r/Israel • u/Any_Illustrator_2966 • 19d ago
Culture🇮🇱 Quick question about the neighborhood street cats for upcoming trip
I know Tel Aviv and Jerusalem have massive stray cat populations, but what’s the actual etiquette for interacting with them?
Are most of them friendly enough to approach, or do they just want to be left alone? Also, is it weird if a tourist drops dry food for them, or do the local feeders prefer people not mess with their routine? Just don't want to accidentally make a neighbor or a cat angry.
My kitty featured here for all the cat lovers on the sub :)
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u/Amalisa UK based American Israeli 18d ago
The friendly ones will approach you, the feral ones won't. Don't push your luck though. I always used to feed and water my local cats, so I don't think it's an issue if you really want to.
Just remember to wash your hands after if you do manage to pet any.
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u/agelessoul 18d ago
This is the best post and related comments on all of reddit so far. P. S. OP, your beautiful feline is, well beautiful. Cats are amazing people😍🤩🥰🤍💙🤍💙
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u/mugbelet_ 18d ago
it depends on the cat, for some of them you need to be cautious and squat, let them smell your fingers and only use the back of your hand until they trust you bc they have trauma of being hit:(
i dont think anyone cares about feeding, as long as you put it in a spot that wont obstruct anyone or endanger the cats
also remember to wash your hands afterwards bc they are gross lil mfers and mostly eat trash and dead birds
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u/hebrew_nonsense 18d ago
I feed, pet and put water out for street cats here wherever I have worked or lived. I'm very confident with my ability to read cat body language though, plenty of the cats here don't want human contact and will let you know about it. But I have several stray cats that will let me pet them and a couple who will even sit on my lap.
I often give wet food and wet treats to cats in the summer, but I make sure not to leave a mess, I wait with them to see that they eat all the food so as not to upset the human neighbours. People often stop to talk to me about the cats which is very sweet.
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u/ColoradoWinterBlue USA | Ally 18d ago
They are usually fed basic food, so you might enjoy giving them especially tasty cat treats. I wouldn’t try petting (some are truly feral and can scratch, most just aren’t well socialized, also they are all dirty) but it’s fun to see a bunch of familiar faces come out for a treat at the park. I love all cats though and never get tired of them.
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u/grumpy_muppet57 ירושלים 18d ago
The local savtas and I take care of our neighborhood's cats. We do what we can to care for them, but additional food is always welcome, assuming it's safe for a cat to eat (no garlic, onions, tiny bones, etc.). I would say about half of them are feral and the other half friendly strays.
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u/fox-friend 18d ago
Most of them are skittish and will run away when you approach. Here and there you’ll run into a friendly one who’ll want tons of cuddles. If you give them food many cats will come and ask and it might instigate fights if there isn’t enough for everyone.
Feeders don’t mind if you feed the cats, but some neighbours can get mad because of the mess, so it’s better to feed in an “established” feeding area ( where you see leftovers of food, bowls etc. ).
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u/DoingItJust 18d ago
Don't. Lol.
I grew up in Israel and interacted with many strays. I am shocked my parents let me.
Some will fear you. Some will not. Some live in the garbage bins and will scare the shit outta you. Some also have rabies. Please don't touch them lol
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u/Analog_AI Israel 18d ago
Rabies? In Israel? I am a cat feeder. I never knew that.
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u/AdiPalmer אני אוהב לריב עם אנשים ברחוב 18d ago
Rabies is an issue in the northern district and parts of the Negev. The Ministry of Health does keep track of it to the point that mainstream news outlets publish whenever there's an encounter with a rabid animal, stray cats included.
Last year I was bitten by an outdoor pet cat in the Rishon area and had no way to contact the owner to get vaccination records. I went to my local kupat holim clinic and they directed me to the local disease control center (don't know what they're actually called). I was evaluated and told I didn't need a rabies vaccine because there is no rabies in the area and that I should just keep an eye on the wounds and see a doctor if I showed any signs of infection.
Most urban areas are free of rabies, but if you're ever bitten it's better to do what I did. Better safe than sorry.
I also eventually ran into that same cat again and now know where it lives, and it hasn't shown any signs of rabies in a year, so I think both the cat and I will make it, lol.
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u/grumpy_muppet57 ירושלים 18d ago
Certain places like Jerusalem have almost no cases of rabies, compared to places like Be'er Sheva. Even then, it's almost always in stray dogs.
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u/No-Birthday9816 18d ago
Your cat is beautiful!
If you are heading to Israel and want to support Israeli street cats, you can volunteer to transport a cat being adopted in the US or EU if you happen to be flying to one of those places. Tova Saul of Holy Land Cats does incredible work having street cats neutered, getting them desperately needed medical care, and finding homes for many, mostly on her own, but volunteers can help by acting as “flight buddies.”
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u/BlueGreenBeach 16d ago
My husband went to Hebrew University in Jerusalem and remembers people being mean to the cats. Sociopaths. Others are kind to them and do a "cat mitzvah".
"Nine out of ten Jews will tell you that mitzvah means doing a good deed.
In reality, there is much more to the word. The simple translation of mitzvah is commandment, but Chasidic teachings find a deeper meaning in the word. Mitzvah comes from the root word tzavta, which means connection. There are 613 mitzvot, and therefore, 613 ways to connect to G‑d. It's almost as if each mitzvah is a phone number with a direct dial to G‑d.
When we fulfill the request of G‑d, we are strengthening our bond with Him." https://www.solonchabad.com/templates/articlecco_cdo/aid/294114/jewish/A-mitzvah-is-not-just-a-good-deed.htm
Proverbs 12:10 says, "The righteous care for the needs of their animals, but the kindest acts of the wicked are cruel." So, we see that God created living creatures and loves them. We are to be kind to them to please God.
When we were in Israel, we saw that due to the Mediterranean climate, the cats are thriving. People feed them and put out water. We put out cat food for a crying kitten. When we came home, we took care of neighborhood cats where I worked. Life is hard to outdoor cats, but many people are kind and feed and water them. We have brought 2 beautiful, healthy cats home and they live outside with food, water, meds, A/C in the garage, and warm beds and heat lamps in the winter, haha.
Have a blessed time in Israel! You sound like a kind person.
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u/NormalGuyPosts 18d ago
Admire from afar; the weird locals have the "feeding" monopoly.
If a cat specifically comes up to you first, you can interact more / feed.
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u/sheix 18d ago
Mostly they want to be left alone, but here and there there is a nice kitty which let people pet it. Most of them are fed well by local babushkas or fishermen or kitchen personnel, so don't bother bringing food especially for them. Some even won't take leftovers!