God's Little People

A rare flower

2012-01-21T20:09:00.000+01:00

That's what she was. Lilly... a rare flower.

Thank you all - for your kindnesses and comforting words and for your incredible generousity. I feel and have felt so unbelievably supported during what has been such a testing time. I thought you might all like to know that your donations has almost entirely covered the veterinary fees for Lilly and for the many vaccinations needed. I am just overwhelmed at the kindness of "strangers" - and yet you are not.

During my time grieving the loss of Lilly I was surprised to realise that we only had her with us for 14 weeks. It seemed more like she had been with us forever. I can't reason with the reasoning mind why I felt such a sting at the loss of her... I mean when you've had a cat for such a short while. But she was a rare one. When you rescue a cat - or a kitten in this case - you get attached in a deep way. The top image is taken just moments after I brought her home (you can read her rescue story here). She was rescued from an abandoned building site and she just had the saddest look in her eyes. And yet she was such a precious and naked little bundle (naked from skin fungus).

The little soul behind these eyes just instantly got to me and I fell so much in love with her.

After recovering from her skin fungus she was introduced to her many friends... here she is standing upright in the doorway curiously looking at her new roomies.

Here she is testing her own strength with Rosie... Lilly was no push-over in spite of her much smaller size.

Lilly and Rosie playing with my shoe-laces...

- and Lilly enjoying being the center of attention!

These last images are from November and December where Lilly was begining to be a beautiful young cat in her own right.

On a sunny and mild December morning...

Her life was too short but she did reach her full bloom...

- and I have to guess that she fullfilled her purpose in life. I like to think that things happen for a reason and it already feels as if much has changed around here since she passed. Her passing has been a catalyst somehow and now we need to see what the year has in store.

Soon things will return to "normal" - at least for those cats that have sat in isolation and when we once again sit together on the garden steps we will have a quiet moment for Lilly looking out on Lilly's Heaven... the garden where she is laid to rest.

Dear friends...

2012-01-09T15:25:00.000+01:00

I am heartbroken.

The first week of 2012 had nothing good in store for me.

A few days in a deadly virus among the cats of the island spread like wild-fire (it's s very small island) and struck the beautiful Lilly (the last one I mentioned in my last post). The virus is vicious and even though she fought hard and valiantly her little body got eaten up by the virus. She died this morning.

Last week I couldn't breathe - fearing for Lilly's life and fearing for the rest of my cats. The close knit core - my special rescues are now sat in isolation in four different places. They can all be inoculated after 10 days. I pray no one else shows any signs of outbreak.

I am now faced with 24 vaccinations and medical expenses for Lilly on top of now feeding 50 cats every day. If you find yourself able to donate I will be ever so grateful. I have created a donation button on the right side of this page.

This girl was so special to me. She got into my heart in a deep way. She was such a fine, ethereal and sentive soul. She loved most of all to lie in my lap in the mornings, when I would go and have my morning coffee with the crew. She would suckle the tassels on my scarf and purr in a blissed out state. Also she loved playing with her brothers and sisters. After their lovely games they would all collapse and huddle up together. Today when I told her brothers and sisters of her passing they all became still and huddled up together.

She has been laid to rest in her beloved garden, which today I have named Lilly's Heaven. It's where she found shelter, safety and a life (although way too short) full of love. She was loved by all and she will be eternally missed.

Please bear with me for my absence visiting you all whilst I try to recover from my grief and mend my heart.

Happy tally sheet

2011-12-31T16:40:00.000+01:00

Unfortunately there were a few lives we couldn't save this year. BUT... there were many we did save from a certain death. Here's a little gallery of the most poignant stories - those that did face death. Above it's Benji who was rescued on a cold winter day last February. I found him badly mauled (if you don't know his story check out the huge abcess on the right side of his face) and with a bad flu. He was touch and go for three days (didn't eat or drink) but finally pulled through. Sometimes we endearingly call him Michael Oher (The Blind Side) - he scores very high on protective instincts :-) He does not have a mean bone in his body - never never starts a fight and has taken lovingly care of each little newcomer. He has turned into a gentle giant.

A few images from December.

Then there's Emma who was drowning in our neighbors huge water tank (water is precious here and each drop is collected). The neighbors don't actually live there (so far they're just building a house) and it's unknown how she got into the water tank and how long she'd been paddling around. She suffered from a skin rash three months after her rescue.

But she turned out to be a wise little soul and she quickly adopted us (even though it took me an entire day to rescue her out of a complex piping system because she was so freaked out upon her initial rescue from the water tank). She is wise and deep and I am sure - has an old soul.

She soon struck up a tight knit friendship with Benji - actually they acted like soul mates.

They LOVED to snuggle when she was little...

- and they still LOVE to snuggle today.

Noona's rescue is pretty difficult to forget. She was found in a pityful state in a typical Greek taverna. Lot's of cats fighting over the scraps people thew to them and Noona could never get to them because she was so heavy from a grotesque case of mamary hyperplasia. She was very underweight and I'm sure her swollen mamary glands actually weighed more than her entire body itself. Upon her rescue she suffered an abortion from the hormone treatment to treat the hyperplasia and she suffered horrible side-effects from the treatment. She had a swollen chin for several weeks and started eating the grit from the litter box. It's taken almost all year for her mamary glands to return to normal.

I am convinced Noona knows she was rescued from dying. Today - almost at any given moment - she can be found sat just quietly observing all her friends - purring loudly. She truly enjoys life. She loves to entertain everybody - she creeps under a blanket and gets everyone going chasing the "moving object" under the blanket - purring loudly naturally!

And dear dear Rosie... Rosie was found at deaths door.

She physically had to rest for 12 days before she stood upright after her rescue. She was so weakened from emaciation. Today she has a V E R Y great love affair with her food. You can understand why!! She is a lovely cat but keeps herself to herself. She carries herself almost as someone who's known death. There's a look in her eyes where you almost feel as if she knows what the rainbow bridge looks like - I swear!

And of course her sibling Rufus...

They were both in quite a chocking condition but initially Rufus seemed stronger. After about 12 days I scooped him too.

Yes, above and below is the same cat, can you believe it!? Below is a recent image of Rufus on a gloriously sunny day.

Rufus and sis chilling on the porch!

And not to forget little Lilly...

She was such a sad little girl when I found her. Phychologically not a happy girl and covered in skin fungus.

But now she is a happy and content girl endearlingly known as "Darling Piglet"...

Lol!

So there you have it, just a few of our "on the brink" rescues but there were as you know many more.

From the entire crew - wishing you a very happy and blessed New Year (and from left to right it's Maxi, Rufus, little Ellie in the background, Toddy, Emma and Benji. Oh... and bottom right it's Darling Piglet's happy tail!!

Goodbye Charlie

2011-12-26T18:11:00.000+01:00

As some of you will know already, Charlie sadly passed away on what I call Christmas morning (December 24th - the day Christmas is celebrated in Scandinavia). In spite of his multiple ailments it seemed that he initially made some good progress. Began to eat of his own volition (initially he had to be force fed due to painful ulcers on his tongue), did his toilet, purred and even sought our laps for cuddles and intimacy (he was a feral cat!) - and he seemed very present in his eyes. I knew though that it wasn't good with Charlie. He had many possible diagnoses - flu, clamydia, leukemia and feline aids. Two days after bringing him home he stopped eating again. His eyes went glazed and I could see he was suffering. I had told him that I would do all I could to help him - but I also told him that if he was in too much pain that it was ok to leave his little fur coat. DH and I did all we humanly could to encourage Charlie. We tried to make him as comfortable as possible and delighted in having him purring in our laps. In this image I am having a quiet moment with Charlie - brow to brow and he was purring.

