Translated by Matthew Petti

Jordanian woman Suzan Oweidat saved nearly 200 street cats after turning her house into a shelter for injured animals.

Oweidat, who lives in Mafraq, provides food, a home, and treatment for these cats. She divides the care of the animals with her sister.

“Since my childhood, I’ve liked taking care of cats. My grandmother cared for a group of cats, which is why I have a relationship with these animals,” she told Arabi21. “I used to work in Dlail, and whenever I found an injured or homeless cat, I would take it home on the bus.”

Oweidat said she learned to take care of different feline conditions — eye infections, paralysis, epilepsy — from Facebook groups, which also help her source dry food for the animals. Sometimes she carries “dozens of cats in cardboard boxes” by the bus to Amman, as there is no veterinarian in Mafraq.

Not only does Oweidat pick up cats on the streets, but she also takes in animals that other citizens leave on her doorstep. She also saved some paralyzed cats from euthanasia, taking them in after the owners had decided to administer the “needle of mercy.”

Oweidat is active on social media pages, raising awareness of animal rights. She hopes the message of kindness to animals will spread amongst the younger generation, and that Jordanian parents will teach their children about the right to life and compassion.