets in Tunisia, neat gentle, grateful for a bit of food and water. There are golden and white, black and white, red, black and white (three colours means female, absolutely gorgeous), grey, all white, black or yellow, mixed colours, long (Persian breed), medium or short hair and even the Siamoise cat, that once upon a time only the Burmese royal family members were allowed to keep. Where do they all come from? Originally quite a few lived in a family, that fed them mainly on leftovers ( spices and salt are bad for cats, as well as onions, beans, etc.) and couldn't or didn't want to spend money on medical treatments or for getting their cat spayed and neutered. Unfortunately the cat is all too often not regarded as a kind of family member, unlike in Europe (the same applies to the dog), so when keeping the cat, possibly with babies, is considered to be too much trouble, the simplest solution seems to be to put her out on the street, with or without the little ones. In such a case the cat babies are put in a cardboard box and left in a place with a more or less slim chance to survive. I dread these boxes. When the babies still have their eyes closed their chance to survive without the cat mother are Ciro, I managed to spread this information. It depresses me to see cats (and other animals) in need and not being able to help. The other day I found a perhaps ten weeks old cat in front of my entrance door. I gave her food and water. She seemed to be okay, but I wondered where she came from, where she belonged and can she cope with the traffic? The next day an even younger kitten, maybe six weeks old, was sitting in front of my door. The two kittens' mothers don't seem to be among my regular guests. Someone brought them to my house. Anyhow, the older one I named Joyce, the other one Ramon and they are living with us now, playing and sleeping together. When I call: "Where is my Baby, " sweet Ramon appears.  They are so cute. My main worry, do the others accept them, are we getting too big a family, can I still manage to meet all the expenses. It is not just the food, new members means spay and neuter some time in the future, dentist and possibly other medical costs. Having lost meanwhile four cats due to kidneys not functioning properly, I guess I better use mineral water for my little treasures. I know poor citizens can't afford to buy this, but I am not helping them by making my cats sick with bad water from the tap. Some folks feel we should support them, instead of cats, what if we buy a nice car instead - like many neighbours do? We live modestly, no holidays, no car, etc. because we see the plight of the innocent cats and there are still kids that throw stones. Every day I find at least one in front of my house, when will they ever learn? Very loud barking, I see a medium sized a bit skinny white dog with spots, chasing cats, he knows where they sit or hide, underneath cars, around my and neighborhood houses. Cats are scared and running for safety, luckily no traffic. A grinning slim tall man, watching, looking highly pleased to see his aggressive dog obviously trained to be a fighter dog. Brought here are for training, no leash, no nozzle, but a blind man can see that he is misusing the dog so he can make money with illegal games. I try to chase the dog away (no stones, no stick) and when the man finally leaves, the dog follows him. I hope he will eventually get arrested and the dog retrained, after all he is innocent.