Unfortunately Charlie's suffering was to such an extent that he was beyond bodily repair. When we brought him back to the vet he was examined by another vet who gave the diagnosis: diaphragmatic hernia (caused by being hit by a car, falling from a high place or being kicked - and making breathing extremely difficult). Or just simply a very bad virus. We agreed to try intravenous antibiotics and fluids in the hope he could recover again, but it turned out that it most proabably was the vets first diagnosis This poor boy had suffered terribly - most likely with internal injuries plus a flu and the ulcers on his tongue. As you can imagine - I so badly wanted him to recover to experience a good life. If any cat deserved to experience it it would have been Charlie. I rest reassured that Chalie knew during the last days of his life that he was loved and cared for. He was seen. He did not go unnoted. He was a beautiful soul. One of God's little people.

Counting my blessings

2011-12-24T14:55:00.002+01:00

Whilst the news on Bessie (who by the way now is Charlie - turns out Bessie is a boy!) is not the best (he is back in intensive veterinary care in a very serious condition), I still want to use this day counting my endless blessings from throughout this year. Last Christmas I had just taken on looking after Tiny and Ninja (and with some reluctance - I guess I knew where it would be headed from there!!) and I had no idea this Christmas would be more than 35 cats later. But what a year it's been - what beautiful souls have come my way. What gifts. What a development journey they have all offered me (inner and outer). Each cat has represented a new challenge and I can honestly say each cat individually has taught me new lessons and a whole lot about diseases and treatment. And I felt quite apprehensive when I took on this beauty - the irresistible Ellie. You might have watched the little video (a few posts ago) from the day I found her abandoned by kitty mom and in a state of hypothermia (only 10 days old). (These images are from a few days ago when she jumped a tree for the first time and I happened to have my camera at the ready).

How do you become a kitty mom?? Providing the baby kitten with a constantly balanced body temperature, making sure it does its toilet, keeping it engaged and basically knowing its survival depends on you. Well, Ellie is one among many of my lovely rescues this year and she has turned out just so perfectly perfect - I'm floored each day by her innoncent purity. It's very grounding.

And I feel so humbled by each little soul I've had the privilege of saving. They have saved me right back, they truly have. They call out every little bit of Godly humanity and compassion - is there a better place to be located in oneself? Not for me.

And to you my lovely dear friends...

Thank you for all the loving sentiments you have expressed - and your beautiful encouraging words. And to those of you who have purchased cards - you all keep me going. And to my lovely blogging friend who generously donated towards these little lives - I know where your heart is!

Bless you splendid spirits! - and enjoy your holidays.

Will you remember to keep Charlie in your thoughts - thank you.

Joan

- and a little haven full of grateful kitties.

Update: Sadly we said goodbye to Charlie Christmas morning. There will be a tribute to Charlie in my next post.

A prayer and a healing thought for Bessie

2011-12-21T18:15:00.000+01:00

It is a busy time here. Not because of Christmas but because of sick cats. You are already familiar with the stories of the young dumpster cats Felix and Tiffy (the emaciated tabby girl). They have both recovered well - Tiffy just need to double her weight! But back at the dumpster there's still a couple of their feral friends recovering from flu. But at least I've managed to feed them tasty food with added antibitotics and it seems they're making progress (they've started eating again). I've popped a padded polystyrene box in their field (fingers crossed no one removes it) which the recovering young cats have taken to - they all huddle together.

And then there's Bessie. I found Bessie last Saturday morning. I'd been looking for her for days (knew she needed help) and just as I was about to leave she appeared futher down the road restlessly walking around crying. She was so weak I just picked her up and popped her in a transport box (she is feral!). She was taken straight to the vet who washed away layers from her almost closed eyes and completely stuffed nose. She wasn't lacking appetite because of a flu (which she also has) but she simpy could not eat (even though she badly wanted to) because her tounge was filled with painful ulcers. She was extremely emaciated and was basically dying from starvation because she couldn't eat. Later the same day we had a 24hour torrential down-pour and today (when I picked her of from intensive care) the vet deemed that she wouldn't have lasted the entire Saturday if she hadn't been found.

Only yesterday did she begin to eat a little on her own - otherwise she has been force fed to ensure her survival. Today she ate entirely on her own, so we thougth to bring her home where she could recover and heal in complete quiet. She is by no means in the safe zone. Breathing is strenous for her and eating is very painful. I have told her that if she will try her best to survive (meaning that she will continue to eat on her own) then I will provide a loving home for life. She continually makes muted cries. I know she is letting me know she is doing all she can. She has eaten a little. A while ago I watched her eat a tiny bit more - and I saw how painful it is for her. But she wants to show me that she is really trying.

If this beautiful girl is in more pain than than she can bear I don't mind her leaving her pained body. But I feel deeply within that she wants to live. She is so beautiful and she so deserves to know what a pain-free life can be like.

Will you please pray for Bessie's recovery and send her healing thoughts.

Thank you - and I will keep you posted.

Believe and act as if it were impossible to fail

2011-12-12T18:23:00.000+01:00

Sometimes I need to give myself a little pep-talk. Doing what I do I daily see cats and kittens in need of help. Some needs rescuing if they are to stand a chance at surviving. This was clearly the case with the young tabby in the second image from my last post. I was concerned when I first saw her some weeks back. She was awfully skinny (emaciated really) and she was so timid that it was difficult getting her to eat the food I left behind. She did eventually begin to eat a little but just as I was beginning to hope that she might gain some weight and strength, disaster struck - she caught a flu (just like Felix - re. last post). She began to sit passively when the other cats would eat. I knew this was bad knews. No way could an emaciated feral cat like this withstand a bad flu. A few days later more doom set in. She was nowhere to be seen. I felt extremely concerned she had laid down in a weakened state to die. Well... this is where I needed my own pep-talk. To do with belief. Not giving up hope. I kept an internal image of her appearing on the wall - just like she'd before.

I hadn't seen her Friday, Saturday or Sunday. But...! This morning a miracle occured. She sat on the wall!! In a worse state - but she was there. I knew I had to act fast so I pulled out a cage that I had already prepared last week. No room for second thoughts - just a firm grab by the scruff of the neck and then off to the vet to give her an antibiotic shot, deworming and an examination of her eye. At the vet she went ballistic. The nurse held her firm with huge protective gloves whilst the vet examined her. Turned out she had a really bad case of conjunctivitis. I knew what that meant... several eyedrops during the day for an entire week. I knew I could feed her and keep her in a safe enclosure but I have to admit that I felt a little outside my wits as how to go about a ballistic cat needing eyedrops several times a day (and preferably eye-washes too). Mmm - believe...

When my turn came I sat down and talked to her. Reminded of a few words from Albert Schweitzer's "Prayers for Animals"... a heart of compassion and gentle hands and kindly words. Then I put my hand in the cage (wrapped in gardening gloves and a towell not knowing what would come my way!). When she accepted my hand in there I gently let it rub her. When she accepted that I removed the towell and gently rubbed her side with my hand. After this I removed the gloves. Again gentle rubbing her on the side. Then gently stroking her head. Then gently pulling her out, washing her eye and popping in the eyedrop. I was AMAZED! Why would this girl let me do this?? Sometimes I sincerely feel so humbled in their presence. What makes them trust like this when all they've ever known is fight and flight??

