Our Story

In the Agafay Desert outside Marrakech, dozens of cats live around the camps, surviving on scraps and struggling through the heat, cold, and lack of food and water. Most are unneutered and unvaccinated, leading to illness, fighting, and litters of kittens that rarely survive.

During our stay at one of these camps, a tiny golden kitten began appearing outside our tent each day. She was weak, malnourished, and covered in dust, but full of trust and affection. We named her Zahra. When it was time to leave, we couldn’t stop thinking about her and the other cats left behind.

Bringing Zahra home was incredibly difficult. It took weeks of calls to more than twenty veterinarians, endless paperwork, and coordination across countries. With the help of a kind vet who drove deep into the desert to find her, Zahra was rescued, treated, and finally made the long journey to our home in Hoboken, New Jersey.

Today Zahra is healthy, safe, and loved. Her story was recently featured in Tap Into Hoboken. Zahra’s rescue inspired us to take action for the cats still living in the desert. Together with ADAN, a rescue group based in Morocco, and local veterinarians, we created the Zahra TNVR Initiative to trap, neuter, vaccinate, and return the cats in the Agafay region.

Our goal is to reduce suffering, stabilize the population, and give these cats a chance to live peacefully and with dignity.

Quick Links

Zahra's TNVR Initiative

Zahra the Desert Cat's TNVR Initiative