Donna is a dear friend of mine here in Riyadh. We actually became acquainted through our mutual love of animals and particularly cats. Donna, as her story clearly illustrates, is a very compassionate individual. If she were able, she would personally get every cat in the Kingdom off the streets and into a loving home. I hope that when you read about her current efforts to save some kitties due to the demolishment of a large compound you may or perhaps know others who can assist her in her efforts to find homes for these Saudi street cats which she and her daughters have lovingly tamed and looked after and now need permanent homes.
A cat rescue effort continues in Riyadh. A colony of roughly 20 cats were in serious jeopardy as the compound they called their home was recently vacated to prepare for demolition in order to make way for a new development. As the compound is located in the heart of the city, surrounded by busy thoroughfares and ongoing construction, these cats literally had nowhere to go. Many were quite tame as they were generally well looked after by compound residents.
The first part of the effort was to spay/neuter as many cats as possible before the deadline to move. Thanks to the phenomenal efforts of our two vets, Dr. Majed El-Hayek and Dr. Nick Ocampo, who caught, operated on, transported and boarded the kitties, we were able to spay/neuter 14 cats on a very tight time schedule. Special appreciation goes to the kind and caring people, new friends all, who came forward to adopt seven of them. One is a special needs kitty who required an amputation of her front leg. She was adopted by a Saudi doctor here in Riyadh, a kind lady with a quiet
environment which is just what this shy little cat needed. Another was adopted by a Saudi-American family, and the same couple drove two others on a six hour journey to a new home in the Eastern Province. I was also told that two of the cats that were looked after by the maintenance crew were taken by them as they left the compound. Ten cats were relocated to a new residential area. Since it is vast, we don’t see them regularly but with the exception of one, they have all been sighted and seem to be doing fine. One seems to have been adopted by a family in a nearby building, as we discovered a bowl of water and cat food on the balcony he took up residence on.
This week we went back check on the status of the cats we had to leave behind, either because we couldn’t locate them or they had small kittens stashed. The situation was heartbreaking! The buildings are just shells now and the whole place is littered with debris. We had to pick our way over piles of broken glass, twisted metal, uprooted shrubbery and remnants of the interior. We couldn’t imagine anyone was still there – but they were! We called their names and one came running from our building, so skinny and dirty! We found another who used to be a fat, jolly fellow and he is now almost a ghost. He was terrified and hiding in a utility room. He absolutely refused to come out, so we just left him some food, and hope to get him later. Then we discovered the mother with kittens. She had given birth 3 days before we left and I had no choice but to leave her. Amazingly, she was there and the kittens were thriving. God bless the workers who have been feeding the cats. We were only able to get the mom and one kitten; we returned the next day and caught another kitten and our favorite tom cat. We had given up on him, thought he had left the area, but he emerged from our building also. Poor, poor guy! A lot of his hair has fallen out and his body is dotted with small scabs. We think maybe it was cut from glass or Dr. Majed suggested it may be a reaction to some chemical or something. Again, so thin and dirty! We put him on the bathroom floor and gently poured buckets of water over him and massaged him with kitty shampoo. He loved it! He spent the better part of today curled up on my bed.
We will make every possible effort to catch the remaining cats and kittens. There is another group of kittens, but they are high up on the roof of a building, and unless the workers are able to get them, it is impossible for us. Unfortunately, time is running out as the buildings are scheduled to come down within a couple of weeks. However, I cannot deny, and will be forever grateful for the phenomenal success of the effort. We accomplished more than I dreamed possible thanks to the caring and committed people involved. My goal now is to find homes for the kittens I am currently boarding in my home. I currently have two (and hopefully will get the third one soon). They are a male and a female, six weeks old. A darling set. They look like twins! After they are adopted, I hope to spay the mother and release her in her new, safer territory. I also have to work on restoring the poor tom cat that seems much traumatized by the whole ordeal. He is not the most beautiful cat, but probably the sweetest I have ever seen. A big baby! He was well-loved on the compound. Several families claimed him as “their cat”. He had a least three different names. We named him “Freedom”, which is the name he responded to when he came dashing from the building. If anyone is interested in adoption please contact me at my personal e-mail ASAP. Also, I urge anyone in the Kingdom who has a pet, is caring for a feral or just loves animals to join our Yahoo group, Saudipets,(saudipets@yahoogroups.com) to link with people who want to try and do more for the animals in KSA.
d.alterkawi(at symbol)gmail.com
Filed under: culture, pets, Saudi Arabia, Saudi culture, Saudi customs, travel, Uncategorized
[...] Jill Rehkopf Smith, The Oregonian wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerptIf she were able, she would personally get every cat in the Kingdom off the streets and into a loving home. I hope that when you read about her current efforts to save some kitties due to the demolishment of a large compound you may or … [...]