Whatever it is I humbly proceed. I hope this girl will gain back her appetite soon at least that way I will be able to keep her in my care.

PS about Felix

Felix from my last post was eventually put into veterinary care last week. He didn't eat or drink at all (for many days) and had to be force fed. And just today he showed signs of an eye ulcer due to the flu. He will stay there for another few days until he gets the ok from the vet.

PPS The heading is a quote from Charles F. Kettering

The less fortunate

2011-12-07T16:42:00.001+01:00

Well, hello world! It's been a while. Our internet has been down for more than 10 days and living on a small Greek island, that's like being cut off from the rest of the world.

Anyhow... the rescue stories continue and today I want to introduce you to some of my precious "dumpster friends." They are the less fortunate who all got born around a dumpster right by a road but who have taken up residence here because it's where they go in search for food. Also there's a field just on the other side of the wall (I'm standing on the road taking these photos) where people dump their garden rubbish. When enough straw, bamboo and dry stuff has accumulated the cats make little dens for sleep and shelter. Unfortunately - eventually, when the heap is real huge, the owner of the field comes to burn all the rubbish and the cats are back to square one (no one is interested in deliberately attracting the cats!).

Recently four new bigger kittens (4-5 months) appeared here. This one above appeared a few weeks ago. He has got a very shy mother, which might be why she waited such a long time to bring him to the dumpster. He is very emaciated (and extremely feral) and it took him a few days to get the idea of food. He has still got a long while to go to reach his normal weight but at least he now gets 2 or 3 daily servings of food.

Some of the bigger cats have grown more resilient and shrewd - I'm sure they know which door-steps to appear on for food scraps.

I love when we have nice weather (no rain and not too cold) - it means these guys doesn't suffer the cold too much, especially at night time. But in spite of a recent spell of seriously beautiful weather one of these little guys has developed a bad flu. Felix - the white/ginger cat/kitten has lost his appetite (the above image is from last week). Unfortunately it is not an altogether easy task catching a feral cat for veterinary treatment but later today I am going to try to catch him.

Here Felix is enjoying a warm afternoon last week with one of his little snuggle-mates (isn't she gorgeously scruffy?) I need this boy to be well and healthy - he is a special one - so I need you to cross your fingers that I'll be able to get him the help he needs.

I promise to keep you posted!

P.s. Update - Felix was caught (unbelievably a cat trapping expert happened to be there the moment I arrived - what do you think about that!!!?). He is now in r&r for a few days.

Off to see the world

2011-11-23T22:03:00.000+01:00

Dear friends

THANK you SO much for your great response and for your warming donations/purchases of cards. For the moment being I will leave the cards for sale on Etsy and eventually renew the listings with new images. Each and every purchase/donation is hugely appreciated.

Now I would like to update you on the story of Ellie, the orphaned 10 day old baby kitten I found 6 weeks ago. Thanks to our great vet I have got this short but very tangible video of what she looked like when I had just brought her to the vet. She was found during days torrential rain and very cold temperatures - and I kid you not when I say that she felt like something that had been pulled out of the freezer for defrosting. The poor thing had probably never opened her eyes but the chock and comotion of this ordeal made her open her eyes. What a way to say hello to the world. Just have a look at this brief video - she couldn't walk either. It's questionable whether she would have lasted even an hour. Luckily after being rubbed dry and put on a hot water bottle at the vet she quickly regained her body temperature and stabilized.

Well, the weeks has passed by very quickly and she has grown into a most beautiful little kitten (yes, I know... they all are) but she truly is adorable.

Last weekend, when we finally had some beautiful sunshine and mild temperatures again, she was allowed a journey into the great big world.

Everything was scrutinised with such an itensity - here she is falling in love with the scent of the lavender bush. It's the most engaging and magical live theatre you could imagine - like you become a child again just watching her.

The bigger guys already loves her - it's obvious this bitty size couldn't be a threat to anyone and they adore playing with her. Now she just needs to grow a bit bigger before she can be a fully fledged explorer!

Your kindness

2011-11-17T18:06:00.000+01:00

Over time I have recieved so many kind and encouraging words from you all BUT also I have received a number of inquiries about the possibility of donating towards the cats I rescue. I've been wondering about how to make this possible AND HERE IT IS!!

I am delighted to introduce these quality cards made from a selection of my favorite images of the cats that I have rescued and I love the idea of them now being part of raising funds for themselves. These cards are now listed in my Etsy shop and ALL proceeds goes towards food, neutering and medical care for all the cats (and the dumpster cats I daily feed). Winter has set in and feral cats just keeps dropping into the garden and I've finally given up counting the numbers! But I now daily feed approximately 45 cats and as you can imagine the cost constantly rise and I won't compromise on the quality of food. Many of the cats that live in the wild desperately needs a proper food to keep them warm.

You can donate/purchase in the following way:

One large blank card with a colored image mounted on carton (that enhances the colors in the image) for $5 or a set of three small blank cards with black/white images mounted on black carton (and a white paper slip inside for your message) for $10.

Whether it's one large card or a small set of three cards - they all come with white envelopes and a label on the back with the Pythagoras quote I use under my blog title: "We share with animals the privilege of having a soul." Cards and envelopes are neatly tied with a burlap string and carefully wrapped in tissue paper.

You can see the collection here on my Etsy shop - and I'll add more over the next few days. For any further inquiries about the cards please leave a comment or drop me a note: joanbowell@mail.dk

THANK YOU!

Mystery boys

2011-11-13T19:23:00.000+01:00

I'm way behind with the rescue stories - things are very busy here and cats lovers of this island have just finished the second round of cat neutering which again was a great success. More about that in some later post.

Anyhow... I found this adorable couple freshly (it seemed) dumped at the side of the road almost 6 weeks ago. I spotted them because the little one was running out in the middle of the road and I knew I had to stop if this one was to be prevented from being run over. Well, turned out there was another slightly bigger kitten just in the side of road hiding in a bush. The little one was 6 weeks and the bigger one 10 weeks. Luckily I happened to have a cage in the car and I instantly scooped them up - no way could I leave them behind. As I drove away I discovered a car hidden behind a bush and a couple standing behind the car looking towards me. I felt convinced they'd just dumped the kittens there. The were so easy to handle and were quite plump, for sure they'd been well fed - maybe so they'd survive longer trying to fend for themselves?? Maybe casulties of the Greek crisis, which have hit Greek people hard.

Maxi interacting with his new mates

No matter what, these boys were a bit of a mystery to me. They clung to each other like brothers and they look like brothers - but no way can they actually be brothers. The little one is for sure at least 4 weeks younger. At first I named them Mini and Maxi (yes, how imaginative is that, lol!). Poor Maxi (bigger boy) - only a tiny kitten himself and yet he had to act as the bigger brother and look after and nurture his little "brother". It was of course very sweet and tender to see them together but it was also obvious that Maxi had a need to be with kittens his own size. Mini was actually a bit too little to play with (kittens under the age of 6 weeks shouldn't interact with bigger cats) and it was obvious that it did get just a little too rough for Mini sometimes. But luckily... after a week in confinement they were introduced to the rest of their new slightly bigger kitten mates and they blended in just beautifully (they are so well behaved). This meant Maxi suddenly had new friends his own age and it was obvious a load was taken off his tiny furry shoulders.

