If you don’t have plans to leave the UAE in the coming months, but enjoy being around animals, here’s a worthwhile cause you can volunteer for.
Most of the country's animal rescue groups have cats and dogs that desperately need homes, including temporary ones, but finding volunteers can be especially difficult during the summer. Many people go on holiday at this time, meaning foster pets are suddenly left without a home.
Petooti, a rescue group run by volunteers in Dubai, is seeking help in finding temporary homes for its felines, from kittens to fully grown cats. The organisation is asking for help from for anyone who can offer space, be it for a few weeks or a couple of months.
“All our cats have a home to go to, eventually; they merely need a temporary stopgap to help them on their way. We will provide you with every cat-related essential to get you started, and vet bills will be covered by us. As a foster caregiver, all that's required is a comfortable, safe home and keeping us updated with cute pics,” says Petooti.
All cats currently in Petooti’s care are fully house-trained, health-checked, and spayed or neutered.
“The pandemic taught us many lessons the past year, one being that family matters more than we realise. However, pets who were once considered a part of the family unit continue to be abandoned across the country,” the group adds.
“Animal cruelty and pet abandonment is an issue that’s been affecting our society for as long as we can remember, with an influx in cases recently. While the rest of us recover and move forward, the animals continue to suffer.”
Here are the cats that need foster homes
Lilly, 2, female
Lilly is cuddly and attention-seeking. Happy to entertain herself, but needs human interaction for comfort.
Hala, 1, female
Hala loves to play with anything and everything, even if it’s simply her own shadow and tail. She is currently in a foster home with children. She is thriving in a dynamic, active household, so her ideal home would be an active one, where she can get attention from several people and be part of the action. She should be the only cat in a household with older children.
Morris, 9 months, male
Morris is shy, but soon warms up to his humans. He likes to watch his humans going about their day and comes for the occasional cuddle next to you. He's still learning to trust, so someone who's experienced with cats would be ideal. He should be the only cat in a household with no children.
Nala, 9 months, female
Nala enjoys spending her time watching TV snuggled up with her favourite humans (indeed, she was named while watching The Lion King), chasing ping pong balls, lasers and feather teasers, surveying her kingdom from the top of her cat tree and destroying toilet paper. She can be paired with another cat and is fine with children.
Tiki, 18 months, female
This sassy little lady will have you running around doing her bidding in no time. She is very much her own boss and makes sure everyone in the foster home is aware she’s in charge. She loves to play and is frequently found rolling around on the floor, wrestling with her toys. Her favourite toys are string-like teasers and she’ll pounce on untied shoelaces if given half a chance. She should be the only cat in the household and is fine with older children.
Jojo, 3, male
Jojo is a curious, loving and cuddly cat. He isn’t a lap cat, but enjoys being petted and snuggling beside his favourite humans, and will purr and knead to show his appreciation. He doesn't like being alone, so someone working from home would be ideal, making him the perfect WFH buddy.
Spartacus, 7, male
Spartacus is a very calm, quiet and gentle soul. He enjoys cuddles and will take a belly rub over food most days. He should be the only cat in the household and is fine with older children.
Leo and Luna, 6 weeks, male and female
Playful, entertaining and full of energy, Leo and Luna will ensure you have excellent Instagramable content. They are fine with other pets and excellent with older children.
Joey and Phoebe, 3 months, male and female
Joey and Phoebe cannot wait to join a family that will welcome cuddles. Phoebe loves to perform a solo concert before each meal and Joey rugby-tackles his human and demolishes his food faster than a speeding ticket. Both kitties are assertive, making them the perfect pair to be welcomed as first-time pets to any family. Both love tummy tickles and chin-rubs, and are fine with children and other cats.
Ginger, 4, male
Ginger used up one of his lives surviving an accident with a truck. He's fully recovered, but needs an extra-caring hand and home to get him ready for his forever home. He should be the only cat in a household without children. Ideally, you will have patience and some cat experience.
Bootsie, 2, female
The perfect kitty all round, she seeks out her humans for a cuddle next to them, or is otherwise happily snoozing catching up on beauty sleep. Her hobbies include Cat TV on YouTube and chasing her own tail. She is fine with other cats, but not children.
Clemmie, 1, female
Clemmie requires an experienced and patient fosterer who can help her come out of her shell to blossom. She's a new rescue, currently in a cage at the vet, which is causing her a lot of stress, owing to the restricted small space.
Miles, 6 months, male
Miles is the perfect snuggle buddy and loves to be showered with attention. He's fine when left on his own during the day and enjoys the occasional playtime. He's low-maintenance and super-cute. He should be the only cat in a household with no children.
Luca, 10 months, male
Luca hasn’t known many people to love him as he loves them. Luck wasn’t on his side early in life. Bred to be sold by an unscrupulous breeder, he was the last one standing in a cage, while his siblings were snapped up. He gives little head bumps, giving out little chirpy meows – he doesn’t even know he’s being cute. He’s just trying to say, ‘Thank you for loving me back.’ He is fine with other cats and gentle with children.
Shiva, 10 months, female
A uniquely marbled Bengal and ginger cat, Shiva has a personality that radiates calm, and her purrs will fill any room with serenity. She is a gentle and docile little kitty, making her the perfect cat for first-time pet owners. She should be the only cat in a household without children.