Oh, those Saudi cats! Still feral, still scrawny, still scrapping for their living, and still proliferating! Some things simply do not change over time. I used to make friends with these cats when I lived in the hospital compound, and I’ve got some good cat stories I plan to write about.
I did not find the abundance of Arabian feral cats distasteful; they were similar to squirrels, racoons or other four-legged creatures who lived in my US neighborhood. I felt badly about the poor conditions those cats had to endure. They were always jumping in and out of smelly, green dumpsters. Their lives weren’t natural, like other wild creatures.
I hope efforts like yours will go the distance to bring this situation under control, once and for all.
I also encourage individuals to not fear a cat if they hear the words “wild and feral.” My own two cats were wild feral cats which I rescued and adopted from Pakistan. Yet if you see them today you would never have any idea they had been born and raised in the wild. They are now the most loving, friendliest and talkative companions and bring so much joy to my life.
Carol,
I am not sure if you’re aware of a free site called catster (http://www.catster.com/) . The site allows you to create an account then a profile for each cat, including pictures and other info. Where this can be helpful is that your friend can start an email campaign for the adoption and include the links to the profiles of the cats.
In general the site is for cat lovers to build profiles and make contacts. You may like it even if you do not use it for adoption. There is a similar site for dog lovers (i.e. dogster)
I am really glad that your friend and the Dr’s supporting her are doing this. Such compassion towards animals is rare in Saudi.
Thank you for the information – that is very good to know.
I am also pleased to say that I am becoming more and more aware of Saudis who truly care for animals and that pet ownership in the Kingdom is not by any means limited to the expats here.
That is interesting, Carol. I thought all Saudis disliked animals in the house, except for maybe the exotic pets. I’m happy to hear that “…pet ownership in the Kingdom is not by any means limited to the expats here.”
That pet ownership, however, undoubtedly excludes dogs. Maybe you could do another post on the Saudi attitude towards dogs.
I’d take one if you could ship it to egypt.
I want to take in a cat when I get over there because I love cats and I’ve never been able to have one because my mom is horribly allergic.
I wouldn’t just take an un-spayed/neutered cat off the street for obvious reasons so I was thinking of adopting from a local humane society. But if you guys are passing out kitties, I’ll take one.
As long as it could be brough into Egypt.
What a great story to read! I’m sitting here with my cat on my lap reading this exiting post. I hope you manage to get homes for all the cats. Please keep us updated too about what happens to the cats you mentioned.
Is the Tom going to recover?
That makes me want to cry…I think I’m most touched by those labourers (who definitely don’t earn much money) finding funds/food to feed those cats.
God Bless You!
I know Donna is checking in but she is still very busy coordinating rescue efforts. I strongly encourage folks to also email her with words of support. I can’t answer in regards to shipping to Egypt; Donna would have to address that query.
Marahm, yes; I’ll make a note to do a future post about Saudis and dogs. According to Dr. Majed, he sees more Saudis with dogs as pets these days instead of cats! In fact, several of our Saudi friends have dogs which are well taken care of and loving pets and in loving homes as well.
Hello, Everyone, and thank you for your kind words of support. We were able to get three of four kittens that were up on a roof today. They had climbed down from the roof into a tree and the workers were able to get them from there. These guys are really making a tremendous effort for us, and I can’t express my appreciation to them enough. We were also able to reunite a third kitten with the mama I have. One more is still there and is quite the little escape artist. We’ll keep trying! The tom is doing better. The vet is coming to look at him tomorrow. He is still very timid, although he did venture out into the living room today. To Saudi in the US, thank you so much for the catster link. I was looking for just such a thing. To Molly, if you are interested in possibly adopting one of the cats, please contact me at my personal e-mail. I also have three former street cats and they have all turned out to be wonderful pets. Wish I could keep all the others!
Donna: you rock!