Toddy (Mini) watching the wild games safely tucked under a lavender bush

Whilst Maxi was having a hoot, Mini (because of such a great character has since been renamed Toddy) spent a week hiding under the cupboards. All the wild games was a bit too overwhelming but then he became bolder and has since caught up with the bigger guys, no longer intimidated by their size. Last Saturday Toddy was introduced as a playmate to Ellie. She was only 5 weeks old and needed a gentle mate. Toddy was such a perfect match - he is tender and not actually that interested in fierce combat.

The delights of playing in a safe environment - and a curious little onlooker!

It was alo such a delight introducing these two boys to the garden. It's a little haven where they can safely romp and play hide and seek. You can imagine the magic when you have a garden full of kittens of various sizes all playing hide and seek together. The pay off for rescuing these precious little souls is immeasurable.

On a different note I've got some great and exciting news I want to share with you all so do be sure to pop by in a few days time!

Distributing love equally

2011-11-06T20:43:00.000+01:00

Just wanted to answer a question which has appeared in the comment box several times recently. Is there as chance of some of these rescued cats being adopted?

The answer unfortunately is no. In this country cats are considered rodents and a story of a cat with all the comforts of a loving home (like being allowed indoor) is very hard to come by. When moving here I knew the cat situation would confront me because I come from a country (Denmark) where the cat shelters alone would seem like a top-notch-1st-class-hotel to any Greek cat. As a matter of fact - a homeless cat is extremetly rare in my home country.

At the moment there's new kittens sat at every dumpster and it's heartbreaking. So of course I do what I can but with an ever growing number (it's reached 26 or 27 with recent cats appearing from the hillsides) it poses a bit of a contradiction. Most of them crave love and affection - and there's only so much one person (with the loving support of my DH) can do. Luckily, many of the rescues (formerly unknown to each other) strikes up friendships and finds a snuggle-buddy, offering each other comfort and warmth. For the moment I try to focus on the many new kittens (I will get to all the stories eventually) making sure they have a bit of extra love and attention - many of them having been abandoned at a way too early age.

Here's just a few images of Lilly (you might remember how sad she looked). She's had lots of TLC and loves darting around in the garden with her many new friends.

There's nothing I love better than giving each of these little lives a bit of special attention - but soon I'll have to develop octopus arms!

I'll say no more

2011-10-30T14:56:00.000+01:00

It's happened three times recently that I've uttered the words; "That's the limit - I really cannot take on more cats." And literally - the moment I've uttered the words - another cat in need has apperead in front of my eyes. But as I've said before... what do you do when a cat in desperate need appears in front of you? Turn a blind eye??

I felt sad and somewhat furious when this precious girl appeared just a few days ago. At first she had me confused because there's a good number of brown tabbys around here. As I sat on the steps to the garden enjoying a lovely sunset with the many new kittens goofing around, this new girl came up to me and walked straight into my lap. None of the other tabbys has ever made a direct approach like that. So of cause I took notice and realised it wasn't a cat I'd seen before - and she was badly emaciated. How could a girl this affectionate be so emaciated?? It for sure was a case of a holiday visitor having cared for her during their summer stay (when she was a young kitten) and then abandoned her when they went back home. First I find infinitely cruel to make a cat dependant on food if you take on to feed it and then leave it to fend for itself, but secondly I find it so cold and heartless to make it dependant on human effection and to then discard it.

Anyhow... she is very weak and will need a good amount of time to recouperate from the emaciation. She is so weak that she doesn't respond to any of the other cats walking up to check out who she is. In fact she walked up to one of the sleeping kittens to snuggle for warmth and had the kitten startled by her seeming audacity. But he realised she was no threat and happily obliged in a warm snuggle. She seems content as long as she can eat or snuggle. Whenever I'm around she follows me for an opportunity for a lap and embracing arms. Yesterday when I was on the ground taking these photos of her she thought I was offering her a place to spoon. So we did just that - and with the curious little looks of one of the new kittens (the white paws in the background).

Earlier this week I started experimenting with black/white photos. There is something so timeless and poignant about black and white images and I think particularly the top image portrayed here speak volumes of this girls story. The sad and empty look in her eyes captures the story of her heartless abandonment.

I can't wait to share happier images of this girl but for the moment - when it comes to how many cats I can take on - let me just say; "I'll say no more..." I'm beginning to think that the Great One above has something else in mind!

New life

2011-10-23T11:49:00.007+02:00

Little did I know that fateful morning ginger kitten was killed of it being the herald of a tragic death of a dear friend. She was a huge animal lover and has left behind a colony of 30 cats plus various strays/unwanted animals she cared for. She was constantly on the go with fundraising projects for good causes (animals, refugees, education for 3rd world countries) and you always knew where to find help with her around. Single-handedly she was responsible for the neutering of more than a 1000 cats. In the days following her death I wondered what message or wisdom she might want to pass from her life and a simple set of words appeared; "Do as much good work as you humanly can." That epitomized her life. Her passing has changed the atmosphere of this little island. It being a place where there is such a desperate number of animals in need she has left a gaping void behind. Only the day before she passed I was in the company of another friend of hers. Upon wondering about the fate of a tiny kitten in her neighbourhood the friend remarked; "Oh don't worry - Trudy will take care of it." Yes... she will be missed so so dearly.

So the good work must go on. Many little lives have come my way in the weeks since she passed. I almost feel as if she is sat up on a cloud pulling my strings - directing my path to where the desperate ones are to be found. I say desperate ones because right now any person in their right mind would want to close their eyes driving around this island. Teensy forlorn kittens are sat at each dumpster and you imagine how desperate the situation is when your consideration has to go something along the lines; at least it looks in a resonable condition - it'll be strong enough to fend for itself. I tell you, it goes against a caring instinct, but there simply (and sadly) just isn't enough capacity to care for them all.

But Ellie (imaged above) made her way in to my life - and there was no leaving her behind. And it was a strange moment. My DH and I were on our way to town and had just started a conversation about how we really had reached our limit with cats (another pair was rescued five days before!). I had just uttered the words; "I actaully fear finding another kitten" - and there and then I spotted (and I don't quite know how on earth I did it) Ellie, lying rainbattered (two days of torrential rain) in the side of the road in the opposite direction. Only about 10 days old - obviously discarded by a kitty mom who hadn't been able to cope in the rain. She was ice cold and her limbs moving very slowly. After a brief moment in sheer disbelief of the blatant irony of the situation, we rushed to the vet who declared she was just a few hours from dying. Luckily upon some intensive care she made a quick recovery.

But caring for her presented a whole new learning situation for me - one of which I felt a bit apprehensive. Bottle-feeding and caring for an orphaned baby kitten. They are so frail, can't regulate their own body temperature and without the antibodies in the mother milk they are highly supceptible to infections. It's basically an around the clock task to keep them alive. But... I like to learn. And here - almost two weeks later - is the magical and curious teensy Ellie. Caring for her has not been without some fretting (and she is still very delicate) but she is stronger and showing first signs of independence - and she is no doubt about to be a bundle of cute fun. Don't you think she already has the looks of a very great personality?!!

A sad but valuable lesson

2011-10-03T14:06:00.001+02:00

About a week ago we got a special delivery just outside our window. Three hungry kittens! It was our number-one-neutering-escape-artist Pepper who endowed us with the "tabby gifts." No longer any beating around the bushes - just plainly delivering her off-spring - now old enough to eat proper food. Alongside this delivery came her long-time mate Bruce The Bruiser - a REAL alpha male who lets nothing and no one get in his way. The very same male that has also fathered Tiny and Ninja - and later Twinkle (a single survivor of a litter). He has also been an elusive cat to catch - so this time around I thought to try and get near him with the hope I'd eventually be able to catch him by the scruff of the neck (I'm surprisingly fearless when it comes to matters like that). This last week I've been able to stroke him on a few occassions when feeding him - obvisouly not without some foul hissing designed to let me know who's the boss. But I managed it and after that he became noticeably more at ease - not needing to flee every time he saw me.

