Greetings from American University of Beirut, where more than 1,000 cats roamLoading... Far-Flung Postcards is a weekly series in which NPR's international team shares moments from their lives and work around the world. About 30 years ago, the American University of Beirut (AUB) started taking in cats abandoned during years of war in Lebanon. There are all kinds of cats: purebreds, as well as scrappy street cats. Not everyone is a fan of cats, but students are required to not be mean to them.