Diana Abadi has been rescuing cats in Lebanon for 12 years, turning her home and small shop into a shelter for about 70 animals. She shares her living space with the cats and often sleeps among them. During the recent war, she faced additional challenges when trying to leave the conflict zone. She managed to evacuate the cats using several taxis, costing over $400 in total. After the ceasefire, Diana returned to her home and brought the cats back in several trips. The shelter treats stray cats before releasing them back onto the streets, noting that some animals suffer from special cases and illnesses. Diana emphasizes that if she had more space and resources, she could help many more animals. Currently, the shelter focuses exclusively on cats, as there is no room or capacity to take in other animals. However, Diana struggles to cover the shelter's expenses due to rising costs and declining donations. The rent for her home, which she also uses as a shop and shelter, increased from $250 to $800 per month after the war, creating a significant financial burden on her. She is looking for ways to raise funds, including selling cat food, cat litter, and small potted plants to cover the daily expenses for the cats she has been caring for for 12 years. Despite persistent demands to leave the animals, she refused to abandon the cats, declaring: "Impossible... we either live together or die together." In the end, a woman in Bshamoun, near Beirut, provided her with temporary shelter. Diana noted that all landlords refused to rent her a place because of the large number of cats she keeps.