Anyhow, yesterday (exactly a week later) another young kitty mom suddenly appeared in the front garden (where I feed the adult cats - and Peppers new kittens). Never seen her before but there was no doubt what she came for. She cried out loud for food and was obviously hungry AND so was her three gorgeous little kittens - two more brown tabbys and one (swoon) little ginger tabby. When I did my late night check to see if there was peace and quiet all around I was deligthed to find the three new kittens huddled up in a padded box I'd provided for them.

I was even more delighted this morning to find they were still there. Kitty mom had left - probably now in the pursuit of a life of peace and quiet for herself. All cats - big and small alike - were fed their breakfast. Just before my husband and I set out on the early morning run to feed some local strays I even enjoyed the newcomers happily preening themselves in the morning sun - such a delightful scenery. I marvelled at gingers gorgeous glow in the yellow morning sun.

Well, that was the last taste of delight this particular morning. We dashed out and were back 10 minuttes later. To find Bruce The Bruiser victoriously sniffing the still body of ginger kitten. I just simply could not believe the horror in front of my eyes. Ginger had savagely been slashed around and killed.

Suddenly the sting of my ignorance began to burn. Something I know so well and yet had been so stupidly ignorant as to miss out on. An alpha male will likely kill off-spring that is not his own! Never had I imagined that I would actually witness any such thing. This was like a scene out of a documentary about wild lions. Truly vicious... and with no other purpose than to eradicate off-spring that was not his own. I suddenly got busy shooing him as far off as I could. There are still two kittens that are not his and they need to be protected. Now there's no other option than to arm myself with patience and to try and trap him as quickly as possible. This time around I have a very strong reason for wanting to catch him.

Above it's images of the two remaining kittens - Honey in the first image and Olive in the second. Later the two of them snuggled together in the shade.

Update!!! Tom cat has now been trapped and has been handed in for neutering. Now we hope for peace of mind and safety for the new kittens.

Removing the pain from Lilly's eyes

2011-09-25T21:42:00.000+02:00

Today Lilly has been with us for 12 days and she has made good friends with her new brothers and sisters - Rosie and Rufus in particular. She spent a week on her own (which she really enjoyed) letting her fungus clear to a large degree - she's still got a few days of treatment for it to clear completely.

Physically Lilly was in a pretty fine condition (everything taken into consideration) although I did find the look in her eyes rather pained and sad (scroll down two posts to compare). She was in this peculiar way where she seemed to really love cuddles but would get really bitey of the hands cuddling her and she would squeak and cry if hands were put on her too suddenly. I wondered if her story was one of being handled by small children not really knowing when to let her go. I found Lilly on a building site - a house almost finished and recently inhabited for a few weeks by the family building the house (a family with three children - all under the age of 6). I found Lilly roaming around on her own just a few days after they left the house and it would kind of make sense because Lilly wasn't really skinny and there are no other houses nearby. There was also no trace of a kitty mom or any siblings.

Well, I proceeded with this theory and told my dear husband to be mindful when handling Lilly and to let her all the time feel as if she had the upper hand and would be able to say no when she didn't want to engage. This approach started to make a difference - no more biting (she would bite even when we were handling/cuddling her really gently) and now she is so confident that she will walk into our laps of her own volition and we will just place a hand next to her - letting hands become a trusted friend again. This image is from yesterday morning - today we've been able to stroke Lilly very gently with no biting and no squeaking and it has been a major YES! feeling. To feel her become confident again is just wonderful - and her eyes are gradually becoming softer again.

Trust is truly something you have to win - you can't just assume it will be there and Lilly has demonstrated such a valuable lesson.

Busy sporting his dashing good looks

2011-09-18T16:39:00.000+02:00

I've spent a week quite besides myself. The day before Lilly made her appearance Tiny had gone missing. Tiny is my very first Greek rescue (one of those that was rescued back from the brink) so naturally I've developed quite an affection for him. Well, it appeared that he'd gone sporting his dashing good looks and only this morning did it occur to him to let me know that he was sound and well! Unusually affectionate - I spontaneously picked him up and gave him a kiss - and he let me! (unheard of before) and obviously with an impressive appetite.

He had me see parts of this valley that I've never even seen before (I spent several hours calling and looking for him). I also revisited an old post of mine (Nine steps to communicate with your animal) on how to communicate with your animal. I just needed to know what had happened. I've tried these steps before (and trust me they work!) so since I didn't seem to receive any clear message or image back, I decided to focus on one of the steps... if the animal doesn't want to talk with you then respect it and try some other time. The communication has to be on the premise of the animal.

I somehow thought he might have gone out and about doing what a young boy does (he is next in line for neutering!) and if it was his hormones ruling, then there'd be no getting through to him. I don't know for sure if that is what happened (he has shown no signs at home) but last night I asked him to please! come home and at least let me know he was alright. Thank goodness it seemed I was able to get his attention for a moment.

No resting on the laurels

2011-09-14T17:42:00.000+02:00

Just as things are beginning to settle and Rosie and Rufus have adapted to life just brilliantly - and I'm thinking that maybe I can now begin to get to other things (it is very time consuming bringing in a new kitty member), well then I go do this silly thing as to go out and about with my camera near a deserted hillside where there's a building site. At quite a distance away (I must have a bats sonar when it comes to kittens, lol) I hear this all too familiar sound of a kitten crying out; "Can someone please come rescue me?" So naturally, up the hillside I go in search of the sound and eventually find this scared little girl up a tall metal pole on the building site. She had jumped down on it from a high up place in an attempt to get down to the ground, but it was still too far down from the pole and she was in the predicament that it was too far for her to jump back up. After I'd rescued her off the pole and put her on the ground she just stood looking up at me - purring - and as if with this look in her sad little eyes; "Shall we go home then?" (luckily I think she'd heard the rumour in the local area!!). So I of course said; "Yes, lets go home."

As with most of the cats it's unknown what her story is. She is very playful and like cuddles so maybe she has been left behind by holiday-passers-by who has now left and has left her behind. She for sure was both hungry and thirsty - I took her straight to the vet afterwards and he laughed because her little belly was so full. Apart from having skin fungus (which can be bad enough - it's terribly contagious) she is fit and well and has now settled well to being in isolation (a room of her own) for a week until she has recovered enough from the fungus and can be introduced to her new friends. Her name is Lilly.

A new day to explore

2011-09-04T11:06:00.000+02:00

Each day here starts with new adventures to be had and things to be explored. You might remember Noona - hyperplasia girl (and oh my goodness she was so battered when I found her) who due to a very bad case of mammary hyperplasia couldn't jump (any height at all) - even her front legs were bent due to the exess body mass. Well this morning she discovered there was a pergola roof to be explored, so up she jumped and climbed up with not much thought as how to get down again! In this image she is giving me a slightly concerned look as to say; "how do I get back down again?" - but she of course made her way down a minutte later.

The little guys (Rosie and Rufus) starts their day a bit tentative - first observing the big guys and then they jump into action. After about an hour of wild games they each find a good spot to observe bugs and birds.

