I literally just watched a woman...a HUMAN BEING... cross the street to get out of a CAT'S path!! What?! Since when do human beings have to get out of the way for cats?Since I live in Israel, actually. The cats have their own underworld here. I sincerely believe there is a cat mafia and they have cat stores and little corrupt cat government officials. They run the place!No but seriously, what's with the cats in Israel? Well here's the short story.Back when Israel was under the British Mandate, prior to 1948, the Brits brought cats to Israel to help with the rat population. As far as I can tell, it worked. I haven't seen a rat or a mouse since I got here... however, the cats have become a nuisance. One vet likens cats in Israel to squirrels in the US... yeah, it's that bad here. They sit and wait in garbage cans and gather around restaurants. The garbage is outside by the street and so it is easy for them to access. However, many cats are sick and injured, it isn't pretty. The worst is when they get in the building. There aren't too many bugs here and not many people have screens so cats just waltz in. I caught a cat in our kitchen a few weeks back. Our kitchen is on the third floor and I noticed the trash was knocked over. I turned on the light and picked up the trash can and this big black cat went flying past me and down the stairs. Ewww... And the cat fights... it's like a movie with all the screeching and squalling.So yes, in Israel, the humans will cross the street to avoid a crazy cat... much better than meeting one in a dark alley at night! There are some movements in Israel to spay and neuter the cats then release them back into the wild in hopes that it will reduce the number of feral cats in Israel but who knows if it is working. The latest estimate I saw placed the number of feral cats in Israel at ... are you ready for this? 30 - 40 million! And most of them aren't cuddly and cute... Not to mention that I have seen a fair share of dead, dying, or decomposing cats... not pretty.And as I type this I can heard a cat whining... oh man!
