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On the night of July 30, around 11 p.m., after a long and exhausting day of working and caring for my animals, I heard a cat crying desperately as I made my way home.

I stopped to see what was happening. A couple was nearby, and the poor cat was desperately trying to get their attention. They told me they thought she was about to give birth because she was already losing fluid.

I asked if they could take her home. They said no. They already had a cat.

She was left there, crying and asking for help.

This is the reality for so many stray animals in Tunisia. There are cats and dogs everywhere, abandoned, sick, injured, and pregnant, and far too often, people simply walk past them.

But when everyone else looks away, it is always the same few people who have to stop, rescue them, and take responsibility. For me, that person is almost always me.

I couldn’t leave her there.

She eventually climbed into my car, and I took her to the emergency vet. As soon as we arrived, while she was still in my arms, she cried out and started giving birth.

The vet helped her deliver her first baby. Sadly, that tiny kitten was extremely fragile and died a few days later. Mariem eventually gave birth to three kittens, but only two survived.

I named this incredibly gentle and affectionate mother Mariem, or Marie.

She stayed at the vet from July 30 until August 16, when I finally brought her home.

But I had nowhere to put her. I also had to bring home Nejia, who had just undergone surgery to remove her infected eye and was spayed at the same time.

I have no space left, so for now, they are sharing the same room. I have no other solution.

In just two months, I have rescued 17 kittens. Fourteen are still alive. That is on top of the cats already in my care and the dogs I look after.

Olfa Ferchichi

This is exhausting. It is heartbreaking. And it is not normal for one person to have to carry the responsibility for so many lives simply because others choose not to see them.

I love these animals, and I will keep fighting for them. But I cannot keep doing this alone.

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Fundraiser:

https://www.cotizup.com/pour-animaux-errants

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Story submitted by Olfa Ferchichi.

This story was originally shared on The Animal Rescue Site. Share your very own rescue story here!