I am sure many of us have seen a movie called “Pet Cemetery,” where cats are found in hundreds in some scenes, and the sight is meant to scare people. For me, any movie with scores of cats is a welcome sight, as I have always had this enormous appreciation for cats. In many countries, few stray cats and dogs are found on the streets. Cats and dogs are either euthanized or kept in shelters, but such is not the case in the Middle East, where we have lived for the last ten years. The place where we lived in Saudi Arabia had many strays, and without realizing I started spending time with the felines in my housing complex. Every evening my ten-year-old daughter and I would go on a search mission to find friendly cats and hang around with them, and occasionally put food and water out for them. When we moved to Doha in 2017,  I learned, much to my delight, that Doha had just as many cats as the kingdom. I was a bit slow with my cat mission, but now I am more organized. I am part of two organized groups that provide food, water, and medical assistance to stray cats.

I started my stray social work to fill some time, but I learned along the way that this activity provided me with much relaxation, peace, and a needed connection. Resident strays around my building will come running if I go out and call them, and it’s a beautiful bond. A couple of years back, I fostered a kitten with an eye infection which is a happy, healthy park cat. His name is Caramel, and if I go to his area and call his name, he comes running to greet me. My kids call me a cat whisperer, but it’s mutual appreciation. We don’t realize but sometimes simple, mundane activities can bring about tremendous joy