I have been a lifelong feeder of stray animals (my nickname at college was Mother Aphid), and I have always worked on the basis that if a stray is prepared to approach me, it must be hungry.
This works at home, too, so if a street cat is content to run the gauntlet of my dog and numerous other cats to get to some food in the garden, then it must be hungry enough to warrant feeding.
As I sat watching Netflix, a stray cat strolled through my living room without a care in the world. My cats and I exchanged glances. 'Not with me', they shrugged
Given my propensity to offer up food, new cats appear in my garden periodically, so I was not too surprised to see a scrawny stray last week saunter into the garden at dinner time and sit in hope of some scraps. I fed her. Next meal time, she was there again. And again for the following breakfast.
That evening, as I sat watching Netflix, she strolled through my living room without a care in the world. My cats and I exchanged glances. None of them admitted to knowing her. 'Not with me,' they shrugged. Thin and sort of ugly looking, this little stray was clearly a mother, and heavy with milk; she walked bow legged, like a cowboy.
Obviously, she had a litter of kittens stashed somewhere, so none of us begrudged her the time out.
The next day it was raining, and there she was again. As I went indoors to start work, she followed me in, and spent the rest of the day moving from chair to chair, snoozing contentedly. 'Ah, her kittens are older and driving her crazy,' I thought. 'She is here to get away from them.' How could I object to a tired mother catching up on lost sleep? I left her to it. It carried on raining.
Later that same evening, I was watching Netflix (again: it's a bit of a theme at the moment), and it was gone 11pm, and suddenly the stray was in the living room again. Something was squeaking loudly, and with a sense of horror I figured it must be a mouse. As I got up and moved towards her, I realised it was not a rodent but instead a tiny kitten.
Barely 3 weeks old, this was not a sturdy little cat, but a delicate, fragile newborn the size of a sausage, and mewling in tiny high-pitched squeaks. As I got closer, she panicked and disappeared back out of the dog flap into the pouring rain.
My cats watched silently as I set about making a warm "den" in the spare room for her and her tiny cargo. I fashioned it out of a towel and a cat box, at the bottom of a cupboard, knowing she would be looking for shelter and privacy.
The dog was looking nervous. He isn’t a big fan of cats, regarding them as evil tempered, scratchy things. He already shares his house with too many of them (all rescues) and was looking none too pleased at the prospect of more arrivals.
We waited.
Slowly she came back in with her precious bundle. I coaxed mother and baby into the den. The kitten was cold and wet, so I gently dried it off with a tea towel while it wriggled in protest. As mother and baby settle down, I felt content. It was 2am. We all went to bed.
The next morning the rain had gone, and the sun was shining. I tiptoed into the spare room to check on the mother and child. As I peered into the box, I was surprised to see an additional three kittens all heaped in a corner.
Judging me to be an adequate safe house, the little stray went and retrieved the rest of her litter in the middle of the night, through the pouring rain. Feeling a little honoured, I organised breakfast.
Now, three days later, and the new little family are still here. Sadly one of the four died, but the remaining three are healthy and robust. Sharing my house with the mother, I am coming to realise that, while she is looking after them well, we have very different parenting styles.
She likes to leave the kittens for hours, flopped on chairs sleeping, while I hover nervously, checking on them (and her food bowl) every hour.
She randomly deposits one of her brood in the middle of a room, until I find it, looking small and bewildered, and take it back to the den.
Last night, just before dinner, she was adamant that the best place for one kitten was the kitchen doorway, through which every one of my animals passes to get food. Realising this was not her best move, I put it back in the den.
She brought it out again. As the hoards began gathering in anticipation of food, I moved the kitten again. She put it back.
Eventually, she realised she would have to fight every animal in the house to stop the migration past her baby. I moved it. She let me.
Today, the young family are still in the spare room. I have perfected my den-building technique, so that while they are out of the cupboard (I think she found it too hot) they are nested in the cat box, under a sheet 'tent', with a cardboard box extension. The only entrance is via under the bed, and she seems content that, finally, her family is safe.
As anyone living with multiple animals can attest, at times it feels like living in a centre of great political intrigue. Fights and squabbles are commonplace, as the cats in my house jostle for power in a hierarchy I will never understand.
The valuable real estate of the garden table is fought over repeatedly. Already masters of social distancing, cats sit exactly two feet apart – no more, no less – as a fragile truce settles at meal times, and any incursion is considered an act of war.
Yet, even as these stand-offs and screaming matches are going on, when the stray mother appears, everyone lets her pass in peace. It's as if, despite the politics and the power struggles, some things in this world are simply more important.
