Why Are There Cats Everywhere?

The biggest culture shock I have ever experienced was when I spent a summer in Israel. Obviously, being that I spent seven weeks in a country half way around the globe, I was caught off guard many times by various things. However, I was most intrigued with what I saw on the street. Firstly, there are cats everywhere. And not 2 or 3 strays in a couple of alleys I passed; they are actually everywhere! Dumpsters, behind grocery stores, on army bases, in neighborhoods; you name it, there's probably a cat there (or digging through the trash out back). Nobody notices. My first thought was always, "how do people just let their pets run around? Aren't they worried they'll get lost?" Then I realized they were all wild. Even my Israeli cousins, who took in a cat as a pet, just picked one off the street (that was then checked for disease and whatnot). It's odd to think that such a domesticated animal here is like a squirrel there. On a more serious note, it's hard not to notice the soldiers on every street. On every hike, every street, every mall, each rest stop; armed soldiers. Here people would panic if the army suddenly took to the streets, but in such a conflicted zone the soldiers in Israel not only seem necessary but they almost blend in with the rest of society. They are no more bizarre to see than a stray cat.