And bedu too
Even this, the most humble of posts…keeping dogs as pets without need? Can someone cut out my tongue and break my fingers for me?
I am so hoping that this posting is one of the one’s chosen by Reuters or another news service so that Donna and her efforts can get additional exposure and the situation of the Saudi kitties can become wider known.
Donna — I’m trying to convince my spouse that we should take one more kitty…maybe if one just kind of shows up in my courtyard….????
Hello, i usually lurk here, but i love animals so i thought i’d post. Theres a site called petfinder.com im not sure if it has anyone in saudi but its worth a try to check it out!
And i dont think theres anything against keeping dogs as pets, as long as they aren’t in the house iirc (don’t agree with that tho). I don’t understand some muslims hatred for dogs (note, i only said some) T_T there was a case where a muslim student threatened to kill his teachers service dog not too long ago. Good luck with the cats!
Anna, Welcome and thank you for no longer “blurking.” Please keep commenting!
I have one all picked out to put in your courtyard, Carol. Keep your eyes open
!
Sounds good to me!!!!
Who hates dogs? A prostitute was forgiven her sins for giving a thirsty dog a drink. The issue is keeping them as pets without ‘valid’ reasons.
Please get in touch with me Donna / American-Bedu.
I’m a Western vet in Riyadh trying to start up a cat neuter / rescue and I’ll neuter at cost or free if I get some found raising going.
Lana,
I’ll send an email in regards to this comment.
Best Regards,
Carol
[...] story clearly illustrates, is a very compassionate individual. If she were able, she would personahttp://delhi4cats.wordpress.com/2008/05/19/operation-kitty-rescue-riyadh/Our Pets are Cooler Than Yours The Mass Media Behind every great newspaper staff is a zoo full of [...]
Dears,
I am interesting to adopt a puppy for my kids.
My kids love the animals especially dogs.
I am in Jeddah
Thanks
Mazen,
Please do a search on my blog for Dr. Majed. I have his number posted and although he is in Riyadh I am confident he can set you up with an ideal puppy!
Dear animal lovers,
My name is Samah, and i live in riyadh. I currently have 17 cats in my house; 5 of them are my cats, and the rest are strays and rescued..some of them just showed on my door one day and became permenant residents
Until now i am unable to find proper homes for any of them..
I am sure you are all aware of the terrible conditions cats live in here in riyadh.. therefore, my friend and i decided to build/establish an animal shelter here. As of now, all we have is a piece of land! we have to come up with a design, and build the facility. We need all the help we can get to do this. Right now, i am searching the net for every piece of information about animal shelters; establishing, managing, ways of funding, walls and floors requirements, hygiene, getting help from vets… etc.
But for now, we need to cover the following:
- rules and regulations regarding establishing a non-profit entity here in saudi arabia, specifically anything in regards to animal wellfare (if any)
- what kind of permits do we need to get?
- Sponsorship. As i said all we have is a piece of land, and our miserable salaries!
If you think you can help in anyway possible, please contact me: samoo7a@gmail.com
Thank you!
Dear Samah,
It is lovely to hear of your efforts. I hope that you are already a member of saudipets@yahoogroups.com If not, you will want to request membership.
As I am sure you know this is a time to be very very careful on activities associated with pets due to the recent actions/edicts of the muttawa. So do not be surprised if you encounter some resistance in moving forward due to the current atmosphere.
I would suggest since you are in Riyadh contacting Dr. Majid (if you search my blog you will find his contact data). He can be an excellent resource.
Wishing you all the best,
Carol
Dear Carol,
Thank you for referring me to Dr. Majid. And yes, sadly, I do realize that i’m gonna face difficulties establishing an animal shelter here in riyadh. Someone suggested that i hire a lawyer to handle all government related issues, aquiring whatever permits i will need; so i’m gonna do that and hope it won’t take that much time!
In the meantime, my friend and i decided to set up a small shelter in my house – i have a space at the back that i can utilize – and it could accomodate up to 30 cats.
So if you or any of your friends found any cat that can be removed from the streets, please contact me via email or mobile.
email: samoo7a@gmail.com
mobile: 0505806573
Dear Samah,
Are you a Saudi national or an expat? Query Dr. Majid for suggested sponsors or other individuals you can contact.
And I would also suggest you may want to be very low key on your endeavor given the current climate pertaining to pets.
Hoping for all the success!
