The girls have been wanting to adopt a second cat, a friend for Latte. As many of you know, Latte is our feline baby. After my husband approved adding one cat (he is not a cat person, and we all respected his feelings). Latte was adopted from a rescuer in Doha and spent the first months of his life in a parking garage, fighting with other cats and hunting for food. The rescuer could not keep him and planned to put him out on the street. She put an ad on Facebook, and I reached out to her. He is treated like a baby; we baby-talk to him, hold him, and make his life as comfortable as possible. He becomes really depressed if we travel, and he stays at home by himself (of course, he is taken care of daily by a friend whenever we are out of town). He loves napping in the sun, and we move him throughout the day to where the sun is hitting in the house. I had never really given much thought to the resources (financial and physical) that go into caring for Latte. Additionally, once a friend pointed out that once he is old, he will require extra care. However, when I seriously considered a second cat, I thought about the additional work and the cost of caring for one.

 We live in a world that looks dark and bleak, and is rapidly losing precious resources. This world is consumed by climate change, chaos, and war in various regions. Some Populations around the world are fighting for their lives, and just trying to stay safe and alive is a constant, daily struggle. While some other populations need proper nutrition, shelter, clean water, health care, and just a decent way of life.

 I searched within myself and could not bring myself to add another cat to our household, and I do feel a degree of guilt every time I buy cans of cat food for him. Images of adults and children searching for food and water are never far away. Spending more money and time on another pet would not be ethical. Resources for most families are not unlimited, and ours is no exception. Our extra resources would be better utilized to help a person/person in need.