I should just add a little note about my last post about Rosie. The images in the last post are already several weeks old - they were just used for comparison purposes because the poses were quite similar to her dad, but do not be fooled :-) this girl has packed some meat on those gorgeous bones!! Sometimes when I look at her I cannot believe how much she has grown in 6 weeks - it's actually quite remarkable given the state in which she was found. All the images in this post are from this morning.

Here Rufus has discovered a brilliant place to safely observe life going by - the open pergola window. He is a little miracle too - just a dearie (I promise I won't call you that when you're a big boy Rufus!) real playful, cuddly, sweet and impish. How can something so fine appear out of an early dumpster life?! He is now where he belongs - that's for sure!

There's such an essence of beauty in these little lives and they're each a true blessing in my life.

A teddy bear in waiting

2011-08-29T11:29:00.000+02:00

It's a known fact that Rosie and Rufus' mother is black - I've seen Rufus moving closely with her. But it's often a much greater mystery as to who's the father to kittens. I therefore had to bring my camera around to the park where I found Rosie and Rufus as I one day saw this gorgeous teddy bear (you just want to snuggle with him). It seems he is among the more lucky of town cats as it appears that he is well fed and in a rather fine condition - everything taken into consideration. He is calm, friendly and has that element where you just want to bring him home - just a real presence. As you can see I had a sweet reason for wanting to capture a few images - no one (and there are MANY cats in that park) looks anything like him and when it comes to the question of who has fathered Rosie and Rufus (well Rosie in particular) there can be no question!! Even where the white and grey meet on the paws - the curves, coloring and lines are all the same.

Well Rosie started out real calm in life but has now realized that there is such a thing as feeling super charged and full of energy and she is turning out to be a real little kung fu master. Rufus is willing but even he is ocassionally a bit overwhelmed by his sisters new found super powers! Rosie has tripled her weight in 5 weeks and still going - she loves food. Rufus has settled well and loves cuddles - and loves that meals gets served with frequent intervals throughout the day! They both love the company of all their new brothers and sisters and all of them can often be found snuggling tighly together when it's time for naps. There's something so sweet about how these rescue cats accept each other - maybe something in them knows they share a similar destiny?

Anyhow... maybe Rosie will level out at some point and become a calm presence as her father but for now it's just terrific seeing this girl charging around!

When the eyes go soft

2011-08-21T17:44:00.001+02:00

It's evident that food and water goes a long way to keep a little kittie going - and I am delighted at how much weight both Rosie and Rufus has both gained, but what thrills me most of all is the softness that has appeared in their eyes. It's just plain evident that human love, kindness and tenderness feeds something into those little souls that not even the best of quality foods can bring about. And doesn't it make you wonder what it is that looks out of those eyes when you see them go soft?? That's what I work for.

This morning I noticed in Rufus' eyes what I saw in Rosie's eyes a few weeks ago (in my last post about Rosie). I treasure it - I truly do, softness. And yet, on top of that, I still feel compelled to go back and look at those early photos of Rosie. Her transformation is amazing. Just look at this photo from this morning. Five weeks on from when I fist saw these two.

At first they didn't recognise each other but they now play and romp and get excited together. Before their lives evolved around surviving between meals - no room for playing. They're such perfect therapy for each other. Rosie was very quiet before but she has become a boisterous little girl (a trait from Rufus) and I believe Rosie has demonstrated to Rufus that it's okay to trust a human hand. He's become quite confident when a hands comes his way for a cuddle.

"Tenderness and kindness are not signs of weakness and despair

but manifestations of strength and resolution"

Kahlil Gibran

What we can do we will do

2011-08-14T17:43:00.000+02:00

It's exactly four weeks ago today that I - completely by chance (or not!) - spotted Rosie and Rufus badly emaciated in a town park. If you've follwed the story of Rosie's rescue you will know that I went back every day to feed Rufus and make sure he was making good progress too.

He was also badly emaciated (you can almost count his ribs in the image above) but compared to Rosie he was actually strong - he was like a lightning rod whenever there was food - and I therefore decided to let him stay with kitty mom and come back to check on him every day. He kept doing well until about 10-12 days ago when it appeared kitty mom had gone astray (or whatever else happened) and he began to just sit in a forlorn and pittyful state underneath the dumpster on the street outside the park. I had rescued him twice from the huge dumpster because he would jump into the dumpster to search for food, but each time they had been emptied he was too small to make his way out. Also he had developed a serious diarrhea - it would literally run out of him whenever he ate. He'd begun to give off the feeling that he was loosing his will to go on and I frankly couldn't get the image of him out of my mind whenever going to sleep at night.

Again - I knew there was only one thing to do - so last Sunday evening I brought him back home. And don't get the idea that I just travel around looking for kittens to rescue. As a matter of fact I've seen and heard so many kittens in the area where Rosie and Rufus comes from that I've had to develop a kind of "don't look, don't listen" state of mind. As I've heard so many times "You can't rescue them all" - but my approach is that of some lovely words once uttered by Gandhi. When the Indien people were suffering due to the British laws imposed upon them making it impossible for them to live, a village elder asked Gandhi; "Will you help us?" and Gandhi (knowing they were up against impossible odds) answered; "What we can do we will do."

The day after I rescued Rufus he went to the vet for an examination. The vet told me that had he not been rescued he would not have made it beyond a couple of days with the severity of his diarrhea. He actaully spent 5 days at the vet in the attempt to restore his digestive system. It's gotten a lot better but he has still some days to go. As you can see in the image above he is just a little hearttrob with a well kept secret - a darling white belly. Now it is Rufus' time to learn to be a kitten again - just playing and goofing around, having a soft place to sleep and not having to worry where the food will come from.

Life as it should be

2011-08-09T14:29:00.000+02:00

During this past week Rosie made some great steady progres so she started having some outdoor time with the other cats. Here she is having an afternoon chill and this time around (for the first time) I believe she deliberately turned the knob on the cute-ometer allowing the photographer a few darling images.

A big lazy yawn and then deciding to play for the gallery...

A lovely super content wellness-wiggle...

- and a simple pose to show those tender doey eyes. Kitten, have mercy on my melting heart!

More about Rufus soon.

16 days

2011-08-02T14:34:00.000+02:00

- and the difference between life and death (I reckon) is what is between these images of before and after.

I know I've posted a lot about this girl recently but she has taken up a lot of my time. I'm thrilled at her progress and she is now firmly on a road of recovery and she is full of beans, courage and life-appetite. She promptly joins the bigger cats for meals and is not shy to tell me when I don't deliver it fast enough! (that's when she is having wet food - her absolute favorite). She has access to dry food all the time and eats very well and now drinks regularly, another yay! Only a few days ago she started preening herself rigorously - as if she felt she had a lot to catch up with.

She loves her toys - above she is clawing a toy mouse and she is at last having the energy to do what a little kitten should be doing... play, play and some more play (remember, she could barely walk from weakness the first day I spotted her!). It was only on day 12 she stopped sleeping and resting around the clock - imagine the sheer level of exhaustion she must have felt.

Anyhow... just another little report of her splendid progress - it's truly delightful.

Rosie & Rufus

2011-07-28T16:20:00.000+02:00

YES! - the little girl is back and thank you ALL so much for your warming words of encouragement and sweet prayers. I believe Rosie felt it all because this girl has made good progress (according to her actual condition). She returned back home yesterday after 3 days of observation at the vet. I could see a brighter look in her eyes and when she was released back into her room she instantly went for the food bowl - and washed it down with water! Seems silly, but my hands went in the air as this was the first time ever I've seen her drink water... woohoo!! It was as if she instantly wanted to quell my fears (I brought her to the vet because she'd stopped eating and didn't drink any water at all - and I seriously wondered if she would pull through).

