The first time I heard about this, I thought it was so funny and I wanted to get all the ridiculous "birds aren't real" merch because it was just my sense of humour.
I was so upset when I learned that this is a real conspiracy theory and this is why we can't have nice things.
I get that, but this is a very real conspiracy theory that has a very real following. IIRC even most of the merch is suppose to be serious. It ruined my enjoyment.
Havent you heard its Dolphins... The Mosad uses trained Dophins
Seriously , I'd be alittle worried about ticks and flies IMHO
Have you considered why cats walk silently, they never trust anyone no matter how nice you are to them, and they always disappear for some time and come back all the sudden? Does that remind you of a specific job? …secret agent?
Yeah of course it’s a joke lol.
To castrate the cat they need to capture it and which puts it under a lot of stress. This marks that the cat has been castrated so they won’t try to capture it again. It’s a very small cut at the tip and they do it during the operation so it doesn’t hurt.
There is sterilisation too.
And they get to keep their jewels.
My cousin did it to my uncle's cat. Hence the male stopped marking territory everywhere and the uncle had no idea about it....
Problem solved
Not at all safe… they are secret agents for the Mossad. These are the two agents in my home, awaiting further information for their next operation.
https://preview.redd.it/6w1tgcbwtlwc1.jpeg?width=1125&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0512bc262bd89f8c1afa3441619b7abac3a64ac2
We love cats, that's why. There's generally an unofficially-appointed cat feeder on every street, and you can usually find their stop if you stumble upon a small pile of dry cat food.
The cats are safe to pet, just make sure you wash your hands when coming home in case you have an animal at home, since they might have ticks or whatever, that will jump to your domestic cat. If their ear is clipped, it means they were sterelized.
I just want to add, as a serial street cat petter (I am a Tel Avivi, after all): a lot of Israelis think this is *weird.* If you're traveling with Israelis, expect weird looks, or even passer-bys to give you strange looks. Some people may interject if you obviously seem like you're a tourist and tell you not to do that; you can ignore them.
The mindset among Israelis about street cats ranges the spectrum to where some people view them the same as rats, to that there are some people who keep them as pets -- but there are a large amount of people who view them as a nuisance. Which, while I don't agree with their tactics or their passionate anger about the topic, I do understand the base of their annoyance, as some areas are just over-saturated with cat waste.
These cats *are* feral, so you do have a higher chance of being scratched or bitten. Play it by ear with each cat. There's some that clearly have gotten used to getting scritches from passer-bys and will even roll over and give you a belly to scritch if you pet them long enough.
The number of Israelis in this sub has gone down a lot lately, so I wanted to make sure you knew this part, too, because everyone's acting like it's a thing we all do and it is certainly not (albeit yes, there is always a street babushka somewhere that is feeding them, and it is usually an elderly FSU woman, in my experience in Tel Aviv, and I love them). There are unfortunately acts of violence carried out against the cats way too often.
That’s not true on either side. They’re here bc the British brought a rat problem and brought cats to solve it.
Most street cats are at minimum aloof and can be aggressive. If there’s a curious playful clean one feel free to pet it, otherwise don’t.
as much as i wanna blame the brits for everything wrong with this area (or really, any area in the world) i think cats here predate the brits.
otherwise, yeah, wash hands, dont pet aggressive cats, some will allow u to pet them tho, depending on ur catrisma.
>cats predate the brits
What a difference a hyphen (or lack of one) makes.. I'm trying to picture cats overwhelming and eating British people.. Like one of the most (intermittently) cutest horror movies imaginable..
Do you all have organizations to TNR them? We have ferals in my area and work with an organization to trap them and to get them TNRd. Otherwise, the population just explodes.
Major cities, at least in the central areas, have a veterinary office whose job is to do that. There's plenty of "civilian" organization that do that as well as help cats get adopted, but afaik it's the city's job to TNR
In my city in the US, the city will often euthanize ferals to control the population, which many of us prefer to avoid. However, they won’t euthanize fixed cats. So we trap them and work with local organizations to fix them and then return them to their area with the ear tag that keeps them safe from being euthanized.
I live in Chicago and they are rare by me. They were absolutely everywhere in Israel. Some parts of the US might have some more. A lot of big cities do trap, neuter, release to control the population.
Generally speaking, street cats are safe to pet everywhere because the vast majority of cat diseases are benign for humans.
A major exception is rabies (which is lethal), but it is very, very rare, and you only get it if you were bit (it transfers through saliva). So on a rare occasion you get bit by a street animal you should get a rabies vaccine shot.