Carol
Hi Carol,
Regarding your question, i’m a saudi national.
And thank you for your suggestions, i appreciate it!
Sama,
Let me retrack some comments then…. frankly it seems most individuals who want to be most proactive here in regards to the cats are expats who sadly do not have the right “chits” to be successful in this regard. As a Saudi national, you probably have a much better chance of getting a shelter off the ground (as long as the muttawa do not get wind of your efforts!).
I did some initial inquiries a long time back and was told I would require coordination and/or approval with so many ministries (to include Agriculture!). It was discouraging. So I think starting out informally and low key may be the way to go.
I wish this litter of kittens who have taken shelter under a dumpster near my villa were tamer and I’d send them to you! But you can be assured I’m putting out regular food for them and hoping to tame them up (if possible). They are probably about 3 months old right now and so cute but also so wild.
Carol,
I totally agree with you! and i was told as well that a lot of ministries will have a say in this including agriculture and environment!
that’s why i was advised to hire a lawyer, because even though i’m saudi, i’m a woman! and i’m not exactly welcome at these government buildings..
Sama,
Please do contact Dr. Majed. He is so knowledgable and helpful. And it is sad to hear the reality of challenges being a woman has in the Kingdom…
Im A Vet And Im Allergic To Animals…
Found your blog on yahoo – thanks for the article but i still don’t get it….
Hi,
Im a expat in Riyadh, Im interested in a trained family cat I have three kids so it should be friendly and toilet trained! lol.
May God reward you for your efforts.
Louise.
Louise,
Welcome. I suggest you contact Donna whose information is cited with the post. You may also wish to join the yahoo newsgroup saudipets@yahoogroups.com which also identifies pets needing homes in KSA.
However please please discourage your children from approaching any unknown Saudi street cats. I am speaking from personal experience that they are likely to carry disease in spite of how well groomed or friendly they may appear.
Best Regards,
Carol
Hi,
Thanks Carole actually my friends have two cats and my kids love them which prompted me to search the net for cat rescues in Riyadh. Then i found your blog! Its very interesting although with 3 kids its hard to read everything, Id love to blog myself maybe when Im older and not so busy!
Take care, and Im Trying to join the yahoo group now.
Peace, Louise.
Louise,
If you have not done so, you can reach Donna for available kitties at d.alterkawi(at symbol)gmail.com
Glad you are enjoying the blog and happy to have you here.
Best Regards,
Carol
i am loookiing for any dog but mot preferably a guard dog a dog who barks alot like a german sheperd if u do have i want him strong not lazy plz contact me as soon as posible my number is
xxxxxxxxxxx
Sorry Eisen posting phone numbers is not allowed on blog comments
Eisen – contact Dr. Majed.
This post provides contact info for Dr. Majed: http://americanbedu.com/2008/02/08/tribute-to-dr-majed-and-in-memory-of-max-amillion/
i need a dog a german shepherd in minde for protection strong not week plz contact me at this number if u do have
xxxxxxxxxxxthank uSorry Eisen posting phone numbers is not allowed on the blog
Hi Carol, I was browsing the internet looking for an excellent vet here in Riyadh. I have recently obtained through a friend leaving the Kingdom, a beautiful Male Persian cat. He is about 18 months old and has not been castrated yet. I am look for a great vet and read with interest your blog about the pet shop “life and Nature Pet Store”.
Please can you tell me the best place to do this operation as I went to Exotic Pets on 30 street Olaya and wasn’t that impressed. He said the operation needs antibiotics afterwards for up to 4 days and that vet didn’t seem that good.
please waiting to hear from you.
regards,
kathy hammoud
Hi Kathy and welcome to my blog!
I saw in your other comment that you found my post on Dr. Majed. He is the best vet in KSA in my view – professional, caring, compassionate and oh so knowledgable.
It’s great to hear how you have adopted this kitty!
Best Regards, Carol
Would somebody in Saudi Arabia please help to save the life of a beautiful domesticated cat that has somehow found itself lost and stranded on our diving vessel working in the oilfields off the East Coast? We have saved this animal and are caring for it despite the fact that an oilfield ship is no place for a tame cat. I am trying to organise a permanent home for it, at great expense to myself, from my present location in Europe (I am currently on leave) – the problem is, the cat is now pregnant and about to give birth to kittens imminently. The present supervisor is a compassionate man but he will not be able to deal with a family of kittens on a small diving vessel with a great deal of dangerous mechanical equipment. It is almost certain that this cat will be dumped on the quayside to fend for herself. As she is tame and domesticated she will not survive and neither will her offspring. This will be an absolute tragedy after she has come to rely on humans to help her survive.