Well, she pulled another surprise on me just an hour later when the entire motley kitty crew arrived for their evening meal. There's usually 6-8 of them that gathers in the kitchen for a little yummy snack (wet food). When I went to feed them my husband stayed behind in the room with Rosie and we decided to leave the door open so she could get a sense of her new colony to stimulate her sense of belonging. We sat back with dropped jaws as Rosie swooped out of her room and went straight to Noona's bowl, pushed her aside and started eating! Noona was startled but indulged the little stranger that seemed to appear out of nowhere. It was a wonderful scene where all happily ate together and it was obvious that this was something Rosie had been used to before. After the meal had finished she was sniffed by a few and popped back into her room.

Here she reclined back onto her little "Teddy-bear" blanket. Apparently (I did a search about kitten depression online) a "Teddy-bear" blanket sprayed with a few whiffs of Feliway mimics the softness of a kitty mom and has a calming scent. It acts as a pleasing "surrogate" after the removal from kitty mom. She purrs loudly and kneads her little blanket real well and now - instead of retreating into her box - she sleeps on her "Teddy-bear." She is doing well (even plays a tiny bit as you can see in the first image) and yet this little furry bundle has to gain a LOT of strength. She is still anemic and needs loads of rest.

As I mentioned in my last post, Rufus (I have come to believe her brother is a little boy??) has had the same treatment for worms and parasites. He didn't go to the vet as Rosie because he is very boisterous and roams around with kitty mom, but I have been back to the park everyday to feed him and since he lets me handle him I've been able to give him the treatments. All images above of both Rosie and Rufus are from today. If you see the images from 12 days ago (when I first discovered them both) you can see that Rufus' furcoat looks so much better, he has put on weight too and he actually has a softer look in the eyes. If you wonder about the shiny streak of fur by his ear it's due to that he gets fed a special wet food to boost his immune system and the excitement usually stirrs up such a commotion that a bit of it lands on his head. Today he didn't mind polishing off a few dry pellets as well!

When it's all too much for a little kitty

2011-07-25T00:06:00.000+02:00

So as you know, this little girl was brought to the vet for some intensive care for three days. During the course of the three days she was treated for intestinal parasites and fleas (she was virtually being eaten inside out) and even though she was very weak, she ate well. Upon bringing her back home she was still weak (she barely stood on her legs when she was brought back) but still with a good appetite. We had lot's of physical contact - and she purred every time. Unfortunately she didn't drink any water at all and Saturday she began to develop constipation and showed signs of great discomfort (many small squeaks and barely eating). Saturday evening she was treated manually by a vet to help her do her toilet. It helped but it appeared it'd really exhausted her. I had hoped she would be back to eating Sunday morning but she still didn't eat - also not drinking. She just wanted to sit in her little box quite withdrawn. It somehow appeared that she had the same problem - not really being able to do her toilet. This evening I brought her back to the vet. I was surprised when he informed me that she didn't have constipation and she didn't have a fever - there was no obvious signs of anything wrong with her. But he said she was feeling down.

When you do your uttermost it can feel a bit discouraging, but in a sense I wasn't surprised. I've been trying to feel and register her and I did get sensations that she missed her sibling, kitty mom and her old environment (as horrible it might all have appeared to me!). I've been in such a contradiction about this that at times I've almost wanted to bring her back to her kitty mom and sibling (as crazy as this might sound). But I know I couldn't possibly. When I picked her up from the vet last week I was told to keep her from other cats for 10 days because she was so weak that she couldn't possibly fend for herself. But you can imagine the contradiction and my urge to want to bring her back together with her little family (yes, I also pondered trying to capture her feral kitty mom and sibling to bring them back here, but knew it would cause further distress).

Well, for the moment she is staying with the vet for some observation. Apparently she instantly started eating again - maybe the noise of other cats has a strange calming effect on her, given the fact she comes from an environment with a colony of cats. I am so hoping and believing though that she will eventually be able to settle here in spite of the many seeming changes to her little life.

Running parallel to her story - the little black kitten (her sibling) has had the exact same treatment as she had this week (for fleas and intestinal parasites). I've been back every day feeding him lots of nutritious food. He is doing very well and is very strong (always first at the foods bowls).

Now I patiently wait for little girls return (I think her name is Rosie). This attempted rescue has been a valuable lesson for me in that when I thought I could take her away and rescue her physically, I didn't really consider that I would be depriving her of an emotional/social need (from being part of a colony of cats - even though she's only little).

I humbly proceed and hope to learn faster and better for the sake of the cats.

What further happened...

2011-07-19T22:44:00.000+02:00

As said, I did go back the same evening. This time I stepped into the little town "park" - a mostly dirty little space between two roads (one busy and one not so busy). The irony was, that when I stepped inside this space there were plenty of water bowls and food stations - somebody obviously feeding these cats. Pretty mucky - but nevertheless. I'm sure a goodhearted attempt Greek style, which means just looking after the basics but which further means, lots and lots of pregnant cats - again a case of some way too young (one I'd guess not more than 20 weeks old). It's not a pretty sight. And cat flu... every other cat sneezing and coughing. You get the picture. A full blown cat colony with no control.

I spotted all the adult cats first, even though I was looking for the little white and grey tabby. After a while I spotted the little black kitten - just sitting quietly on the paved area. And then I spotted the white and grey tabby - almost camouflaged within the paving. Also sitting very quietly - listless really. To cut a lot of words short - still not eating (or showing any signs of interest) and as mentioned in an obvious critical condition I decided to come back the next morning with what I know from other cats to be super yummy wet food. As it is with ferals you never know when they'll be around so unfortunately no signs of the kittens the next morning. I did wonder if it'd been too late to rescue the listless kitten but to decided to give it another go the same evening. This time it sat in the earth and I honestly nearly didn't see it - again so still that it just completely blended in. No longer with any energy to flee I popped a plate right it front of it and luck! - it started to eat. Whilst it ate I gently stroked it - I knew it'd be too exhausted to escape. After it finished eating I thought it needed to go to the vet straight away, so I tried something a bit daring. I picked it up and just held it up to my chest with the result of a quiet purring! I sensed its urge to escape but I believe the urge to be resuced was greater. I honestly felt it wanted to be rescued. My husband was with me and we both agreed to seize the moment and bring it straight to the vet. After he'd driven the car around I just litterly carried it and held it in my hands as we drove the luckily short distance to the vet.

As I handed the kitten to the vet he gasped at how emaciated this kitten was. Just bones and absolutely nothing else. Upon examination it turned out it was a little girl and almost on cue she let go of a bit of water - and sorry for being a bit graphic - but lets just say that it wasn't pee. A test was instantly made and it turned out that she had stomach parasites - apart from being completely flea ridden. We agreed with the vet to let them keep her for three days to give her some intensive care and to let her gain some strength.

Meanwhile... I've been back several times to feed and check on the little black kitten. I've spotted it moving around with it's kitty mom and they've eaten together. The difference with the little black kitten is that he's shown a lot of gusto - he is very eager when he eats. I can gather that he must have the same problem - stomach parasites. I'll find a way to get him treated as well, but I want to try to get him back with his mum. It is possible that maybe white and grey tabby is a sibling, but in agreement with the vet - it would not be the right thing to put this little girl back on the street again. Now we wait and hope she makes good progress at the vet - then the next step will be to bring her back and let her recuperate with a lot of tlc before introducing her to the rest of the troops.