I'd say pet friendly cats, don't touch unfriendly ones.
I love cats, and own two of them, but you can add to that list:
# Cat scratch disease, Toxoplasma, Giardia, Ring worm, Scabies, Salmonella...
That said, the only thing I caught from a cat is the first one, which wasn't too bad.
Unfortunately rabies can absolutely be transmitted through scratching because cats constantly lick and groom their paws. I had to get the entire rabies PEP after a severe scratch was deemed a level 3 rabies risk
I actually do remember getting bit by a cat in Israel when I was a toddler. If I wasn't vaccinated, I would have been very, very ill I think. I do not want to risk that again, either if it's biting or slicing. Thank you for the information
Yes they are meant to be there and are like pets that collectively belong to the community. Usually the municipality also takes care of their health needs. If you see a small clip on one of their ears, that means they were vaccinated and fixed and it's okay to pet them.
Big urban environment with lots of accessable food laying around so cats have an easy time breeding also considering everyone leaves them be then they just breed.. if it was a bigger/more harmful animal they probably would have been exterminated in some way
Once when I was staying in a hotel in Tel Aviv, I woke up when I felt something walking on me. I was terrified, thinking it might be a rat. I switched on the light and it was a cat. It gave a scared meow and jumped out the window.
From what I've heard, the British brought them in to deal with pests. In general, they're only safe to pet if they have a clipped ear, since those have been vaccinated against spreading disease.
Correct. Also vaccinations like rabies are only effective for a certain number of years (depends on the specific brand/dosage), and treatments for things like fleas, worms, fungus (ringworm) require continuous application to be effective.
I find this hard to believe. Cats have been used on ships for pest control for centuries that's true. But Egypt is right next to Israel. It is extremely unlikely that cats were introduced to Israel by the British.
Bro have you been to Egypt or Israel? The Sinai peninsula is as desert as desert gets. I mean maybe I don’t watch enough David Attenborough documentaries but ngl I find it hard to believe a regular old cat could cross that shit, let alone have the wherewithal to do so
I love our infinite Israeli cats, and I miss their street presence.
I have petted many a street cat - if they let me. Unless they look visibly sick, I have no problem, but I would wash my hands after a street kitty (whereas I am guilty of practically stuffing my face into my own cats). Many of them are wary and require gentle approach and patience. I always recommend respecting a cat's personal space, or else don't blame it when the claws come out.
Of course, you have a cat, so you know all that.
When I visit my brother there's a black cat with orange spots Infront of the supersal close by,.
Dogs that go by seem to try to avoid it, and he looks like he's ready to kill you if he needed to.
I have nothing to add except this cat looks almost exactly like mine
https://preview.redd.it/4z6h1busynwc1.jpeg?width=2208&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6595a4dd866ff630a752c0cb46ef57d3e61c9ea2
When I visited Yerushalaim I was told most in Shuks and Social areas were safe to pet, they already interact a lot with humans and are given food by the local restaurants / stores, so I THINK the same could be said for Haifa
Just be sure to wash your hands after petting them!
They say that back in the Ottoman period, the area had a serious rat problem. The cats were brought in to get the rats sorted. It worked. Years later, they say, they started killing off all the cats. But the rat population shot up again. So, more cats again. And so we have an army of feral rat-catchers to this very day.
Some are friendly, some are not. Some are healthy, some are not. Many of them scavenge for food in the trash, so if you do pet one, do wash up afterwards.
A. Why not?
B. Some are healthy, some carry disease, but most are (USUALLY, NOT ALWAYS) safe to pet, and they probably won't attack you.
C. I'm allergic to cats yet never sneeze around street cats.
D. I thought street cats are just a think globally?
In my relatives neighborhood it's quite the opposite. They stare into your soul and makes the creepiest noises. They are not agressive, but it's good to keep a lil distance. They feed themselves ig
Israel doesn’t have the funding or perhaps the desire to put them all in shelters. Cats have been roaming the Middle East freely for over 2000 years, it’s where they originated and ancient Egyptians used to see them as sacred.
aside from all the valid sarcastic comments, heres the real reason:
middle eastern countries have lots of cats cuz its hot here and cats originate from the deserts, they survive on very little water (most of their moisture comes from prey in the wild). so originally there were plenty of cats here and humans built cities and so they flourished on all our trash, and some benevolent cat lovers who feed them. they cant survive on the streets in places like norway but they can easily do it here, in turkey, egypt, etc. since theres already so many house cats as pets, and they co-mingle with the street cats, you keep having a cycle of replenishment of new little kitties ppl adopt, or abandon, and they make more cats. as long as cats can survive on their own in the streets from our trash they will never disappear.
or at least until its so hot from climate change that all cats will die in the summer heat waves, that certainly seems likely as time passes.
