Continuing my life journey and how I was led, Part 7 deals with our experiences in Soudi Arabia. This story, entitled Saudi Arabian Cat Tales, is about cats living in the DQ that we enjoyed interacting with. It is another part of an upcoming book or website section entitled Divinely Led.
Part 7: Teaching in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabian Cat Tales
These stories all take place in the Diplomatic Quarter, where we lived. Most of the cats were descendants of pets owned by families of embassy employees or other expatriates living in the compound. When workers returned to their home countries, their animals stayed behind and multiplied. While these cats were generally independent and shy, fending for themselves the best way they could, some learned to trust and come to people. Usually, however, it was only because they had been shown kindness first.
Ginger, Whitey and Blackie
As the employee shopping bus stopped outside our apartment block and we unloaded our grocery bags, Ginger, a sand-coloured tabby tomcat, appeared from nowhere. He followed us to the door and obviously wanted something to eat. Having received pieces of cheese in the past, he gradually learned to come whenever he saw us leave or return home – knowing that his affection would be rewarded in kind, in addition to some dry cat food.
As the weather grew hotter, Ginger took up residence in the garden park across the street. Shady nooks behind benches or cool soil around sprinklers gave him relief from the scorching sun, and water from the fountains quenched his thirst. When he saw or heard us, his appearance was preceded by loud meowing. He would run with a joyous gait, tail to one side, to meet me, then jump onto one of the benches and expect affection and food. As I sat down – having to be careful not to sit on top of him – he snuggled up and purring, bathed in the loving attention.
After our return from summer vacation, we did not see Ginger for several days, which stretched into weeks and months. We never found out what happened to him. (Perhaps a new family living in one of the nearby apartments adopted him.)
Later, Whitey and Blackie became regular visitors at the entrance to our apartment block. Whitey, a small white female with blue eyes, black tail and loud, piercing meow attracted Blackie, a not particularly pretty or lovable cat, whose request for food came with a hoarse-sounding meow. Both were shy at the beginning but would eat what we left for them as soon as we were a safe distance away. Sometimes for humanly unknown reasons, Whitey arched her back with hair standing on end, drew her ears back, and growled and hissed at Blackie till he retreated. Even though Blackie was not especially lovable, as we got to know him, we came to like and enjoy him.
The Cat Family by the School
We had first seen Ginger up the street near a small private school with a family of cats being looked after by the caretaker. As if to make up for the loss of Ginger, the cat family multiplied. “Mum”, as we nicknamed the brown female, had three more kittens before the summer, adding to the other litter of three born earlier in the year. Each cat had a distinct personality.
Of the older litter, White-tip, a ginger cat with white fur at the end of his tail, was a wanderer. He spent his days amidst the rocks in a palm grove area about a kilometer from home. His two siblings, one white and the other ginger and white, were quiet, affectionate cats. They would run from afar to meet us, quickly caught up, overtook us, and waited for food on top of one of the round stone seats. Looking up expectantly with trust and devotion, the cats were always rewarded with goodies that I carried in my pocket. At first, they would share a handful of dry food without a problem. Later, they each needed a separate pile, otherwise one would take over and eat it all and the other one miss out.
Among the younger litter, there was Jacob, affectionately named after a very active young boy we got to know. He darted here, there and everywhere, and was unafraid to hit his siblings or even Mum with his small paw and steal their food. Fluffy, a charming longhaired black-and-white tomcat started life on shaky ground. For many weeks, he kept to himself and would not eat. After a time, however, he recovered and grew into a pretty and affectionate cat. Unfortunately, he later disappeared as well. (Perhaps he stole someone’s heart and they took him home with them.) Lastly, Grey, a shy, thin cat, ran away at the slightest sense of danger, be it a passing car, other cats, or people. Her siblings tended to hit her to chase her away and eat her food.
“Here, puss puss puss!” Tails up, Mum, Jacob and White-tip all come running from under the green gate of the school. White-tip and Jacob leap up onto the stone seat. Mum calmly stays on the ground, rubbing her side against the stone. Jacob, unable to remain still for one moment, keeps jumping up and down from the seat. White-tip lets out a soft meow and looks up expectantly. Mum continues to wait patiently on the ground. When I give each of them in turn a handful of the dry cat food, Jacob pounces on the first portion with his paw. “Don’t touch!” is his clear message to White-tip. To make doubly sure, he hits White-tip over the head. Both White-tip and Mum get their food in the next instant even if they don’t make any fuss. Finally, all the cats are contentedly eating.
Some Reflections
Observing animals can provide amusement but also learning situations for us humans. For example, the variety in the animal world parallels the uniqueness of each person in families, communities and nations. We vary in colour, size, habits, thinking and personalities, as well as in ways of relating to each other. Through heredity and environment, some of us may seem more lovable than others, and it may be challenging to learn to love, accept and get along with the less lovable.
Seeing kittens growling or hitting each other with their paws is fascinating and funny. By contrast, when people fall prey to arguing, fighting, or otherwise mistreating each other, this is contrary to timeless interpersonal laws. It is not funny as it results in physical and emotional wounds and scars, as well as being destructive to relationships.
Sometimes all of us can act like Jacob – being impatient, intolerant, irritated and quarrelsome. We may want something so badly and urgently, that we figuratively, or even literally, throw a temper tantrum, get nasty with others, fight, or get depressed. We can even get upset or angry with God.
While patience, waiting and trusting do not come to most of us naturally, nor are they easy to practice, they will give us peace and serenity in our hearts. If we can relax in faith rather than fret in fear, if we can believe the best rather than expect the worst, and if we can learn to focus on the positive and be grateful in all situations, we will find more contentment as our priorities and perspective change. What seemed vital and worthy of endless worry will become relatively insignificant, or at least much less important as time goes on. Also, remembering how things worked out in the past will give us confidence towards the future.
As we enjoy our own or other people’s pets, let’s also learn from them.
For other information on divine leading, see Spirit Helpers and Guides
Here is a short reflection on being divinely led.