Some evening back in September '15, I was sat at the computer going though emails and other admin.  Then I checked my social sites to see if there were any messages. Up until then, the year had been busy with strays, neutering, rescuing and rehoming.  However I noticed a message on one of my social pages.  It was from an Italian person, Alberto, who had just returned from a holiday to Greece. He had been given my details by another organisation in Athens.  He had written to other organisations, but he told me later, he didn't get any replies.  He had stayed in Nafplio and somewhere on his route to town, he befriended a small colony of kittens with their mummy.  He wasn't able to do much, except try and find help through contacts and give them food and water daily, which probably was a huge help.  His message was asking whether I could help him, to help them.  When any messages or emails are received from individuals requesting help for strays, I go into auto pilot and try and do what I can, knowing then that it will become my problem and already at home, we had many rescues.  I questioned as to where these kittens were.  He told me that there were three in total and perhaps a mother cat.  That same night, we drove to Nafplio which was over an hour away from Ermioni and tried to find the exact location from the google maps Alberto had sent us.  Everywhere within that particular area looked the same.  But we drove a little further round a winding road and found the pathetic little kittens. The dumpster area was just overflowing with rubbish and this is the life the kittens and cats lead.  Scaveging from these smelly containers, but for them it is survival, as no-one will leave them good food.  I have to laugh, as Alberto had said that these little kittens were not human friendly and we knew they would have to be trapped.

They were brought home, nursed and home for them was in a large cage.  The were pretty wild, but these were the only two that we found.  We did see some older cats roaming the area, but again there were animal charities within this area, so really I couldn't neuter cats from this area, as we physically did not and still do not have the resources.  When I wrote back to the tourist, he asked whether we would go back and look for the third one.  We did.  We searched the area and the wasteland opposite the bins.  Sadly, there in the wasteland was a dead kitten.  Whether this was one that belonged to these two, we will never know. They settled in nicely, but they could not be handled.  They were scared.  Whilst in the large cage, they could be handled for cleaning and grooming, but once they were released, that was it, they kept themselves hidden.  I didn't know what sex they were either, I assumed they were both females.  

It took lots of time with these two to trust us.  They were always around but then vanished.  Each time I looked at the long haired one, he ran and hid.  Then one morning, there was the breakthrough we wanted, not for both, but at least for one of them.  Each time we sat on the toilet doing our business, the short haired one started to come very close.  Close enough to brush past your leg and give a stroke only, then it would come back for a little more affection.  This behavious continued for quite some time, until the day came, where she, BEE-BEE started to sleep on our bed, wanted pick-ups and lots of cuddles.  She is such an affectionate darling, even though she only has one eye.  

With the long haired one, it took a while to realize his sex.  It was only when he was spotted mounting all the little ones, that it confirmed my suspicion of him being a boy.  I knew that I would have to get him to the vet quickly, but there was no way he could be picked up.  So one day, while feeding all the strays, I had a drop cage in the other hand, he was caught and he certainly did not like it.  I thought that by getting him neutered, this would change his behaviour.  It didn't.  If I walked past him sleeping on a chair, I would turn my back on him, otherwise he would run off.  But like all things, patience and time is all that is needed and now many months after being rescued, he is comfortable and doesn't dart off.  He is doing exactly the same as BEE-BEE does and that is the toilet routine.  He sleeps on a chair next to the bed, but he is in control, not the other way round.  He still has his eye on us humans.  

Had it not been for Alberto, the nice kind Italian human who gave them a start and a chance, esepecially with feeding, then they would have probably died or been in a very bad way.  They are two lucky kittens, sister and brother.  They are at home with some other of our strays, hoping and waiting that maybe someone will want to adopt them and give them a long and happy life.

. . . CATS ARE LIKE MUSIC - It's foolish to try and explain their worth, to those who don't appreciate them! . . . 

Picture Gallery