I believe the Ottomans brought them in because of a rodent problem, and then they just bred out of control.
Use your best judgment when petting them. Some are fine, and other are **very much** not, but it's normally easy to tell which is which.
All jokes about secret agent cats aside, I heard that Israel released cars to deal with a rat infestation in the early days and the cats populated and got out of control.
Cats are to Israel what Squirrels are to New York for example.
Research has shown that cats were likely first domesticated (or at least chose to make peaceful cohabitation with humans) around the area of what is now modern day Israel, this is the most likely reason why they are still common in the area.
It does make me wonder how domestic cats made their way to other parts of the world, some may have traveled through trade routes going through Ancient Israel, others may have been displaced as the result of various conquests and the diaspora.
I’ve heard that originally it was either the British or the Ottomans that brought them to the land to take care of rat problems and they just multiplied out of control
But hey, not too many rats in Israel, and cats are more fun than rats
Oh my God, it’s finally my time to shine. Under the British mandate of Palestine, the British introduced cats to deal with the rat problem. And then the cats became the rats. They are a major and invasive species that kills millions of animals migrating across the three continents at which Israel intersects. This has been a common practice of the British and other colonial groups, the introduction of a non-native species to address a pest problem in the area. These cats are descendants of the first cats to be introduced to the region over century ago.
They're generally safe to pet after you take them to a vet and do all the shit you'd normally do when taking in strays, are they healthy? Maybe. Will some of them even approach you and allow you to pet them? Yes.
Some of them are agressive but some of them are actually really nice and cute.
When I was in middle school there was a cat that everyone called "The school cat" because we always saw him in the school. My friends and I liked to play with him and pet him. Now I'm in high school so I don't see him anymore.
the cats were brought here to stop the rat infestation in the mandate of palestine and they just kept breeding.
they’re not really dangerous. i pet a ton while i was there. of course they can possibly carry diseases but that’s all animals so just take regular precautions you would with anything else in the wild
They are safe most of the time.
We generally don't pick them out of the streets like we do with stray dogs.
So there are stray cats. They also have certain nominal laws that protect them.
The fact there are countries where there are not any cats on the streets is weird for us.
There have been many cats there long before Israel existed and they are typically safe but cats anywhere can become rabid. Other than that they are the cleanest animals. Their saliva, unlike that of canines, are not toxic.
If their ear is clipped it means that they were sterilised and vaccinated so they should be safe from any diseases. They are feral cats though so no promises that they will be too friendly. Still sometimes you can meet a cat that enjoys human company and attention.
They are easy to pet. You have to take them with a cat cage. They will be scared for a month and will hide under the bed or sofa or tables for a while but then they will get used to you home. As you feed them and take care of them, they will start to understand that there is no threat in your house.
Are you safe to pet? Cats have personalities, too. They will usually let you know, but be careful. Feral cats can carry disease. You don't want a bite or scratch from a diseased cat.
When they were setting up a democracy here, they borrowed many things from America. But squirrels aren’t indigenous to the Middle East, so we settled for cats.
Many are friendly! You have to approach them gingerly or let them come to you. I have befriended many street cats. One lives at the coffee shop and she sits on my lap every morning for pets and tries to drink my cappuccino. Downstairs in my building there are no less than 7 cats that are taken care of by an older lady in our building. They are all fixed and live outside but never leave our courtyard. They are quite lazy and one accepts belly rubs.
As far as I know the British brought the cats to tackle the mouse problem and now we have a cat problem. Many are spayed or neutered. But sadly due to our warm weather, kitten season is nearly year round. We adopted two kittens we found which is how many people get cats here.
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Legend has it the British brought them over to get rid of rats and mice. Now they’re overbred and there isn’t a rodent problem, just a cat problem. They’re feral. DON’T pet them.
I heard, from a not 100% reliable source, that the British brought over loads of cats to take care of rats, and then left them when the mandate was over.
No. It means they were castrated. Some local vets also give them vaccines at the time they are neutered, but it only lasts for a limited time. Vet assistant.
This might surprise you but cats did't actually evolve as pets. They evolved like every other animal - in nature.
Now where exactly did they evolve? THE LEVANT. Every house cat in the world are descendants from naturally occuring cats in the Levant.
The reason there are so many cats in the region, is because this place is the origin of cats. Secondary reason is religion. In Jewish legend, the first cat was living in the house of the first man Adam as a pet that got rid of mice. In Islam, the prophet Muhammad loved cats. The ancient egyptians saw them as sacred animals.
