Compound Cats

Now that we are in KSA I am able to start the process of getting my papers in order so Mr EE and I can get import permits for our three girls marooned with the vet in Malaysia.  We have never been away from our pets for this long before and hope never to be again.

Let me in....... please........

In the meantime as new people in the compound the resident cats are doing their best to ingratiate themselves with us.  Cats are everywhere in Jeddah and our compound is no exception.  The majority of the cats have been adopted by residents (and have collars to prove it so they are not taken away) but live a sort of communal, outdoors life.  They are not ferral but they are not truly house pets either.  I think a lot of them are related as they look suspiciously similar and I hope the 'owners' have done the responsible thing and had them sterilised as I am not sure I can resist a kitten (because my resolve worked so well the last time).  There are dozens of cats on the compound but there are about 4 or 5 that are making a concerted effort to ingratiate themselves with me.

You can't resist our feline powers of persuasion...

That said they are desperate to make friends and seem to want nothing more than to sneak into our house.  A few of them stare plaintively through our windows, sometimes miaowing fit to break a heart all in an attempt to convince us that they are abandoned kitties that need a loving home.  Others stalk me as I come back home from the shop, running around my feet trying to sneak past me.  If I did not see the collars and know that there are several feeding stations set up by residents around the compound I might be taken in.

I lost a leg, you have to let me in....

While a part of me would love to let them in and act as an extra feeding station cum petting room I don't think our girls in Malaysia would forgive us.  Bessie, the oldest dog is still not to happy at the idea of having one kitty sister so I doubt she would ever speak to me again if she got to her new home to find it overrun with felines.  I am not sure what Kismet will make of them, she is a lot smaller that the bruisers that live on the compound and they have tails (Kismet like most Malaysian cats has a club tail).  She has been an indoor cat to date and I want to protect her from fights in the future but at the same time I don't want her to get depressed at seeing all these other cats out of the window.  We will have to work it all out when she is here.

If you are not going to let me in I will just sleep
in the middle of the road....

Some of the cats are real characters.  The swimming pool posse are particularly engaging.  One likes to dangle his paws in the pool but looks terribly offended if you swim in 'his' water, another likes to walk up and down the side while I swim lengths.

Playing the long game.  This Kismet look alike
sleeps outside our windows.

I am holding firm and refusing to feed them, I do succumb to the odd request for a scratch on the head though, as long as the request is made some distance from my front door.

It is hot and you are making me stay here...
I could be in your lovely cool kitchen.

For more posts on life in KSA click on the picture below

Posted as part of the weekly Animal Tales Link up