Inside the Abu Dhabi garage where car repairs go hand in hand with rescuing stray cats.
Cat-themed coasters, books about cats and, of course, actual cats roaming around the garage and peering through its windows.
At KoolKats, a garage in Musaffah run by husband-and-wife team Salim Gouasmia and Natalia Sobko, the real bosses might just be the cats. It is a claim that becomes clear almost as soon as you walk in. Even the business’s name is a nod to Salim’s Scandinavian roots.
As I step into this unusual cat haven, the beaming couple begin explaining how they brought together their love of cats, cars and repairs. If you thought those three could not fit into one business, the couple are here to prove otherwise.
“Cats and cars are really the favourite,” Salim says, before explaining how the idea took shape. He had long wanted to start a second business in the automotive sector, where he felt there was a gap for honest service and fair prices. At the same time, the couple had spent years rescuing stray cats across Abu Dhabi, often funding the efforts themselves. They began wondering: why not build a business that could support both passions?
A promise before the first spanner turned
The idea of making cats part of the business came from Natalia as much as it did from Salim. When he first told her he wanted to open a car repair shop, she had one condition.
“She said, well, you can’t just open one, because it has to have some more meaningful thing,” he recalls. “You have to promise me that part of that money has to go to our cat-friendly project.”
Natalia wanted the garage to support cats in a meaningful way, not just through its name. The couple therefore established a permanent corporate social responsibility (CSR) programme, funded by the business, to support local rescuers and cats in the neighbourhood. They also made the cause part of the garage’s identity.
Natalia’s concern for abandoned cats in Musaffah is evident as she describes the challenges they face.
“Every day, I get a call from nearby grocery stores reporting an injured or abandoned cat,” she says.
The couple look after cats in the neighbourhood, taking them to veterinary clinics and often covering the costs themselves. Natalia also helps trap, neuter and return stray cats to safer locations.
Meet Koolie
I meet the boss. Hello, Koolie.
She waits for her food and gives me an approving nod. She was the garage’s first official resident and, judging by the couple’s vet bills, their 13th rescue.
Koolie appeared while the building was still being renovated and never left. Once the work was complete, the couple decided to make her a permanent resident. She now has her own little house and litter tray, and sleeps safely inside the garage after it closes for the night.
Her journey to becoming a resident was not without challenges. She underwent the full trap-neuter-return (TNR) process, along with vaccinations and deworming. During the check-ups, vets discovered a hernia that could have proved life-threatening.
“Luckily we caught her on time,” Salim says.
Koolie has since gained company. Another cat, which was also seriously ill before recovering through the couple’s rescue efforts, now calls the garage home.
Salim admits he was not always a cat lover. He never had a pet growing up. What eventually won him over was the way cats make people earn their affection.
“You actually have to earn their trust,” he says. “It’s the same way as human relationships.”
Street cats, he has learnt, can take even longer to trust people, but the bond that develops makes the effort worthwhile.
From Reem Island walks to M38
The couple’s rescue efforts began long before they opened the garage. During evening walks around Reem Island, they repeatedly came across stray cats. Like many volunteers across the UAE, Natalia eventually formed a group to trap and sterilise them.
The aim is to control the population and keep cat colonies at manageable levels. Salim says they have seen the benefits first-hand: sterilised cats settle into familiar areas, where they can be supported through feeding stations and continue living without uncontrolled breeding.
In Musaffah alone, the couple have rescued more than 52 cats.
A garage without the hefty bill
For all the whiskers and feline residents, KoolKats remains very much a car repair business. Salim, who has years of experience in the automotive industry, says he wanted to address a gap he had noticed in the market. While some garages charged premium rates, cheaper alternatives did not always provide a comfortable experience. Mechanics often worked outdoors in the heat, with few facilities for customers waiting for their vehicles.
“If something happens to your car, that means you can’t afford a vacation,” he says.
That thought shaped the garage’s business model. Salim wanted to strike a balance: charge enough to cover operating costs and take care of employees, without making vehicle repairs unnecessarily expensive for customers.
But affordable pricing was only one part of his vision. One of his biggest frustrations over the years has been how little some customers understand about what is happening with their vehicles. He wants to change that by explaining repairs clearly, ensuring customers know what needs to be fixed and why.
The third passion: AI
Salim’s interests extend beyond cats and cars to technology. He is independently developing and coding an automated system that can diagnose vehicle problems remotely.
When a customer breaks down, they can plug a small dongle into their vehicle, allowing the garage to access its data remotely. The system can also collect photographs and videos, bringing all the information together on a dashboard. An AI tool then analyses the data, giving the team an initial assessment before a mechanic examines the vehicle.
The idea draws on Salim’s experience in another business, where he develops autonomous surveillance platforms.
“All the passions are literally coming together here,” he says.
Starting small
Salim believes addressing Abu Dhabi’s stray cat problem begins with individual action. He is not prepared to wait for someone else to take the initiative.
“At the end of the day, it starts with individuals,” he says.
He hopes others will recognise the value of such efforts and join the cause, with the authorities eventually stepping in to provide further support.
Until then, the couple remain focused on keeping their corner of Musaffah safe, clean and welcoming — for customers, employees and every cat that wanders in looking for a home.
At this family-run business, there are clearly plenty of helping hands. And paws.
