ShareKUWAIT: Left behind, and almost completely forgotten, are hundreds of stray cats who were in safe homes and lived amongst families who used to nurture them with an abundance of love and care. But, with no prior notice, these cats ended up being dumped in the streets by uncommitted families who got tired of bearing their responsibilities.
Alina Lazaryeva, founder of the Kuwait Animal Aid Organization, and Zahraa Mortada, a Kuwaiti cat adopter, shared their experience with three cats that almost died in the streets until they came to rescue them. The three cats are Scottish folds, which is the most tossed breed, according to Lazaryeva. Not only do they share a similar appearance, but they also share a common tragedy that deserves to come to light.
Toby, the affectionate cat
Nine months ago, Mortada spotted Toby, a 5-year-old cat who was left neglected with sticky hair near her neighborhood. Since she had already raised two cats before, it was easy for her to spot a house cat at first glance. “The cat looked very sad. You could tell that the cat doesn’t belong here,” said Mortada. She could feel this in how the cat craved human connection. It admired being petted, and once someone got close to it, the cat playfully rolled on the back and rubbed its body against the legs.
At first, Mortada thought that Toby was lost from his family, and they would certainly come back for it. But, after being left there for weeks, she came to the realization that the cat, if not rescued, would end up alone in the streets forever. Mortada tried to catch Toby several times, but it used to always flee. Out of fear, it started getting sick. She took the cat to the vet, and that’s when it was diagnosed with a virus in his respiratory system, which caused a severe infection in his mouth and clogged the nose, preventing it from eating for days. Toby had severe acne on his chin and scars on his body. It also suffered from severe diarrhea.
During its first days in Mortada’s house, Toby seemed completely traumatized and couldn’t even meow for once. It used to fear any kind of noise, no matter how low-pitched it was, and resisted all attempts to play. After a while, Toby got well. After a long journey of treatment, Mortada considered Toby a blessing.
Tiger, the one-eyed cat
On her side, Lazaryeva shared her personal stories about rescuing two cats from death. Tiger, a cat who carried its lifeless soul in his exhausted body, was found in an electricity booth abandoned by either pet shops or owners in the Friday Market area. “The cat had zero vision or hope for life. It was just waiting to die,” said Lazaryeva. It almost lost both eyes due to feline viruses, and the back was full of scars due to attacks by street dogs.
It took 3 months of treatment for the cat to recover and gain partial vision. Lazaryeva got too attached to the cat. “Tiger is a hero for me. It has so much strength to fight even when there is no hope. It is just one happy kitty who truly loves everything alive,” she said.
Andromeda, the mother of kittens
In an attempt to find shelter from the cruelty of people and feral cats in the streets, Andromeda, a 9-month-old mother cat, was found by Lazaryeva, fearfully hiding in a pet shop with her little kittens around. Suffering from extreme malnourishment and dehydration, Andromeda was struggling to breathe, with heavy discharge on its nose and eyes. “It could not stand or move, but I saw the cat wanted to live, so I did my best to help,” said Lazaryeva.
It seemed that the whole family caught the same virus that left the mother in a very critical condition and affected the kittens’ bodies. The doctors told Lazaryeva that probably the mother wouldn’t make it, yet despite the odds, Andromeda later surprised everyone with a fast recovery. It got fully cured, and I was vaccinated. Andromeda’s story touched an American rescuer. “It is a very sweet cat. It surprises me how they have become so loving after what they went through,” said Lazaryeva.
If Lazaryeva and Mortada hadn’t come to rescue these cats, perhaps their fates would have taken a completely different course. “They were lucky to be saved, but there are plenty in the streets who are still left unnoticed. It’s important to note that house pets can hardly survive the challenging conditions outside, as their minimum survival instincts and abilities cannot help them resist the attack of other street animals and can easily make them vulnerable to virus infections,” said Lazaryeva.
She advised people to accept animals in their families. Tossing can be prevented in many cases by trying to find other solutions to rehoming them, such as contacting rescue shelters, reaching out for the organization’s platform on Instagram, “Kuwait Animal Aid,” or even offering them for adoption on their personal social media platforms. If people really tried, they could always find another way to avoid risking the lives of these little creatures, she said.
