Parrots, pigeons and pit bulls

Apart from spending money and whinging that the government doesn't give them enough money, there are few things Kuwaitis seem to be passionate about. Even when the Mohammed cartoons sparked up riots across the Muslim world, the Kuwaiti protest march was peaceful and conducted largely by an Egyptian rent-a-mob rather than Kuwaitis. Kuwaitis preferred to just ban all the products, leave the shelf space empty as a statement, and put boycott protest stickers on their cars.

But they do seem to have a passion for birds and poultry. Pigeons, birds of prey, parrots and chickens. Go down to the market and you'll see thousands, look on people's roofs, balconies and you'll see aviaries. I've even seen them taken to the beach, which in some cases make them more privileged than the women. One family - well the father and his sons and occasionally the female maid - comes to the beach to swim, parks their car at the water's edge, sticks a perch in the sand, and then put their huge parrot on the perch from where it watches them swim.

So it's birds rather than dogs that appear to be the Kuwaiti man's best friend. As an English man though I fostered a dog in Kuwait, from a shelter for strays. Since then I've learnt the following:

• When you pack up and leave Kuwait for the summer, it's common to just stick the dog outside. The compassionate will perhaps leave a pile of food and bowl of water, clearly hoping the dog will ration this out until their owner returns home.
• Seeing a dog is like going to the zoo / circus - dogs seem like novelties and you expect them to perform for you. Every week drivers honk at the dog, children make incessant barking noises and gesture, and cars take detours, stop or swerve over the road and wind down the window to take a closer look.
• Taking on a dog is easy. Sometimes, drivers will just stop beside the road and ask me how much I want for the dog. Simple as that.
• Islam isn't too fond of dogs. Dogs saliva is bad, and things that comes into contact with should be washed 7 times, including once with sand.
• Dogs are for security. My dog is very lovable and sedate. My landlord laughs at it though. That's not a dog he says. The dogs banned in the UK because they attack and maul people - they're dogs. He has videos of dog fights on his phone.

• For women, an exception is made for anything fluffy and small enough to fit in your Gucci handbag. Where it hides from your husband's pit bull.
• You don't walk the dog. Your house workers do.