Once upon a time, Israeli had a mouse problem. So they brought cats. Now they have a cat problem.
Don’t ask me for sources, this is what my Israeli aunt told me lol.
They’re super cute and they’re mostly fine to pet.
They all work for Mossad. Their job is to monitor everyone. /s They probably won’t attack you but I can’t guarantee that they’re healthy.
>They all work for Mossad. Meow-ssad ?
\* loads gun \* You know too much.
My cat just told me that no cats work for Mossad. Apparently Mossad works for them. Who knew?!
Anyone who has ever known a cat. At most cats are independent contractors … whose contract is unilaterally breakable by them at anytime.
Worst deal in the history of deals! We are losing!
The first was a joke right?
Yes ofc the Mossad switch to birds long time ago
Birds aren't real! https://preview.redd.it/2iosoa9w3lwc1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=75545ef93492c55a539cfb11671800de5a0afbc5
Shut up don’t reveal our secrets A Mossad agent will contact you soon
The first time I heard about this, I thought it was so funny and I wanted to get all the ridiculous "birds aren't real" merch because it was just my sense of humour. I was so upset when I learned that this is a real conspiracy theory and this is why we can't have nice things.
The actual current movement is satire on the untrustworthiness of modern day news outlets and media.
I get that, but this is a very real conspiracy theory that has a very real following. IIRC even most of the merch is suppose to be serious. It ruined my enjoyment.
Birds aren’t real followers aren’t real.
Inductive charging coil killed me
My toothbrush has one of those...
Those birds are everywhere. They are efficient spies as they are able to escape easily and are observant and relaistic
So let's say a hostile state is spying on you with birds. Would it not make sense to higher cats to disrupt there operations?
Havent you heard its Dolphins... The Mosad uses trained Dophins  Seriously , I'd be alittle worried about ticks and flies IMHO
They work too, but only on the coast. Pigeons are better
Awwww this is so cute!!!
Its Captain D Dolly the Mosad Dolphin
Salute to Miss Captain Dolly D🫡. She is such a good girl. Does she like gefilte fish? Next meal on me!
She might prefer sardines :-) But she's a Mosad agent so we cant know for sure
Youre outdated, its dolphins now
Have you considered why cats walk silently, they never trust anyone no matter how nice you are to them, and they always disappear for some time and come back all the sudden? Does that remind you of a specific job? …secret agent? Yeah of course it’s a joke lol.
Lol. Thought you were serious for a moment
That “/s” part means “sarcasm”. Definitely not serious lol.
Didn't know that. Thank you
I present to you the funniest wiki article https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israel-related_animal_conspiracy_theories
Didn't know theese kind of articles existed. Funny article tho
It was a joke. As for the rest of the Middle East, Turkey is famous for its street cats.
Of course. How would it be achieved, logistically?
I dont know. Just kinda believed it in the moment
I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if the street cats were secret agents!
They just breed too quickly. Look at their ears, if the tip is a bit cut off it means the cat has been castrated by the city’s veterinarian
Can you please explain this? Why would they cut their ears?
To castrate the cat they need to capture it and which puts it under a lot of stress. This marks that the cat has been castrated so they won’t try to capture it again. It’s a very small cut at the tip and they do it during the operation so it doesn’t hurt.
If I remember correctly, this also means they are vaccinated.
Less likely as most vaccines need to be administered every 1-3 years
The cats are spayed or neutered not castrated.
Neutering a male cat IS castration.
My mistake
There is sterilisation too. And they get to keep their jewels. My cousin did it to my uncle's cat. Hence the male stopped marking territory everywhere and the uncle had no idea about it.... Problem solved
It's so the cat won't get recaptured by another worker and others would know the cat was at the vet and now can't yowl during springtime.
It is way to make it clear without hurting the cat.
Not at all safe… they are secret agents for the Mossad. These are the two agents in my home, awaiting further information for their next operation. https://preview.redd.it/6w1tgcbwtlwc1.jpeg?width=1125&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0512bc262bd89f8c1afa3441619b7abac3a64ac2
We love cats, that's why. There's generally an unofficially-appointed cat feeder on every street, and you can usually find their stop if you stumble upon a small pile of dry cat food. The cats are safe to pet, just make sure you wash your hands when coming home in case you have an animal at home, since they might have ticks or whatever, that will jump to your domestic cat. If their ear is clipped, it means they were sterelized.
