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Dubai community finds home for cat orphaned after airstrike kills owner in Lebanon

The news about the homeless tabby cat was shared on multiple social media groups and messaging platforms

Published: Tue 8 Oct 2024, 12:23 PM

Updated: Thu 10 Oct 2024, 11:10 AM

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Emma at her new place. Photos: Supplied

Emma at her new place. Photos: Supplied

When a two-year-old tabby cat named Emma was left homeless after her owner died in an airstrike during a vacation in Lebanon, Dubai’s cat-lover community rallied to find her a new home.

The community members spread the news on multiple social media groups and messaging platforms looking for a new owner. According to rescuer Nisreen Samara, Emma found a new home within 20 minutes after her story was posted online.

“As soon as I posted, I got several messages,” she said to Khaleej Times. “The first person to approach me was a Dubai-based Indian expat. He already had one cat. However, I knew Emma was a single cat, so I was a little hesitant to send her to a house with another cat. That is when a British teacher contacted me saying she would like to adopt Emma. Within twenty minutes of posting, I had found Emma’s forever home.”

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Nisreen, who has been rescuing cats for over 12 years, said that she was overwhelmed by the outpouring of support she received for Emma. “It is not always easy to get cats placed (to a new home),” she said. “However, in this case, people were eager to help. To me, it was proof of how people wanted to honour those who are suffering because of the regional conflict.”

Two weeks vacation

According to Nisreen, she was contacted by a pet sitter who told her about Emma. “The owner travelled to Lebanon in September for two weeks to visit her relatives, and during her time away, she had asked a pet sitter to feed her cat,” she said.

After two weeks, the pet sitter did not hear from the owner. She continued to feed the cat twice a day while desperately trying to get in touch with the lady.

“The owner’s phone was switched off, and none of the sitter’s messages were being delivered,” said Nisreen. “It worried her because she knew how attached the owner was to Emma. Soon, she came to know from friends that the owner had been killed in an airstrike. She did not have any relatives in Dubai and her ex-husband did not want to adopt the cat.”

The pet sitter was informed that the apartment would be vacated within a few days for new renters and Emma would be released into the streets. “She couldn't bear the thought; however, she wasn't in a position to adopt the cat. She had all of Emma’s documents from the apartment and that is how I posted about her on different groups," said Nisreen.

Happy and safe

According to Nisreen, the cat is now settling into her new home and is very happy. “It has been a rough few weeks for Emma but she is very happy to be around people again and is happily settling into her new home,” she said. “The new owner has sent me photos and videos of Emma and she looks very happy.”

She said that moments like these make being a cat rescuer worthwhile for her. “There are several abandoned cats in the UAE, and every time a cat is placed with me, I neuter and vaccinate it, spending out of my own pocket to do so,” she said.

“Sometimes it is hard to find homes, especially for stray cats. A lot of times, these get internationally adopted. When that happens, I pay half the bill, and the person who adopts the cat pays the other half. I sincerely hope that the UAE government will consider setting up a cat shelter in the country for cats who need it.”

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