Jerusalem’s Street Cats: A History of Urban Evolution

If you walk through the streets of Jerusalem, you are never more than a few feet away from a feline sentinel perched on a stone wall or a green garbage bin. This episode explores the fascinating and unintended history of Jerusalem’s massive street cat population, tracing their origins from British Mandate pest control efforts to the modern urban infrastructure that sustains them today. We compare Jerusalem’s unique, scrappy feline culture to the spiritual traditions of Istanbul and the legal protections of Rome, while examining the significant ecological impact these high-energy predators have on local biodiversity.