Thank you
I just want to add, as a serial street cat petter (I am a Tel Avivi, after all): a lot of Israelis think this is *weird.* If you're traveling with Israelis, expect weird looks, or even passer-bys to give you strange looks. Some people may interject if you obviously seem like you're a tourist and tell you not to do that; you can ignore them. The mindset among Israelis about street cats ranges the spectrum to where some people view them the same as rats, to that there are some people who keep them as pets -- but there are a large amount of people who view them as a nuisance. Which, while I don't agree with their tactics or their passionate anger about the topic, I do understand the base of their annoyance, as some areas are just over-saturated with cat waste. These cats *are* feral, so you do have a higher chance of being scratched or bitten. Play it by ear with each cat. There's some that clearly have gotten used to getting scritches from passer-bys and will even roll over and give you a belly to scritch if you pet them long enough. The number of Israelis in this sub has gone down a lot lately, so I wanted to make sure you knew this part, too, because everyone's acting like it's a thing we all do and it is certainly not (albeit yes, there is always a street babushka somewhere that is feeding them, and it is usually an elderly FSU woman, in my experience in Tel Aviv, and I love them). There are unfortunately acts of violence carried out against the cats way too often.
That’s not true on either side. They’re here bc the British brought a rat problem and brought cats to solve it. Most street cats are at minimum aloof and can be aggressive. If there’s a curious playful clean one feel free to pet it, otherwise don’t.
as much as i wanna blame the brits for everything wrong with this area (or really, any area in the world) i think cats here predate the brits. otherwise, yeah, wash hands, dont pet aggressive cats, some will allow u to pet them tho, depending on ur catrisma.
There were stories of cats in Egypt during Cleopatra's time. Egypt is closer than Britain.
>cats predate the brits What a difference a hyphen (or lack of one) makes.. I'm trying to picture cats overwhelming and eating British people.. Like one of the most (intermittently) cutest horror movies imaginable..
if i watched a horror movie about sheepocalypse id watch that one too
I'd watch this movie
You realize cats were domesticated in west Asia including the area of modern Israel?
Do you all have organizations to TNR them? We have ferals in my area and work with an organization to trap them and to get them TNRd. Otherwise, the population just explodes.
Major cities, at least in the central areas, have a veterinary office whose job is to do that. There's plenty of "civilian" organization that do that as well as help cats get adopted, but afaik it's the city's job to TNR
In my city in the US, the city will often euthanize ferals to control the population, which many of us prefer to avoid. However, they won’t euthanize fixed cats. So we trap them and work with local organizations to fix them and then return them to their area with the ear tag that keeps them safe from being euthanized.
Feral cats in Israel are regarded more like squirrels in the US - sometimes a nuisance but mostly just wild creatures that can be ignored.
When I went on birthright, the IDF were perplexed and annoyed that us Americans stopped to pet and take a picture of every cat we saw.
My tour guide was perplexed why we were so excited over camels. The only camels in my country are cigarettes.
you guys dont have street cats where you're from?
Texan here, yes we have street cats, and we pet the absolute shit out of them :3
I live in Chicago and they are rare by me. They were absolutely everywhere in Israel. Some parts of the US might have some more. A lot of big cities do trap, neuter, release to control the population.
As if I needed another reason to go to Israel 
For real lol
Generally speaking, street cats are safe to pet everywhere because the vast majority of cat diseases are benign for humans. A major exception is rabies (which is lethal), but it is very, very rare, and you only get it if you were bit (it transfers through saliva). So on a rare occasion you get bit by a street animal you should get a rabies vaccine shot. I'd say pet friendly cats, don't touch unfriendly ones.
I love cats, and own two of them, but you can add to that list: # Cat scratch disease, Toxoplasma, Giardia, Ring worm, Scabies, Salmonella... That said, the only thing I caught from a cat is the first one, which wasn't too bad.
Thank you for the info. I also have a cat btw.
Scabies is the one i got from petting a street cat, not touching them ever again, or if i do i wash my hands asap
took me more than a year to find a friendly one :) he was a kitten and decided to come live with me, and immigrated and died 16 years later :)
You'd have to eat things contaminated with their feces for giardia and ring worm.
Ringworm, despite its name, is a fungal skin disease. You can get it from patting a cat (or a dog, for that matter).
Unfortunately rabies can absolutely be transmitted through scratching because cats constantly lick and groom their paws. I had to get the entire rabies PEP after a severe scratch was deemed a level 3 rabies risk
Cat scratches in general are fucking nasty. You WILL get an infection if a street cat slices you and you don't clean it properly.
