Pet rescue: Cat ownership on the rise in Gaza as families feel mental health benefits

Caring for an animal is giving comfort to people in the blockaded Palestinian territory during a difficult year

Hani Mikdad helps daughters Misk, 10, and Sarah, 12, choose a cat from the Perchen pet shop in Gaza city. Majd Mahmoud / The National

Inside a bustling pet shop in Gaza city, Misk Mikdad is in the middle of a difficult deliberation. Grey or white?

The two cats she is choosing between look on, not realising their futures are in the 10-year-old's hands.

“I want to have a cat, because they are a cute creation and I love cats,” Misk told The National.

Misk and her family are part of a trend of pet ownership sweeping across Gaza in recent months, as people look for comfort in a difficult year.

After months of persuasion, Misk's mother finally gave in and visited the Perchen cat store with Misk's father and sister Sarah, 12.

“Since there aren’t many places to find entertainment in Gaza, I reasoned that the girls would like spending their free time with the cat and would also be learning how to take care of a creature,” said their father, Hani Mikdad, 43.

The rise in people like the Mikdads who want to own and nurture a pet inspired Mohammed Almadhoun, 22, to open Perchen six months ago.

“People started to care in this culture, particularly in 2020 with the coronavirus lockdown where people were looking for something to fill their time and bring enjoyment to their life,” Mr Almadhoun said.

Before setting up a bricks-and-mortar store, Mr Almadhoun mainly operated online, importing pedigree cats from Egypt to Gaza. Himalayans, Persians and Siamese all remain popular.

Now he has a shop, he can also provide other essentials for pet owners. The shelves are crammed with cat and dog food, toys, collars and flea treatments, among other items.

The cats themselves are priced between $85 and $450.

“My customers are from different classes, and despite the bad economic situation, customers keep coming,” Mr Almadhoun said.

Worth the sacrifice for a furry family member

Gaza's tough economic situation has not prevented the Abu Hashem family from allocating a monthly budget for their cat Sukar, who is just two months old.

“At the beginning I was refusing the idea of a cat for many reasons: one of which was that it would cost a lot,” Nedaa Abu Hashem, 42, told The National.

She eventually caved in to her children's requests and hopes Sukar will help keep Lamar, 14, Tamara, 11, and Abood, five, off their phones.

Inside the Abu Hashem home, Abood gently strokes the cat’s silky fur and Sukar purrs contentedly.

“The house becomes a place of love, happiness, and mutual care between the children and the cat, creating beautiful memories that will last a lifetime,” Nedaa Abu Hashem said.

“We asked for the cat because we thought she would be a great relief from inside and outside our doors,” Lamar said. “She can get us off our phones to play and laugh when we are down.”

Sukar costs the family about $20 per month for food, accessories and medical treatment. Her vet is 20 minutes from their home in the Tal AlHawa neighbourhood in the west of Gaza city.

Dr Motasem Kadora, 29, set up his clinic at the Pets Care Centre after graduating from a Jordanian university in 2018. He sees about 50 animals a day.

Dr Kadora believes raising pets, especially cats, can reduce stress levels and promote relaxation.

“Raising cats in Gaza is more common because cats don’t need big or open spaces, unlike dogs,” he said.

“Also, dog food costs more than cat food.”

It's not easy for all of Gaza's feline population, however, with some ending up abandoned on the streets or at shelters.

Razan Al Najar, 32, works part-time at the pet clinic and its affiliated shelter one floor up.

“We receive cats from the street, clean them up and prepare them for adoption,” Razan said.

Families also bring cats to the shelter that they can no longer afford to care for. Because pure breed cats are more popular, street mongrels struggle to find new homes.