Can somebody please help us to give a temporary refuge for this cat while she gives birth? I intend to find a home for the mother, but we need to have the kittens adopted or they will die. This is something of an emergency – the cats will die very soon if we have no help in this matter. We are willing to pay for expenses such as travel to collect the animal and food etc.
Could somebody please help?
@Pete,
In addition to your comment here on the blog, I have also personally forwarded this info to some individuals directly whom I know are active in pet rescue. I am optimistic that you will be contacted by someone. I, myself, am presently in the States which has limited my abilities at the moment.
Best Regards, Carol
Can anyone direct me towards help/rescue service for newborn kittens stuck underneath apartment balcony window and not reachable. I need urgent info please. They are alone and difficult to send food to them. The mother is not with them.
Sorry, forgot to mention this is in Riyadh, Malaz area.
@Sameera,
Please contact Saudi Paws:
http://www.saudipaws.com/
or alternatively, try Dr. Majed:
http://americanbedu.com/2008/02/08/tribute-to-dr-majed-and-in-memory-of-max-amillion/
0505208451
Good LUCK!
Dear lady,
I currently live in Dammam and I’m about 13 years old. I loved cats ever since I could remember, and I would love to adapt a fluffy american curl… But after I heard you story I’m thinking of adapting one of the kittens you have! Even though I’m writing this e-mail without permission, but your story have touched me! I would love it if you contact me back as soon as possible. I really need help making a descision! P.S.(my mom has no problem with me wanting a kitten)
thank you,
with All care… Suha :3
With all care
It is simply impossible to not love an animal i love all kinds and my favorites are Cat! Zebras, dogs, bunnies, turtel, flamingo , more cats (all wild cats)
all animals.
I wish to be a vet i have been studying since the age 7 but i have always loved animals im am terrified of ostriches sadly from childhood expiriance.
i would love to and have been trying to volunteer at any local Riyadh pet shops.
I have been looking for a kitten anyone please if you have one call me at 0508847247.
Maryum Nasser , Homeown: New York .LI
living in Riyadh. Im 14 years old and i do have alott of pet expiriance and study of animals.
1st of October 2011
HI Maryum,and anyone else who has an ear,
i have been fostering a 6 week old kitten for three weeks now,he is so good ,and he is house trained already,his is so loving and clever,please let me know if u will be interested in having him as a pet.i am on this site,as i am in need to find a vet here near our compound in Granada , as this kitten needs to be vaccinated and checked,I AM CURRENTLY FEEDING FIVE OTHER KITTENS which are now 8 months old and have been abandoned by their mum, they are not fond of humans at all.the compound is over run with kittens at the moment and i am hoping to find a vet that will come here to our compound and neuter them all ,or at least the males, as it is time consuming and expensive to keep feeding all the new kittens that keep popping up, please help, anyone ,as i am really not sure how to go about this and doing it alone is a nightmare. Regards, LEIGH, PLEASE CONTACT ME ON MY EMAIL leighdalt@gmail.com i look forward to hearing from u all.
I live in a compound that has a lot of cats with fleas. Is there any program where these cats can be taken care of without having to individually take them to a vet?
I hope that you mean “taken care of” is to rid them of their fleas. Usually a cat has to be sprayed or powder placed on its fur. There are also little packs of liquid flea med that one can place on a cat’s fur to help remove fleas. It really is very sad to see or hear of cats infested with fleas.
That is what I meant; to remove the fleas. It makes me very distressed to see this cat rubbing himself/herself (I am not sure if its a he or she) against the trees, the walls, anything. I contacted a vet near where I live. He suggested that I put something in the food that would make the cat drowsy and then I should take the cat to the vet. I am not too brave to carry a drowsy flea infested cat to the vet. I can try to put something on his back if I have to. I have using garlic in his food since I have read its a natural remedy for fleas.
Hi I found a cat on Khalid bin waleed street. I think her leg is broken. I don’t want to scare her because she is lying on the middle lane. I dontnhave your address, but I am not sure who else could help her.