CAIRO - This photo was taken early one morning on the stairs in a block of flats just a couple of hundred yards from Torah Prison, where many senior members of the former regime are currently imprisoned. Unlike these once-powerful officials, suspected of making illicit gains on a huge scale and other crimes, this cat and her little kitten are enjoying their freedom. Ironically, perhaps, their freedom isn't that easy. While the wealthy inmates in the prison can order take-aways from top-notch restaurants for their dinner, speedily delivered to the jail by young men on motorbikes, looking forward to some nice bakksheesh, these felines have to rely on the charity of the residents in the building where they live to survive. At the click of his fingers, one of these inmates can order in something really tasty like half a roast chicken for example but these cats aren't likely to get anything so delicious. Perhaps a kind resident will give them a tin of tuna to share, costing these days about LE5, which many poor families simply can't afford for themselves, let alone pets. But it must be remembered that these cats deserve this, as they do have their benefits for example they play a useful role in keeping the vermin at bay in the block of flats where they live. If they can catch the odd mouse or rat, it helps supplement their meagre diet. Anyway, these cats are being well looked after, with a basket for them to sleep in provided by one of the residents. It's also the ideal time of year for a cat to give birth to her kittens, much to the delight of the children who live there, as it's starting to get very warm again. Although they may be very expensive to feed for many Egyptians, it's always nice to have newborn animals around. Such a sign that life continues is particularly welcome at a time of economic crisis and political uncertainty.
