Animals We Loved and Lost

The Harsh Life of Dogs and Cats in the Middle East

Conditions in the Middle East can make for a hard life for many animals. In the United States, the large majority of dogs and cats are pets in loving homes or live-in shelters. Not so in the Middle East. There are very few shelters to care and provide adoption services for dogs and cats. For every square mile, there could be up to a couple of hundred cats living in neighborhoods.

Instead, dogs and cats live wild in the midst of the population. Cats, and especially dogs, are not typically taken in as pets by the local Arab people. Cats roam around looking for scraps of food left in dumpsters or the occasional food left for them outside of homes. Their nutritional intake is nowhere close to ideal, and their lifespan living in the harsh outdoor conditions probably averages only 1–2 years.

Dogs and cats are territorial and look for a way to survive within a small neighborhood area. We have witnessed that the animals are often abused and mistreated by the public, especially by children. This causes the animals to be quite afraid of humans.

The animals do not typically harm people, and we have found that if loving care is provided for these wonderful creatures, they will eventually develop trust and return affection. We have helped many animals since living in the Middle East. There have been some very special cases where specific animals were led to us by God Himself. We have responded when we can, and we have developed a special bond with several cats and dogs over the last ten years.

The relationships we have had with them have been special and have often been a source of comfort to us. It has also been very painful because we get close to kittens or puppies in their time of need, and we often only have a few weeks before we lose them. It has been an up-and-down roller coaster of emotions.

The rest of this article is written by our 12-year-old son. He will share a few experiences of animals we have loved and, sadly, lost after a short time. At the end of his story, paid supporters of our publication can access numerous pictures and video footage.

Hala

Our family went for a group walk. That day, I stayed home with my oldest brother. While the rest of the family was walking, a tiny kitten followed them. She was alone. They picked her up and held her for a moment. As they continued walking, the kitten followed them. It continued to walk behind them for over two miles, all the way back to our home.

When she came into the courtyard, I thought she was another random cat walking around, as many cats do where we live. When I realized we were keeping her, I was really happy! We named her Hala.

A Few Special Memories of Hala

Hala was really special to me. My brother, Stephen, made a toy for her. We tied a string to the back of my bike with a stick on the end. She loved this. She would run, slip and fall, and then do it again. Then she would stop, pause, and look intently at it. She would chase it as I rode around in a small circle. She was never able to catch it.

Sometimes, when I felt sad, I would go outside and sit on the porch. Hala would find me and notice I was sad. She would lay on my legs, comforting me. She was so cute, loving, and sweet.

How We Lost Her

One day, while only a few months old, Hala began acting different. She stopped chasing leaves when they blew, stopped going crazy when she saw food, and stopped playing. Dad called a vet who came out to our home. He said she had a sickness called Feline calicivirus. Lots of times, the vet came to treat her, and Hala would get slightly better. But then she got worse again. Every time the vet came, I would watch outside the window. Hala, not getting any better, one day disappeared. She probably died somewhere alone. I loved Hala. She was playful, silly, affectionate, and cute, and always ready to cheer me up.

Boots

One night I got sick. I stared throwing up. Mom was cleaning it up. While walking to the dumpster, she found a little puppy all alone. At first, she did not think much of it. The following morning, she saw the same black puppy, sitting on our porch. It was extremely weak and looked lost from its mother. We looked everywhere and could not find a family of dogs that he belonged to.

He was lonely and needed help to survive. We decided to adopt him.

A Few Special Memories

Our family decided to name him Boots because his whole body was black except his paws and lower legs were white. He was so cute. A lot of times Boots would bark at anyone who passed through the driveway or walked outside our building. Then we would go outside to get him to be quiet. He would see us, turn around, and act like he did something amazing. Tongue out, panting, and tail up, he walked over to me. He thought the apartment building was his territory and no one but our family and he should be there—including all the cats. Often Boots would go over to the neighbor’s place, scare any cats nearby, and eat the food left out for the cats. I would call his name and he would immediately come to me. His full belly would be almost dragging on the ground as he came over to play.

How We Lost Boots

Boots barked a lot. We knew he couldn’t stay with us. He would chase and bark at many people. We looked to see if anyone on Facebook was interested in a little puppy. Soon afterwards, a family contacted us that wanted him. They came to visit him. Mom, Dad, and I were outside showing Boots to the family. A few days later they came back to get him. I loved Boots. He was cute and playful. I was sad that he had to leave but I was glad that he was safe with a family to take care of him.

Blossom

One evening, after we finished watching a movie, my sister went outside on the porch and found a little white kitten. Our family started to pet it. The next morning, she wasn’t there, but a couple of days later, the kitten showed up cold and wet. We petted her and fluffed her fur. We decided to start caring for her because she was alone and without a mother.

A Few Memories of Blossom

Mom decided to name her Blossom because she was white. She came to us when the blossoms of spring flowers were appearing. I loved her. I would sit outside up to an hour at a time watching her sleep and feeling her purring on my lap. She was so soft. Sometimes Blossom would climb up to the clothes drying rack that we have on the porch. She would fall asleep on someone’s clothes. She was cute doing this. Every time we fed her, she would go crazy running around in circles receiving her food. Sometimes when Blossom would see the door open, she would run into the house. Once, running into the house and knowing she would be squirted with water, she ran behind a piece of furniture to hide. After taking a long time to get her out, she ran back outside. She soon learned not to come into the house.

How We Lost Blossom

One day, Blossom disappeared. We tried looking for her but could not find her. She may have died or gotten hurt. We never saw her again. I was really sad because it seemed every animal we got close to disappeared, died, or we had to get rid of. I loved Blossom. She was cute, soft, playful, and very affectionate.

Below are many family pictures and a tribute video we made in memory of one of these special friends.