Zeina, 2, female
Zeina is a great companion kitty for humans and is currently in a foster home with several cats. She loves to get up to all sorts of mischief, of which she is the instigator most of the time.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
Teenage%20Mutant%20Ninja%20Turtles%3A%20Shredder's%20Revenge
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDeveloper%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ETribute%20Games%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPublisher%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dotemu%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EConsoles%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENintendo%20Switch%2C%20PlayStation%204%26amp%3B5%2C%20PC%20and%20Xbox%20One%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Directed by: Craig Gillespie
Starring: Emma Stone, Emma Thompson, Joel Fry
4/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Teaching your child to save
Pre-school (three - five years)
You can’t yet talk about investing or borrowing, but introduce a “classic” money bank and start putting gifts and allowances away. When the child wants a specific toy, have them save for it and help them track their progress.
Early childhood (six - eight years)
Replace the money bank with three jars labelled ‘saving’, ‘spending’ and ‘sharing’. Have the child divide their allowance into the three jars each week and explain their choices in splitting their pocket money. A guide could be 25 per cent saving, 50 per cent spending, 25 per cent for charity and gift-giving.
Middle childhood (nine - 11 years)
Open a bank savings account and help your child establish a budget and set a savings goal. Introduce the notion of ‘paying yourself first’ by putting away savings as soon as your allowance is paid.
Young teens (12 - 14 years)
Change your child’s allowance from weekly to monthly and help them pinpoint long-range goals such as a trip, so they can start longer-term saving and find new ways to increase their saving.
Teenage (15 - 18 years)
Discuss mutual expectations about university costs and identify what they can help fund and set goals. Don’t pay for everything, so they can experience the pride of contributing.
Young adulthood (19 - 22 years)
Discuss post-graduation plans and future life goals, quantify expenses such as first apartment, work wardrobe, holidays and help them continue to save towards these goals.
* JP Morgan Private Bank
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid
When: April 25, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Allianz Arena, Munich
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 1, Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid
BEACH SOCCER WORLD CUP
Group A
Paraguay
Japan
Switzerland
USA
Group B
Uruguay
Mexico
Italy
Tahiti
Group C
Belarus
UAE
Senegal
Russia
Group D
Brazil
Oman
Portugal
Nigeria
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The chief operating officer of Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, Andres de Leon, said his company's hyperloop technology is “ready” and safe.
He said the company prioritised safety throughout its development and, last year, Munich Re, one of the world's largest reinsurance companies, announced it was ready to insure their technology.
“Our levitation, propulsion, and vacuum technology have all been developed [...] over several decades and have been deployed and tested at full scale,” he said in a statement to The National.
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HyperloopTT has begun designing and engineering processes for its Abu Dhabi projects and hopes to break ground soon.
With no delivery date yet announced, Mr de Leon said timelines had to be considered carefully, as government approval, permits, and regulations could create necessary delays.
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
The specs: 2018 Chevrolet Trailblazer
Price, base / as tested Dh99,000 / Dh132,000
Engine 3.6L V6
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
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50-man Royal Rumble - names entered so far include Braun Strowman, Daniel Bryan, Kurt Angle, Big Show, Kane, Chris Jericho, The New Day and Elias
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WWE World Heavyweight ChampionshipAJ Styles (champion) v Shinsuke Nakamura
Intercontinental Championship Seth Rollins (champion) v The Miz v Finn Balor v Samoa Joe
United States Championship Jeff Hardy (champion) v Jinder Mahal
SmackDown Tag Team Championship The Bludgeon Brothers (champions) v The Usos
Raw Tag Team Championship (currently vacant) Cesaro and Sheamus v Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt
Casket match The Undertaker v Rusev
Singles match John Cena v Triple H
Cruiserweight Championship Cedric Alexander v Kalisto
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ELIO
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PRISCILLA
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The story of Edge
Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, established Edge in 2019.
It brought together 25 state-owned and independent companies specialising in weapons systems, cyber protection and electronic warfare.
Edge has an annual revenue of $5 billion and employs more than 12,000 people.
Some of the companies include Nimr, a maker of armoured vehicles, Caracal, which manufactures guns and ammunitions company, Lahab
'The worst thing you can eat'
Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.
Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines:
Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.
Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.
Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.
Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.
Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.
Emergency
Director: Kangana Ranaut
Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Anupam Kher, Shreyas Talpade, Milind Soman, Mahima Chaudhry
Rating: 2/5
Kat Wightman's tips on how to create zones in large spaces
- Area carpets or rugs are the easiest way to segregate spaces while also unifying them.
- Lighting can help define areas. Try pendant lighting over dining tables, and side and floor lamps in living areas.
- Keep the colour palette the same in a room, but combine different tones and textures in different zone. A common accent colour dotted throughout the space brings it together.
- Don’t be afraid to use furniture to break up the space. For example, if you have a sofa placed in the middle of the room, a console unit behind it will give good punctuation.
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
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6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
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Result
Tottenhan Hotspur 2 Roma 3
Tottenham: Winks 87', Janssen 90 1'
Roma 3
D Perotti 13' (pen), C Under 70', M Tumminello 90 2"
The%20specs
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The specs: 2019 BMW i8 Roadster
Price, base: Dh708,750
Engine: 1.5L three-cylinder petrol, plus 11.6 kWh lithium-ion battery
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Power: 374hp (total)
Torque: 570Nm (total)
Fuel economy, combined: 2.0L / 100km
The details
Heard It in a Past Life
Maggie Rogers
(Capital Records)
3/5
