As soon as Junior saw Amira, the kitten felt an instant connection and thought of her as her mother figure. And no matter what, Junior was determined to make Amira her mom and wasn’t going to let anyone say otherwise.
Meet Amira, a stray dog residing in the vicinity of Il Gattaro d’Aleppo or “The Cat Man of Aleppo”, a well-known feline sanctuary in Syria, which is currently ravaged by war. The founder of the sanctuary, Mohammad Alaa Jaleel, affectionately called Alaa, is doing his best to provide for Amira’s needs. However, for safety reasons, he cannot allow her to live together with the 80 cats residing in the sanctuary.
Alaa showed kindness to Amira by letting her stay in his room after he learned that she was pregnant. However, the situation took a sad turn when Amira gave birth to puppies that did not survive.
According to Alessandra Abidin, a friend of Alaa who manages the Facebook page for Il Gattaro d’Aleppo from her residence in Italy, they were saddened and surprised by her condition. They offered her a stuffed teddy bear to comfort her as she was distressed.
Similar to Amira, Junior the feline had experienced a loss of her loved ones and had been surviving on the streets until Alaa rescued her and took her to reside at Il Gattaro d’Aleppo.
Upon arriving at the sanctuary, Junior settled in comfortably and took the time to acquaint herself with the various felines residing there. During her exploration, she spotted Amira, a regular fixture at the entrance of the sanctuary, along with one of her beloved teddy bears.
Abidin recounted how Amira, the dog’s teddy bear, caught the attention of the kitten. The feline approached the canine slowly and started to play with the toy. Surprisingly, Amira welcomed the kitten and even let it climb on top of her. Abidin witnessed this heartwarming moment and noticed that the two animals seemed to bond instantly. She shared how the kitten was riding the dog like a horse, and Amira didn’t mind at all. In fact, Abidin thought that Amira even looked happy and content with her new feline friend.
Amira frequents Il Gattaro d’Aleppo multiple times per week, and each time, she is warmly welcomed by Junior. Despite their differences in size and species, Amira has grown quite fond of Junior, and it’s obvious that the feeling is mutual. They enjoy playing together, sharing food, and even taking naps side-by-side. Abidin, the owner of Il Gattaro d’Aleppo, affectionately named Amira after the word “princess” because he believes her noble soul reflects royalty.
