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Veterinary medicine student Ahmed Taher Maki had a soft corner for animals since his childhood.
However, it was much later in life when he got a chance to turn his passion into a career.
The 22-year-old turned a part of his house into a what he says is 'the first hotel for cats in Iraq'.
Take a look at what this hotel looks like!
Cats enjoy themselves at the hotel. Photographs: Essam Al-Sudani/Reuters
The two-room hotel offers comfortable beds, healthy food choices, a mini playground, bathing and air-conditioning for cats.
Ahmed Taher Maki does not care about financial costs as much as he cares about adopting animals.
'It has always been a hobby since I was a child. I further developed it when I studied veterinary medicine and started to deal directly with cats and other domesticated animals. I loved the job,' said Ahmed.
'The idea of the hotel is to meet the needs of those who adopt cats in Basra in cooperation with veterinary clinics, who ask for a shelter to accommodate sick animals or in case of travelling,' he added.
One of the rooms is an emergency ward where sick pets are clinically examined by veterinary physicians.
The hotel can accommodate up to 30 cats at a time. A one-night stay at the hotel costs between 5,000 to 7,000 Iraqi dinars (₹271 to ₹380), which goes down to 2,500 dinars in case the pets stay for more nights.
Ahmed says he aims to encourage people to adopt cats by offering proper dietary counselling, health services as well as a safe shelter for the animals when their owners travel.
