Cats from Marrakesh {Morocco}

"The people of Morocco love their cats and tolerate having them around more than any other culture I've experienced, and after two years of full-time travel, I saw quite a few," said photographer Lisa M. Collard, creator of the calendar Cats of Morocco.

"During my three months in the country, it was so hard to not want to take many of them, though it was clear that even the street cats were well taken care of. Morocco is a predominantly Muslim country, and cats are well respected in Islam. This was never more clear than on the streets. I never once saw anyone chase or harm a cat, and there were piles of food for them left all over. Also, the majority of the cats were very friendly and would come right up and ask for love."

"The streets of the medinas (the old parts of the cities) are mazelike, particularly the markets where, as an American, I had to get used to seeing meat on display out in the open," Lisa M. Collard told Traveling Cats. "It wasn't uncommon to see cats staring at the butchers with hope in their eyes."

"I loved the lighting on this kitty in Marrakesh, and I thought that cat was, indeed, 'lucky'."

In Marrakesh, the piles of wares for sale are so vast it's sometimes easy to overlook the cats that are often scattered in among them.

"My boyfriend, Shaine, is a huge cat lover and simply could not resist the mew of every tiny kitten we passed by," Lisa M. Collard said. "He even fed the ones outside of our riad in Marrakesh sardines many times."

Do you love Lisa M. Collard's pictures of cats in Morocco? Then you will love her new calendar. Check it out here.

And because it's almost Christmas, Lisa M. Collard is giving away a calendar to one lucky reader of Traveling Cats. The giveaway is open worldwide, and a winner will be drawn on December 25th. Good luck!

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