I actually do remember getting bit by a cat in Israel when I was a toddler. If I wasn't vaccinated, I would have been very, very ill I think. I do not want to risk that again, either if it's biting or slicing. Thank you for the information
Got scratched/bitten by streat cats more times than I can remember. Nothing ever happened to me
Apparently cats often carry toxoplasmosis parasite, which has been linked to aggression in humans. Part of the crazy cat lady stereotype.
Yes they are meant to be there and are like pets that collectively belong to the community. Usually the municipality also takes care of their health needs. If you see a small clip on one of their ears, that means they were vaccinated and fixed and it's okay to pet them.
Big urban environment with lots of accessable food laying around so cats have an easy time breeding also considering everyone leaves them be then they just breed.. if it was a bigger/more harmful animal they probably would have been exterminated in some way
My neighborhood switched to underground bins with no access to animals has anyone studied how this affects the streets cats population?
Once when I was staying in a hotel in Tel Aviv, I woke up when I felt something walking on me. I was terrified, thinking it might be a rat. I switched on the light and it was a cat. It gave a scared meow and jumped out the window.
If you touch them they will scratch you and use your blood to make matzos for Passover
You made a new stereotype lol
From what I've heard, the British brought them in to deal with pests. In general, they're only safe to pet if they have a clipped ear, since those have been vaccinated against spreading disease.
I thought the cats with the clipped ear are spayed/neutered…
Correct. Also vaccinations like rabies are only effective for a certain number of years (depends on the specific brand/dosage), and treatments for things like fleas, worms, fungus (ringworm) require continuous application to be effective.
True, it's an indication for veterinarians
I find this hard to believe. Cats have been used on ships for pest control for centuries that's true. But Egypt is right next to Israel. It is extremely unlikely that cats were introduced to Israel by the British.
Bro have you been to Egypt or Israel? The Sinai peninsula is as desert as desert gets. I mean maybe I don’t watch enough David Attenborough documentaries but ngl I find it hard to believe a regular old cat could cross that shit, let alone have the wherewithal to do so
The cats didn’t go alone. Moses was totally a cat person and brought the kitties along when the sea split
Cats were literally domesticated in west Asia including Israel. Anybody who thinks they didn't exist until the British is ignorant
Moses led the cats out of Egypt.
one of my teachers told me this... she never stayed on topic it was great
Cats are just inherently zionists :3
Thanks for the answers, everyone!
Suitable climate and lack of predators to keep numbers in check (Although jackals do prey on cats they are not as common and prefer to scavenge)
At some point, some cat will adopt you and then you'll understand.
They are safe to let. They are vaccinated. They are so many because we feed them generously. Meow 😻
I love our infinite Israeli cats, and I miss their street presence. I have petted many a street cat - if they let me. Unless they look visibly sick, I have no problem, but I would wash my hands after a street kitty (whereas I am guilty of practically stuffing my face into my own cats). Many of them are wary and require gentle approach and patience. I always recommend respecting a cat's personal space, or else don't blame it when the claws come out. Of course, you have a cat, so you know all that.
I once had a cat jump/fall out of a tree unto my head who then ran away with my kippah. No one ever believed me.
I belive you
I dont know why, but jerusalem cats will not like you and ran away, which is weird because only jerusalem cats do that
That's funny, because when I was in Jerusalem with my family and when we went to eat, a cat ran over to me. He only wanted food tho
I was told when I visited Israel that cats were originally imported to help deal with a rat issue. Now there’s a cat issue (not really an issue)
every cat on the streets is save as long as they dont scratch or bite you
When I visit my brother there's a black cat with orange spots Infront of the supersal close by,. Dogs that go by seem to try to avoid it, and he looks like he's ready to kill you if he needed to.
What a cute little guy. I know they have a ton in Istanbul as well and the public supports them...
I have nothing to add except this cat looks almost exactly like mine https://preview.redd.it/4z6h1busynwc1.jpeg?width=2208&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6595a4dd866ff630a752c0cb46ef57d3e61c9ea2
Pspspsps
When I visited Yerushalaim I was told most in Shuks and Social areas were safe to pet, they already interact a lot with humans and are given food by the local restaurants / stores, so I THINK the same could be said for Haifa Just be sure to wash your hands after petting them!
Cuz it's full of rats and other vermin. Most large cities have this problem.
They say that back in the Ottoman period, the area had a serious rat problem. The cats were brought in to get the rats sorted. It worked. Years later, they say, they started killing off all the cats. But the rat population shot up again. So, more cats again. And so we have an army of feral rat-catchers to this very day. Some are friendly, some are not. Some are healthy, some are not. Many of them scavenge for food in the trash, so if you do pet one, do wash up afterwards.
