TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
Far from war, Basra's cats lap it up in their own hotel
Change Size
Cats are seen in a cat hotel in Basra, Iraq, March 13, 2018. Picture taken March 13, 2018. (Reuters/Essam Al-Sudani)
A world away from Iraq’s battlegrounds, Basra’s cat-lovers have found a haven for their favorite pets.
Veterinary student Ahmed Taher Maki has turned his home in the southern city into what he believes is Iraq’s first cat hotel.
For as little as 5,000 Iraqi dinars ($4.20) a night - or half that for long stays - the guests can enjoy beds, regular meals, health checkups and a mini playground, all under the cooling purr of an air conditioner.
Read also: Savvy Pet Hotel: A home away from home for your cats and dogs
Maki said he was hoping to encourage more people to adopt cats in the city and give them a place to leave their pets when they are away on a trip.
Taking care of animals gives people a “merciful heart,” he said. “The hotel is a noble thing and unprecedented in the south of Iraq and Basra in particular.”
