Wild Cats of Israel #1: Are you eating, hun?

This is the first in a regular series about the wild cats that have taken over the streets of every Israeli city. Check back regularly to see more cats.

During the 20th century, Israel was overrun with rats. In response, Britain -- who at the time had colonized the land under the name Mandatory Palestine -- responded with cats. Lots of them.

Today, two million cats call the streets of Israel home. Especially in Jerusalem where I live, you can't turn a corner without seeing one (or maybe two). Until recently, for religious reasons (Judaism has strict rules about animal cruelty), these wild cats could not be spayed. From what I've observed, Israelis' relationships with these furry neighbors can be varied and fraught. Some see them as a nuisance.

Many, however, leave out food for their feline friends. This is about the cats, and the kind strangers we never meet who feed them.

This little girl wouldn't face the camera. I saw her near the school where I teach. Two cans of cat food were left out for her. My guess is that she's a regular. Someone bought these cans of cat food just for her. That much is clear.

This was a more unique sighting. Two brothers of the street, one nibbling at a pile of kibble someone had left. The other was defending the brother who was eating. I couldn't get too close, or the gray and white cat would walk towards me, meowing loudly.

The blood of the coven is thicker than the water of the womb (I doubt they were related, but I could be wrong).

I saw this little guy at an American-style football viewing party. Amidst the wings, hotdogs, and burgers, he snuck out to join us. Unfortunately, one person at the party decided to scare him away with a stick -- resulting in him running along the ledge and knocking things down along the way.

Most of us were more than happy to be graced by the furry guest.

I think one of my most heartwarming sightings in Israel was a man, walking with a bucket of scraps. He had a long white beard, down to his waist. We looked at each other, and smiled. He then gave the bucket of scraps to three cats who were hiding behind some shrubs. This was not his first time. Unfortunately, I have no pictures.

One of these days, maybe I'll come outside with some cat food for my little Israeli neighbors -- I've learned that most of the things I eat aren't safe for them. So no bits of shawarma for them. I'm just happy to know there are people out here feeding them.