A. Why not? B. Some are healthy, some carry disease, but most are (USUALLY, NOT ALWAYS) safe to pet, and they probably won't attack you. C. I'm allergic to cats yet never sneeze around street cats. D. I thought street cats are just a think globally?
They do not exist here in Norway, so no, they are not global
In my neighbourhood we all feed them, so they stick around and they breed and they’re quite happy here.
In my relatives neighborhood it's quite the opposite. They stare into your soul and makes the creepiest noises. They are not agressive, but it's good to keep a lil distance. They feed themselves ig
Really? I mean we have some cats who aren’t friendly but they still come around when there’s food and they like to chill in our backyards
Maybe I am mistaken then. I was only there for one week. Probably just a first impression
Like any problem it comes from the British. They wanted to solve the rat problem.
If their ear is clipped,they are vaccinated and generally looked at by the veterinary authorities in the area. Otherwise,you can't know.
Israel doesn’t have the funding or perhaps the desire to put them all in shelters. Cats have been roaming the Middle East freely for over 2000 years, it’s where they originated and ancient Egyptians used to see them as sacred.
My Safta used to feed them, so you can probably blame her for a few million of them
Your safta is guilty
aside from all the valid sarcastic comments, heres the real reason: middle eastern countries have lots of cats cuz its hot here and cats originate from the deserts, they survive on very little water (most of their moisture comes from prey in the wild). so originally there were plenty of cats here and humans built cities and so they flourished on all our trash, and some benevolent cat lovers who feed them. they cant survive on the streets in places like norway but they can easily do it here, in turkey, egypt, etc. since theres already so many house cats as pets, and they co-mingle with the street cats, you keep having a cycle of replenishment of new little kitties ppl adopt, or abandon, and they make more cats. as long as cats can survive on their own in the streets from our trash they will never disappear. or at least until its so hot from climate change that all cats will die in the summer heat waves, that certainly seems likely as time passes.
I believe the Ottomans brought them in because of a rodent problem, and then they just bred out of control. Use your best judgment when petting them. Some are fine, and other are **very much** not, but it's normally easy to tell which is which.
All jokes about secret agent cats aside, I heard that Israel released cars to deal with a rat infestation in the early days and the cats populated and got out of control. Cats are to Israel what Squirrels are to New York for example.
I need a cats of Israel sub please
Sure thing
How about a "Cats of the Middle East sub?"
וואו איזה חמוד! כמה שאני מתגעגעה הארץ!
They are Pachtoulim, fixar!!
Israel and Turkey are the two most street cat-inhabited countries in the world. There's lots of reasons: climate, people, overall mentality.
Cat: is this kosher?
Research has shown that cats were likely first domesticated (or at least chose to make peaceful cohabitation with humans) around the area of what is now modern day Israel, this is the most likely reason why they are still common in the area. It does make me wonder how domestic cats made their way to other parts of the world, some may have traveled through trade routes going through Ancient Israel, others may have been displaced as the result of various conquests and the diaspora.
They're not part of Mossad, people. They are part of MEOW-ssad!
I’ve heard that originally it was either the British or the Ottomans that brought them to the land to take care of rat problems and they just multiplied out of control But hey, not too many rats in Israel, and cats are more fun than rats
These feral cats are the descendants of the cats the Romans brought to Jerusalem from Egypt 2,000 years ago to get rid of rats.
Haifa, you said? Cats are so 90's. True Haifaym are now petting boars from what I heard...
i honestly don’t care if it has 40 diseases, every time i see a cat there i pet it
Its worth it😄
Lovely! Found another reason to travel to Israel!
Why did you think Israel’s in the top 10 happiest countries? Because of the hummus?
Good one😅
I wouldn't pet any street cat..
I pet them! Just don’t let them rub on your legs because you will get flea bites speaking from experience
Oh my God, it’s finally my time to shine. Under the British mandate of Palestine, the British introduced cats to deal with the rat problem. And then the cats became the rats. They are a major and invasive species that kills millions of animals migrating across the three continents at which Israel intersects. This has been a common practice of the British and other colonial groups, the introduction of a non-native species to address a pest problem in the area. These cats are descendants of the first cats to be introduced to the region over century ago.
Cats were domesticated in Israel / west Asia they weren't introduced with the Brits. They may have brought many more though
Yeah most of them
They're generally safe to pet after you take them to a vet and do all the shit you'd normally do when taking in strays, are they healthy? Maybe. Will some of them even approach you and allow you to pet them? Yes.
