WHO WE ARE
Here's a little about me, Carol Anne, and how Cairo Cats came to be:
I grew up in a ranching family in central and far west Texas, so the hot, dry desert is nothing new to me. Cats and horses have always been a part of my life. In the cattle business I saw my father continually working to improve the quality of his herd, looking to produce a hearty breed that could thrive in a desert environment. From his example, I learned to observe and discern the qualities of animals.
In the 1990's, I moved to Saudi Arabia for my first international living experience. What a jolt of reality--"We're not in Kansas any more, Toto". It was quite a shock for this west Texas girl. It was not the living in the arid, desert climate - I was accustomed to that - it was the reality of not being able to drive, to go wherever I wanted to, which was difficult to accept. We had been scheduled to take two of my cats with us, but the day before departure a problem with paperwork prevented their travel.
To say the least, I was suffering culture shock and my husband (being a smart man) suggested we see if we could catch one of the stray kittens that lived in the garbage (dumpster area) close to his office. So, one evening, armed with a cardboard box and our 2 sons, we set off to get ourselves a cat.
And yes, we did just that. Catching the smallest, sickest of the bunch and nearly giving the local guards coronaries at the sight of an unveiled woman tackling cats, I proceeded to capture my small prey. At first, I thought,"This is the worst cat I've ever seen." I was also discouraged by the company vet who, believing I was crazy to try and save such a mess of a kitten, who refused to be optimistic. But, we did save the kitten and he grew to be the most beautiful and unusual cat I had ever adopted.
It wasn't until we had returned home to Texas and had taken the cat to the vet, that I was asked if I knew what type of cat I had. I told him "Not really, Just one I caught in Saudi." He then showed me pictures of Egyptian Maus which is how I became familiar with the breed.
Years passed, as did that cat, but I never stopped missing him. As fate would have it, some years later, I ended up traveling back to the Middle East and thought, "Why not? I've caught a local cat before-I can do it again." And that's the short story of how Cairo Cats began.
Currently, I'm a college psychology instructor (for real, the "Crazy Cat" lady) and decided to live out in the country in order to have room for my animals. I rescue cats and provide them with shelter in addition to raising native Maus. Over time, I have become a "sanctuary" for everyone's stray cats, but I need to downsize the number of the spayed/neutered cats which I currently have. I would love to see each and every one of these beautiful cats find a safe and loving "forever" home of their own.
Cairo Cats Cattery 
