Dawn
Jeddah's Journey
Jeddah is one of the smartest cats I’ve ever known. She’s a survivor, but considering where she came from, she had to be. Her journey to the United States began in May, 2011 when she was just a baby kitten struggling to live on the dusty streets of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.My husband was in Saudi Arabia on business for three months, and his hotel sat next to a small shawarma restaurant with tables and chairs situated outside. He would have dinner there every couple of days and one day he noticed a tiny, dirty kitten jumping against the legs of the patrons, begging for food. Everyone seemed to enjoy the little cat’s company and fed her scraps, smiling and trying to pet her.
The restaurant where Jeddah was found. |
One afternoon my husband called me sounding worried. He found the little kitten laying in the dirt near the restaurant, pulling herself along the ground unable to walk. One of the workers of a nearby ice cream shop had given her a small cup of ice cream that she was trying to lick. He didn’t want to leave her injured on the ground so he asked me what he should do. I told him to bring her to a local veterinarian, but to tell them she belonged to him so they wouldn’t put her to sleep or deny her treatment. We really had no idea what they would do. It was so late in the evening the vet clinic wasn’t open so he hid her in a bag and smuggled her into the hotel he was staying in. One of the workers at the ice cream shop was worried that my husband was taking her away, but he assured the worker he was bringing her to the doctor. When he got back to his hotel, he put her in the bathtub for the night so she wouldn’t injure herself further and could stay in one place.
Jeddah in the tub in the hotel. |