Mewling visitors

November 9, 2010 - 3:04 PM by Jessica · 6 Comments
Filed under: General, Immigrant Moments, Israeliness, Life

If you’ve ever spent any time in Jerusalem, you know that this is a city overrun by cats. The cats are here and encouraged to stay and proliferate, which they do. And their presence does mean fewer rats, but as a non-cat lover, there are times that cats almost feel like rats, if you know what I mean. I hate when they jump out of trash cans, just as you’re tossing in a stray piece of garbage. I don’t like when they loiter around my backyard. And I’m fairly unsympathetic when one of them gives birth to kittens, as one familiar neighborhood cat did the other day.

I was clued in to the latest birth by the kittens’ mewling, which was coming from behind the rosemary bush. At the time, I was outside with the boys, and figured this was an educational opportunity. So we oohed and aahed at the tiny kittens, who were licking their mother very contentedly. Fast forward to two days later, and I realized that I was hearing the mewling a lot more often. Upon investigation, I saw that their mother wasn’t around, but figured she’d be back soon. But after another day passed and their mewling continued, I realized she wasn’t coming back.

At that point, our friend and babysitter Maytal — a true animal lover — called the local chapter of the ASPCA and they said they’d come over the next day. Phew. But the mewling continued and I was starting to worry about the little guys. That’s when the doorbell rang.

It was my up-the-street neighbors, Eliad, a hairdresser with a jazz dot and Esther, an older woman who is Eliad’s landlord. They’re both cat lovers, which I knew from watching Eliad feed all the stray cats in the ‘hood. They both gave me beseeching looks and told me they’d been listening to the kittens’ cries for the entire day, trying to figure out where it was coming from. I led them out back, as they admonished me for calling the ASPCA, “who will just put them to sleep,” Eliad said. I, wisely, kept my mouth shut.

But I did get them a shoebox which Eliad used to house the still-mewling kittens (the one from my new Chacos which includes a diagram on how to adjust the straps), and let the boys get another look at the yes, sweet little kittens. Then I took Eliad’s number, although I really don’t want to be involved in this any longer, and listened to his plan for reconciling the kittens with their mother.

It’s now more than 12 hours later, and not a word. And no mewling out the window.

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Tags: ASPCA, cats, jerusalem

Foto Friday – Paws for Purim

March 6, 2009 - 6:00 AM by Rachel Neiman · 1 Comment
Filed under: Foto Friday, General, Holidays, Pop Culture

Dogs never demand to be put in a Purim costume. And yet, since dog owners persist in dressing up their four-legged friends, Israeli pet-owner portal Hav-Hav has decided to put them on show. (“Hav-hav”, by the way, is the Hebrew equivalent of “bow-wow”). The fourth annual Hapess Ta’Kelev competition will be held on March 11th, at the Renanim Mall in Ra’anana. That gives Fido a few more days to come up with a costume idea. It’s definitely worthwhile, because the prize is a year’s worth of gear and food from pet store chain Jungle.

But you have to register by submitting photos – and here’s some of the competition. More can be found here.

This royal fellow is a winner from a few years back.

Another winner from previous years… clearly channeling “I Dream of Jeanie”…

Okay, this one may be bordering on the inhumane.

The competition name, by the way, Hapess Ta’Kelev is a play on words with one meaning being something like “dress up yer dog” and the other being “go find yer dog.” Take my word for it – the pun works in Hebrew. And hav-hav a happy Purim, everyone!

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