Since my arrival in Israel, a notable thing I’ve seen everywhere are stray cats. Some of which look healthy and well feed, others not so much. As someone who has grown up with cats and is a big cat person, seeing cats treated poorly makes my heart break. As I explore Tel Aviv, I notice most cats are treaty nicely and look well taken care of. However, on occasion, some cats look like they are hungry, hurt, or sick.
About a week ago, I stumbled across a group of young adults in Jaffa, maybe in their mid-20s having a picnic. There was a friendly cat hanging around them, minding its own business soaking in the sun. The cat then approached one of the guys and rubbed his head against his leg. The man then proceeded to kick the cat and all of his friends laughed as he did this horrid act of cruelty. My friends and I were enraged, to the point where my friends confronted the man and called him out. Unfortunately, none of them cared and continued to act out hastily.
As I was strolling the streets of Jaffa, I stumbled across a pet store with signs covering the door spelling: “Missing cat” and “Wanted”. Another sign (in Hebrew letters) read out: “We lost Poppa”, with a detailed description on the cat that had gone missing. I was pleased to see a pet store so destined to help find lost cats and dogs, that I couldn’t help but find out more information.
The store, an NGO, is called Hapishpesh, located on Olei Zion Street in Jaffa. I spoke with Mirit Amar, the owner of Hapishpesh (הפשפש), and asked her about how the strays in Tel Aviv are treated.
She told me that most cats are treated with love and kindness, however, there are times when the cats are treated poorly. Mirit told me about a time she witnessed a group of young boys shove a cat into a box and toss it around. With utter disgust, Mirit approached them and offered 200 shekels to take the cat away.
Mirit also told me that the cats are treated differently depending on the area. In Jaffa, there are cat feeders all over the place, and non-profit organizations that make strides to feed and protect the cats. Specifically, Hapishpesh is not only a pet store, but also a non-profit organization that donates its profits to societies that protect the cats of Jaffa.
Mirit also said that a lot of the societies in Jaffa that work to protect the cats buy from her store so she knows most of the organizations that help out.
Hapishpesh, which means The Flea in Hebrew, does everything they can to help protect the cats. The food they donate is without profit, they help to provide cats with shelter in the hot summers and cool winters, and so much more. But Mirit is proud to proclaim that most people of Jaffa are good to the cats and do whatever they can to keep them safe.
I asked Mirit what she would like to see the city of Tel Aviv do in order to help save the cats and she said she’d like to see them take on more of an effort to neuter and spay the cats in order to prevent cats from having too many kittens where they cannot be protected with the best efforts. Overall, Mirit says Tel Aviv is one of the best cities to make the most significant efforts to keep stray cats in the streets healthy, safe, and loved.
I encourage the people of Tel Aviv to buy their pet products from Hapishpesh, as I know the profits go towards good deeds. In addition, I encourage everyone to donate to nonprofit organizations so they can make their best efforts to better our community and society.
There are so many nonprofit organizations that do good acts of kindness in our world. For me, I have been donating to an American organization, RedRover which helps find endangered animals homes. However, there are so many other nonprofit organizations that are looking for donaters, including organizations that donate towards food insecurity, education, and healthcare.
Diana, in Bethlehem is another kind soul who is helping rehome cats and dogs.
Next time you are in the Jaffa area and are in need of some pet supplies, I encourage you to check out Hapishpesh and ask Mirit about what you can do to keep the cats of Tel Aviv loved, safe, and protected.
:: Hapishpesh
Author: Danielle Meyers
Danielle Meyers is an Environmental Science major at the University of Massachusetts Amherst interested in environmental law and policy. She took an interest in studying the environment once she learned about the worsening effects of climate change. Danielle enjoys going on adventures, the beach, shopping, and seeing friends and family. She is reporting from Tel Aviv in the Summer of 2023 to to learn, discover, and inspire change in the community and throughout the Middle East.