New life and new hope overrides everything, making other matters dissolve away.
Perhaps there's a lesson there for all of us.
Adopting a cat or dog in the UAE
For those interested in adopting a pet, here's a look at the places in the UAE that you can adopt from. Scroll through our gallery below:
Types of bank fraud
1) Phishing
Fraudsters send an unsolicited email that appears to be from a financial institution or online retailer. The hoax email requests that you provide sensitive information, often by clicking on to a link leading to a fake website.
2) Smishing
The SMS equivalent of phishing. Fraudsters falsify the telephone number through “text spoofing,” so that it appears to be a genuine text from the bank.
3) Vishing
The telephone equivalent of phishing and smishing. Fraudsters may pose as bank staff, police or government officials. They may persuade the consumer to transfer money or divulge personal information.
4) SIM swap
Fraudsters duplicate the SIM of your mobile number without your knowledge or authorisation, allowing them to conduct financial transactions with your bank.
5) Identity theft
Someone illegally obtains your confidential information, through various ways, such as theft of your wallet, bank and utility bill statements, computer intrusion and social networks.
6) Prize scams
Fraudsters claiming to be authorised representatives from well-known organisations (such as Etisalat, du, Dubai Shopping Festival, Expo2020, Lulu Hypermarket etc) contact victims to tell them they have won a cash prize and request them to share confidential banking details to transfer the prize money.
Top 10 in the F1 drivers' standings
1. Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari 202 points
2. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes-GP 188
3. Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes-GP 169
4. Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull Racing 117
5. Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari 116
6. Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing 67
7. Sergio Perez, Force India 56
8. Esteban Ocon, Force India 45
9. Carlos Sainz Jr, Toro Rosso 35
10. Nico Hulkenberg, Renault 26
Sreesanth's India bowling career
Tests 27, Wickets 87, Average 37.59, Best 5-40
ODIs 53, Wickets 75, Average 33.44, Best 6-55
T20Is 10, Wickets 7, Average 41.14, Best 2-12
Match info
What: Fifa Club World Cup play-off
Who: Al Ain v Team Wellington
Where: Hazza bin Zayed Stadium, Al Ain
When: Wednesday, kick off 7.30pm
Specs
Engine: 3.0L twin-turbo V6
Gearbox: 10-speed automatic
Power: 405hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 562Nm at 3,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 11.2L/100km
Price: From Dh292,845 (Reserve); from Dh320,145 (Presidential)
On sale: Now
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The design
The protective shell is covered in solar panels to make use of light and produce energy. This will drastically reduce energy loss.
More than 80 per cent of the energy consumed by the French pavilion will be produced by the sun.
The architecture will control light sources to provide a highly insulated and airtight building.
The forecourt is protected from the sun and the plants will refresh the inner spaces.
A micro water treatment plant will recycle used water to supply the irrigation for the plants and to flush the toilets. This will reduce the pavilion’s need for fresh water by 30 per cent.
Energy-saving equipment will be used for all lighting and projections.
Beyond its use for the expo, the pavilion will be easy to dismantle and reuse the material.
Some elements of the metal frame can be prefabricated in a factory.
From architects to sound technicians and construction companies, a group of experts from 10 companies have created the pavilion.
Work will begin in May; the first stone will be laid in Dubai in the second quarter of 2019.
Construction of the pavilion will take 17 months from May 2019 to September 2020.
Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
More on Quran memorisation:
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre, 4-cylinder turbo
Transmission: CVT
Power: 170bhp
Torque: 220Nm
Price: Dh98,900
Meydan Racecourse racecard:
6.30pm: The Madjani Stakes Listed (PA) | Dh175,000 | 1,900m
7.05pm: Maiden for 2-year-old fillies (TB) | Dh165,000 | 1,400m
7.40pm: The Dubai Creek Mile Listed (TB) | Dh265,000 | 1,600m
8.15pm: Maiden for 2-year-old colts (TB) | Dh165,000 | 1,600m
8.50pm: The Entisar Listed (TB) | Dh265,000 | 2,000m
9.25pm: Handicap (TB) | Dh190,000 | 1,200m
10pm: Handicap (TB) | Dh190,000 | 1,600m.
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
Brief scores:
Everton 2
Walcott 21', Sigurdsson 51'
Tottenham 6
Son 27', 61', Alli 35', Kane 42', 74', Eriksen 48'
Man of the Match: Son Heung-min (Tottenham Hotspur)
The Kites
Romain Gary
Penguin Modern Classics
