Mech, mech, mech*...Street Cats of Morocco

That Chefchaouen Blue NKN Dave photostream

While creating my previous post I realized how many pictures there are of cats hanging out around Moroccan butchers. This made me think about the legions of scraggly street cats to be found nearly everywhere in that country.

Plan d'attaque à Essaouira

Philippe Leroyer photostream

Cat nap in Essaouira

AB Miller photostream

They are often mistreated and while I don't intend to force any American sensibilities about pampering animals upon anyone, especially in a country where a lot of humans have to fight for their food, it does make me made to see animals being beaten and kicked.

African_Mystiq photostream

Household animals, particularly dogs, are considered taboo in Islam because they are said to be unclean. The saluki (a pure-bred hunting dog from Arabia) is exempt from this, as are songbirds and cats (perhaps because the latter keeps out the rodents). Supposedly it is also because cats are supposed to be clean (just think of how long they spend licking themselves).

Cat nap at the Jardins MajorellesJames Fyrne photostream

In Morocco, cats congregate anywhere there's free food to be had, so of course you see the little beggars hanging out around the base of butchers' stalls and staring balefully at the juicy red meat, or else with a look that belies the fact that they're slyly planning their next rapid one-cat snatch-and-grab mission.

Andy and Tony photostream

Tough I often had to find myself not to touch the cats, fearing contamination with something unpleasant, I still found myself wanting to take home all the cats that I encountered in the streets.

"An old cat will not learn how to dance." - Moroccan Proverb

But he might learn to fly..."Aladdin's cat"

Katiz Antz photosream

"The cat was created when the lion sneezed." - Arabian Proverb

Jadeey photostream

"A cat may look at a king." - English Proverb

Couleurs neutres Octavia de Malta photostream

"The cat is nature's Beauty." - French Proverb

Colin Eric photostream

Ya Susanne photostream

"The cat is honest when the meat is out of her reach. "

Anja photostream

"Keep an eye on the cat and another on the frying pan."

Goodwin 71 photostream

A cat in Rabat

Frogella photostream

Peek-a-booEric Geir photostream

Kristy Truax photostream

The caption to this photo reads:

"This woman sells hard boiled eggs to be fed to the eels in the pool. In theory, the eels get the whites and the cats get the yolks. Feeding the eels is supposed to aid fertility." -Josiehen photostream.

*"Mech" is a transliteration of "cat" in Moroccan darija (dialect) and is also the noise, often accompanied by a swift waggling of the fingers, people often use to call them ________________________________________________

For city cats further east, check out the book “Cats of Cairo: Egypt’s Enduring Legacy” by Lorraine Chittock. There are loads of cute and striking photos, also accompanied by some text about the history of cats in Egypt since pharaonic times and the Egyptian Mau.

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Evelyn in Morocco also wrote recently about Fez being overun by these frisky and famished furry critters.