Read also: Dubai Ruler praises 'heroes' who caught cat falling 30ft from balcony
One of the men who caught a pregnant cat that jumped from a balcony in Dubai told The National he is thrilled they were able to save the animal’s life.
The heroic act was caught on a video that went viral. It was shared by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai. He praised the men’s efforts.
On Tuesday, at about 8am, Indian bus driver Naseer Muhammad noticed a cat stuck on a balcony in Al Marar area in Deira.
The 50-year-old, who has been a Dubai resident for 13 years, said he rushed down to the street with a towel and a bed sheet to help the cat jump safely from the second floor.
An Egyptian delivery driver and a Pakistani salesman joined Mr Muhammad to help.
“I live in the building that is right across from the balcony, so when I saw, I immediately went down and held a towel for her to jump on, but she didn’t feel safe,” he said.
“Then, we held the bedsheet for her and she finally jumped. We could tell that she was heavily pregnant and was in pain. It was a scary moment, but we were determined to save her.
“I love cats. I have three cats at home, and one of them always sleeps on my arm. It hurts me to see injured animals and I like helping them.”
The Egyptian driver can be seen holding the sheet with Mr Muhammed, while the Pakistani national held up a cardboard box as another precautionary measure.
Mr Muhammed said they fed the cat after she was rescued and then she rested inside an air-conditioned shop for a while.
“We never thought the video would go viral. We didn’t save her because we thought we’d become famous. I love animals, especially cats. My first instinct after seeing her struggling was to go and help,” he said.
A Ruler's celebration
Mr Muhammad said after Sheikh Mohammed tweeted about them, government officials visited the area the same night and invited all three of them to an event where their efforts would be celebrated.
Atif Mehmood, the 24-year-old Pakistani salesman who was also in the video, said he saw the men trying to save the cat and wanted to help.
“Whether it is an animal or human – if you see someone struggling, you should help. I saw a cardboard box and held it up right next to the bedsheet in case she missed her target,” he said.
“We’re all very happy that the cat is doing OK. She is a very good cat and deserves a loving home.”
Rashid Mohammed, 25, an Indian owner of a nearby grocery store, captured the rescue operation on his camera phone and has also been invited to the celebratory event by government officials.
“That cat used to come to my grocery store almost every day. We feed her and she is loved by a lot of people here. I thought it was incredible that people gathered to save her and I decided to film it,” he said.
Mr Mohammed’s father has been operating the grocery store in the same neighbourhood for 35 years.
The specs
Engine: 2-litre or 3-litre 4Motion all-wheel-drive Power: 250Nm (2-litre); 340 (3-litre) Torque: 450Nm Transmission: 8-speed automatic Starting price: From Dh212,000 On sale: Now
UAE WARRIORS RESULTS
Featherweight
Azouz Anwar (EGY) beat Marcelo Pontes (BRA)
TKO round 2
Catchweight 90kg
Moustafa Rashid Nada (KSA) beat Imad Al Howayeck (LEB)
Split points decision
Welterweight
Gimbat Ismailov (RUS) beat Mohammed Al Khatib (JOR)
TKO round 1
Flyweight (women)
Lucie Bertaud (FRA) beat Kelig Pinson (BEL)
Unanimous points decision
Lightweight
Alexandru Chitoran (ROU) beat Regelo Enumerables Jr (PHI)
TKO round 1
Catchweight 100kg
Marc Vleiger (NED) beat Mohamed Ali (EGY)
Rear neck choke round 1
Featherweight
James Bishop (NZ) beat Mark Valerio (PHI)
TKO round 2
Welterweight
Abdelghani Saber (EGY) beat Gerson Carvalho (BRA)
TKO round 1
Middleweight
Bakhtiyar Abbasov (AZE) beat Igor Litoshik (BLR)
Unanimous points decision
Bantamweight
Fabio Mello (BRA) beat Mark Alcoba (PHI)
Unanimous points decision
Welterweight
Ahmed Labban (LEB) v Magomedsultan Magomedsultanov (RUS)
TKO round 1
Bantamweight
Trent Girdham (AUS) beat Jayson Margallo (PHI)
TKO round 3
Lightweight
Usman Nurmagomedov (RUS) beat Roman Golovinov (UKR)
TKO round 1
Middleweight
Tarek Suleiman (SYR) beat Steve Kennedy (AUS)
Submission round 2
Lightweight
Dan Moret (USA) v Anton Kuivanen (FIN)
TKO round 2
Our legal consultants
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Bahrain%20GP
%3Cp%3EFriday%20qualifying%3A%207pm%20(8pm%20UAE)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ESaturday%20race%3A%207pm%20(UAE)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ETV%3A%20BeIN%20Sports%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Six pitfalls to avoid when trading company stocks
Following fashion
Investing is cyclical, buying last year's winners often means holding this year's losers.
Losing your balance
You end up with too much exposure to an individual company or sector that has taken your fancy.
Being over active
If you chop and change your portfolio too often, dealing charges will eat up your gains.
Running your losers
Investors hate admitting mistakes and hold onto bad stocks hoping they will come good.
Selling in a panic
If you sell up when the market drops, you have locked yourself out of the recovery.
Timing the market
Even the best investor in the world cannot consistently call market movements.
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
COPA DEL REY
Semi-final, first leg
Barcelona 1 (Malcom 57')
Real Madrid (Vazquez 6')
Second leg, February 27
The Ashes
Results
First Test, Brisbane: Australia won by 10 wickets
Second Test, Adelaide: Australia won by 120 runs
Third Test, Perth: Australia won by an innings and 41 runs
Fourth Test: Melbourne: Drawn
Fifth Test: Australia won by an innings and 123 runs
Pad Man
Dir: R Balki
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Sonam Kapoor, Radhika Apte
Three-and-a-half stars
Sri Lanka-India Test series schedule
- 1st Test India won by 304 runs at Galle
- 2nd Test India won by innings and 53 runs at Colombo
- 3rd Test August 12-16 at Pallekele
The Details
Article 15
Produced by: Carnival Cinemas, Zee Studios
Directed by: Anubhav Sinha
Starring: Ayushmann Khurrana, Kumud Mishra, Manoj Pahwa, Sayani Gupta, Zeeshan Ayyub
Our rating: 4/5