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.

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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. 

A Decade after the Revolution

"Man is effected not by events but by the view he takes of them. Associate with people who are likely to improve you." Seneca

A decade after the revolution many remain disappointed with what has been achieved, calling for " a war on corruption, repression and impunity". There is obviously more freedom and good new laws, many remain in the draw, I am told. Following a long dictatorship the majority doesn't like to follow instructions and regulations. Without control they are frequently ignored, even when they make sense. This is well demonstrated by the handling of safety belts. They are supposed to be worn by drivers outside of town and this is checked at well known police (garde) control points. Well observed by almost all - normally for two minutes untill out of site. Phoning while driving, you wouldn't think it's forbidden. Social distance keeping in view of Corona rare among kids, adults don't seem to be convinced of the need or getting tired of this. Face masks are cheaper now but those with little money consider this something they can do without. Six thousand kids under the age of ten have caught Corona so far, are parents aware of this? Twenty percent of the population is estimated to be poor, thirty percent unemployed, mainly young people, a high percentage with university education, what a waste of intelligence, leaving them without opportunity to forward Tunisia. Cuba is a small country, they have done better. In my opinion we could learn from them. By the way, while Ben Ali had himself a castle build in just about every big town, Fidel Castro lived very modestly and had hardly any money on his bank account. Tunisia has to cope with several greedy politicians, ministers, bank directors and others shamelessly more or less successfully robbing the country, not driven by need, but by greed. Those who praise Ben Ali I ask what did he do for Tunisia? Do we need here luxerio palasis instead of water treatment plants? Doctors advice to just drink mineral water ( low nitrate, below five), as the tapped water creates stones in the body and harms the kidneys, it even effects cats, three of mine died of kidney problems. Poor folks can't afford to buy mineral water! Would anyone who loves his country suppress her citizens, no free speech, govern by fear, support corruption? The effect of the long suppression are after the revolution still there. Some believe they have total freedom now, this includes not having to educate their children, no respect for anyone, free to pollute, in particular kids and youngsters ignore Corona restrictions, they like to hug and sit next to each other on the pavement if there aren't any benches,  boys don't miss school as long as they can football with a lot of screaming ( if singing can spread Corona, wonder whether screaming does as well), they laugh about

 police - until they turn up! Very sad. Much can be achieved with more control, proofing that the government means business. We have many good and honest people, solidarity can make us strong and achieve progress for Tunisia. More and more folks in North Africa recognize the value of animals and are willing to aid and support them, this gives me hope. It is in line with the Quran and maybe the Mufti can teach the ignorant to respect Allah's creations.

No Time to get Old

 "A lie gets half way around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on." Churchill.                                          We appear to live in a century of fake news, rumours and lies, why should it be different here from the rest of the world. A lot of hope was placed on vaccine, while rich countries had declared they would ensure that poor countries receive a fair share, there was later on talk of 50 or maybe 40 millions doses. Lately WHO mentioned one poor country ( didn't say which one) will be given only 2500 doses of vaccine. Now I heard the country in question is Algeria and they promised to donate half to their sister country Tunisia. By the way in Tunisia live approx. as many people as in Portugal. I guess we see here the result of everybody using a calculator, even for very simple calculations (is this what is taught at school nowadays, how to switch the calculator on and off?). Further, it was said not all required papers arrived in time from Tunisia in America. Not surprised, if they were send by Tunisian mail. The arrival day is always a surprise, e.g. a letter from GB took three month, some Christmas mail that I posted on 10th of Nov. to Germany is still on its way (nearly end of Jan.), other mail just gets lost in transit. Does anybody know why the post office functioned well before the revolution?  Bureaucracy is practiced with a lot of fantasy. Among the 10 most unhappy populations in the world the Tunisian takes place 8. Very sad, it could be so different. We must fight corruption, greed and envy is so destructive unlike solidarity. We need education, folks willing to accept responsibility and contribute to a better, greater Tunisia. Learn and teach our children to appreciate, love and protect animals. Don't abuse, kill, be rewarded with loyalty and lots of love. By the way, 12 millions of cats live in Germany, usually well protected and much loved, part of the family. In fashion in Tunisia are dogs, mainly among youngsters/young men. Those who can't or don't want to spend money on food, look for an alternative. I would have thought that a butcher won't charge much for bones, a fair amount is just thrown in rubbish containers (attracting lots of flies). Anyhow, at least one boy leads his big dog to Cats' feeding places so his pet gets noodles, soaked bred, sometimes mixed with animal sausage, a bit of meat or fish and in front of my door also croquettes for cats. They differ from those for dogs, are more expensive and can cause diarrhea and kidney problems if dogs eat them. When dogs arrive ,the cats get frightened and may well run underneath cars without observing the traffic. I am sure several fatal accidents happened like that, including my adorable gorgeous Honey. She was always observing the traffic. It broke my heart to find her bleeding and dead in front of my door. Honey used to spend most of her time indoors. We had a very special relationship. She would only listen to me and was absolute loyal, but happy to tolerate my husband and he learned to accept that.