The Medina Cats of Fez

Butcher Shop in Fez, Morocco

I've not been good about posting of late, so while I try to catch up on all the stuff at home, work, and online I leave you with this teaser of some of the sights we saw in the market near Bab Boujeloud, in the Kairouine Quarter of the old city of Fez.

Joe snapped this photo of a cat begging for scraps. Medina cats have a rough life, but the butchers and fishmongers have a soft spot for them. He got some scraps shortly after Joe took this photo.

(Don't worry -- there will be more of Spain to come, and then... Morocco!)

Comments

[Brooklynguy]

that kitty doesn't look anywhere near as scrawny as i would imagine, or as dirty. looks like some one's pet. did you airbrush or something?

[Kitchen Chick]

Well... the butcher did give him scraps. So maybe it's not such a rought life afterall.

The only photoshopping I did was to lighten the midtones a bit to compensate for some underexposure.

The cats I saw in the streets looked pretty healthy. No overly skinny or fat cats. Either they're pets, or perhaps an open market affords many opportunities for food.

[Joe, Kitchen Chick's Husband]

They were all small -- none of the massive cats you'll see around here, or even the long and rangy ones -- but none of them looked like they were starving. I suspect that the market folks like having them around to keep the rodents down, and they do pretty well between scraps and mice.

And no, that cat has not been photoshopped.

[Maureen Dolan]

Our recent experience in Fez was different and appalling. There were tiny, motherless kittens in many back streets, ignored by all. We took some to the Talaa Kabira to the food stalls in the hope that enough food would be thrown at them to help them survive. I know people have a hard enough time surviving in Fez but it was distressing to see so many dying animals.

[how to litter train a cat]

I love cats and I just can't stand looking at those cats in the streets. I hope the government can do something about them.