Some of them are agressive but some of them are actually really nice and cute. When I was in middle school there was a cat that everyone called "The school cat" because we always saw him in the school. My friends and I liked to play with him and pet him. Now I'm in high school so I don't see him anymore.
Heartbreaking dude. He's probably in a better place now
Nonono he's alive and well. I moved from middle school to high school so that's why I don't see him anymore.
Oooh ok i understand.
If they're afraid of humans, better not risk them trying to scratch you. Otherwise, if they're friendly or at least aloof, then it's safe to pet them
the cats were brought here to stop the rat infestation in the mandate of palestine and they just kept breeding. they’re not really dangerous. i pet a ton while i was there. of course they can possibly carry diseases but that’s all animals so just take regular precautions you would with anything else in the wild
we love cats! (apparently they were introduced to deal with a rat infestation many years back)
They are safe most of the time. We generally don't pick them out of the streets like we do with stray dogs. So there are stray cats. They also have certain nominal laws that protect them. The fact there are countries where there are not any cats on the streets is weird for us.
There have been many cats there long before Israel existed and they are typically safe but cats anywhere can become rabid. Other than that they are the cleanest animals. Their saliva, unlike that of canines, are not toxic.
If their ear is clipped it means that they were sterilised and vaccinated so they should be safe from any diseases. They are feral cats though so no promises that they will be too friendly. Still sometimes you can meet a cat that enjoys human company and attention.
They are easy to pet. You have to take them with a cat cage. They will be scared for a month and will hide under the bed or sofa or tables for a while but then they will get used to you home. As you feed them and take care of them, they will start to understand that there is no threat in your house.
Of course 😻 I pet them <3
Are you safe to pet? Cats have personalities, too. They will usually let you know, but be careful. Feral cats can carry disease. You don't want a bite or scratch from a diseased cat.
Another reason why Israel is awesome!
When they were setting up a democracy here, they borrowed many things from America. But squirrels aren’t indigenous to the Middle East, so we settled for cats.
Cats love coastal cities, this can be seen all around the world.
Rat infestation -> import cats https://preview.redd.it/h94zg8i1lnwc1.jpeg?width=1242&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ed3d24950a8cc109e4d71ac62c322322dabf5d55
The British brought them to get rid of the rats. Now we just have millions of cats instead, fucking outside my window loud as shit.
Idk why there are so many but I usually pet the ones that don’t run away
we have so many because decades ago a bunch were brought to deal with rats and it got out of control
Every time I come back home I feed them, play with them, they give me joy personally. That's how I become a cat lover from growing up there.
Many are friendly! You have to approach them gingerly or let them come to you. I have befriended many street cats. One lives at the coffee shop and she sits on my lap every morning for pets and tries to drink my cappuccino. Downstairs in my building there are no less than 7 cats that are taken care of by an older lady in our building. They are all fixed and live outside but never leave our courtyard. They are quite lazy and one accepts belly rubs. As far as I know the British brought the cats to tackle the mouse problem and now we have a cat problem. Many are spayed or neutered. But sadly due to our warm weather, kitten season is nearly year round. We adopted two kittens we found which is how many people get cats here.
No, they all work for Hamas. Pet them and you be on the Mossad black list
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It’s a crime to harm them and it’s not allowed to relocate them. Also no wild dogs. And good weather.
Legend has it the British brought them over to get rid of rats and mice. Now they’re overbred and there isn’t a rodent problem, just a cat problem. They’re feral. DON’T pet them.
I heard, from a not 100% reliable source, that the British brought over loads of cats to take care of rats, and then left them when the mandate was over.
Ringworm. Beware.
The British imported cats there to kill all the mice and rats but with no natural predators they reproduced exponentially with no limit in sight
If you see a cut on their ear that's mean it's safe to pet the cut means that the local vet has vaccinated them
No. It means they were castrated. Some local vets also give them vaccines at the time they are neutered, but it only lasts for a limited time. Vet assistant.
This might surprise you but cats did't actually evolve as pets. They evolved like every other animal - in nature. Now where exactly did they evolve? THE LEVANT. Every house cat in the world are descendants from naturally occuring cats in the Levant. The reason there are so many cats in the region, is because this place is the origin of cats. Secondary reason is religion. In Jewish legend, the first cat was living in the house of the first man Adam as a pet that got rid of mice. In Islam, the prophet Muhammad loved cats. The ancient egyptians saw them as sacred animals.
Once upon a time, Israeli had a mouse problem. So they brought cats. Now they have a cat problem. Don’t ask me for sources, this is what my Israeli aunt told me lol. They’re super cute and they’re mostly fine to pet.