I take care of stray cats in my garden. Last week, I lost two of them. When strays wander into my garden, I give them food and water, play with them and pet them, and sometimes even let them inside the house if they’re well-mannered. We also neuter and spay the ones we can catch, so they won’t endlessly have babies and overpopulate the compound. I’ve been caring for cats like this for 10 years. About five generations have lived their lives in my garden, alongside some others that have passed through. Animal activist Randa Nabrawy strongly encourages this kind of care. “Where there is overpopulation, there are all sorts of problems,” she cautions. However, “[spayed and neutered cats] return and protect their territory without letting other cats in, and they don’t multiply,” according to Nabrawy. Since they’re essentially street cats, I know and accept that they won’t live the longest lives. I just try to make the time they have the most comfortable it can be. What I can’t accept is when people cause these animals’ lives to be cut short. Unfortunately, Torta, a stray tortoiseshell cat I was…