This tiny 1 pound has got me good already. More to come soon.

P.S. In this image above you can spot a bigger kitten making an attempt to play - this little one just simply didn't have the strength to engage in play.

What gets you?

2011-07-17T17:19:00.000+02:00

Cats gets me. As in - they get to me in a deep inner way. This morning I went about my Sunday morning with camera in hand as I like to do most Sundays. On Sundays I like travelling around the island taking photos of all sorts of things. Today I went to a place with lots of old shutters - full of charm and atmospheric patina. It's all very pleasant and enjoyable. Only as I go about my morning I'm aware of a slightly uneasy feeling, so I know something is in store - only I don't know what.

After a while I pack up my camera and slowly head out of town. Just as I roll out of the narrow streets I spot a back-yard with a small colony of cats. A very familiar scene only there's this black little guy sitting in front of them all and his skinniness instantly troubles me. Most cats are adults and looks sort of allright but the little black kitten is clearly emaciated. I get out of the car to leave a bit of food and to check if there's any water in the two plastic containers left of the wall. There's no water at all in the plastic containers (and it is seriously hot at the moment) so I fill them both to the brim. I leave some food as well but the little guy goes straight for the water. He's obviously dehydrated. Afterwards he disinterested nibbles a bit of food. Maybe it's a sign that someone feeds these cats but I can't quite figure then why this little one is so emaciated. I can't approach him as he's a little feral so I sit back in the car and take a few shots with my camera.

As I sit and take a few shots this other little guy appears out of the shade from somewhere. And with this one it is serious. He (or she) has this pained, rigid and very slow walk. Like there's nothing left in the tiny body to keep the limbs going. As I step out of the car to get a closer look he staggers back towards where he came from so I instantly step backwards again. I get the sense that he urgently needs water so I place one of the plastic containers as close as I can and step further back. He doesn't drink but finds the food and grabs one pellet with his mouth - and lets it drop again. It appears there's no strength left.

I'm left in a huge contradiction as I want to help these two little kittens - and I want to do it now. But I've go no transport box and they're too feral (meaning they could go into some sort of chock if I try to catch them in this extreme heat). I feel genuinely concerned about the little white and grey tabby and decide to come back in the evening when it's cooled off. His state is just such that I don't know if he'll make it through the day.

As I drive away I'm aware that a morning full of "perfectly pleasant" has completely subsided. These kittens "got me." Cats in need gets me. I cannot stand their pain. It stays with me until I've figured what I can do to help them. And it's a strange feeling - a peculiar contradiction. I feel like God gave me cats. It brings me into contact with inner chambers of myself. It's a place where I like to be.

I know a crisis psychologist who travels around the world whereever major catastrophes takes place. He once described how much he loves his job because it makes him feel alive and how he just loves the way peoples humanity instantly kicks in when a catastrophy has occured. Everyone helps everyone. I can utterly relate to the feeling why he loves his job.

What gets you?

P.S. I will go back later today and see if there is anything I can do.

A brave little soul

2011-07-15T19:59:00.000+02:00

So the little miss Noona was spayed two days ago and is now recovering quietly - mostly sleeping indoors. She is such a braveheart considering the ordeal she's been through already. As you will see in the third image she is not through recovering from the mammary hyperplasia yet, but since she had bad side effects from the last treatment the vet decided it was better to let her recover for 10 days and to then go ahead with spaying her. That will now settle her hormones, which hopefully will make the last swelling go away.

It's increddibly rewarding to see how beautiful her face has become - just compare these two images above from day 3 and week 3. The look in her eyes has become so soft (top image).

In this image above (after being spayed) you can get an idea of how skinny she really was when she was rescued. You can see she is still quite skinny - and that's after more than three weeks of eating a highly nutritious diet.

It took a very long time for her to begin to preen herself and it's wonderful to finally see her being able to. She physically simply wasn't able to with all the extra weight as seen in the above image.

So far she's endured two horrible hormone treatments, an abortion, being on intravenous fluid during the days of the bad side effect of the hormone treatment, being spayed, trying to find her own space in a new colony of cats and still trying to recover from a stubborn cold (which she's proably carried around since she was a kitten). Luckily she is VERY affectionate and we have some lovely nose rubs. It naturally does her a lot of good and gives her the strength to go on. She truly deserves a second chance and to live a life where she doesn't need to fight for her survival. I think she's done enough of that.

Portraits of two young boys

2011-07-14T22:14:00.000+02:00

It's not the first time I've posted about these two young boys but there's moments where I just stop and get a little amazed at how far things have come in terms of the trust and confidence they've developed since their feral start to life about 9 months ago. Today I was quietly sat taking a few shots of Noona (who was finally spayed yesterday - and she looks so good), when these two boys came inside and kept us company. Tiny snuggled up next to us whilst Ninja chilled on the cool floor - and naturally I just had to turn my lense to capture a few shots of these two handsome boys too.

There's something about the shots that captures their natures very well - Ninja looks almost a bit oriental next to an old Chinese drawer, whilst Tiny looks soft snuggled in the quilts. Even though they have quite a different facial expression they're both very cuddly and giddy and I just love how affectionate they've become. They're such great teachers to me in terms of the virtue of patience.

Above is an image of where it all started - two tiny strangers in the garden. They lived in the little dark den you can spot in the background and they used to flee at the speed of a lightning rod whenever they as much as heard a footstep approaching. This image is taken from a long distance away - I was obviously captivated by their cuteness. I never dreamt of them chilling on a sofa next to me!

New shots of little miss Noona tomorrow.

A ghostly little presence

2011-07-12T14:50:00.001+02:00

Just had to share this image and story - maybe it's gone around the world by now, I don't know.

I think I'd be freaked out a little if I had found an image like the one above on my window - which is what happened to a woman in England. This text and iamge is from BBC News...

A woman returned to her Cumbrian home to find a near perfect imprint of an owl on her window.

The bird had apparently crashed into the window of Sally Arnold's Kendal home, leaving the bizarre image - complete with eyes, beak and feathers. Experts said the silhouette was left by the bird's "powder down" - a substance protecting growing feathers. Mrs Arnold said she could find no sign of the owl, so assumed it had flown off without serious injury. She said: "Our first concern was for the welfare of what we suspected was an owl and we opened up the window to check if it was still around. Fortunately, there was no sign of the bird and we can only assume that it had flown away probably suffering from a headache."

I hope the bird survived with no major injuries and hope it'll cope with that much less powder down for it's growth.

Image via BBC News/RSPB/PA

Little golden deities

2011-07-10T23:42:00.000+02:00

This evening we had a particularly spectacular sunset. All the characters gathered on the wall in front of the house as if to enjoy the glow which (I thought) made them all appear like little golden deities.

As for the activities of this past week Molly above had to have a large abcess treated. She is one of the shy ferals which I've only just recently got to stroke. I felt terrible about having to grab her to go to the vet, but there was no two ways about it - it was an infected bite wound.

Also this week Pepper (mother to Tiny, Ninja and in the last round Twinkle) had, God better it, another litter of kittens. Yes, say what! She is a world class escape artist and has espaced various cage-trappings, two times getting netted (by a proffesional!) and being drugged with a sleeping pill in the attempt to catch her for neutering. Yes, I can hear the God's laughing at me in the light of my last post. She gave birth the day after!! At least this time around the weather is on her side (it's very warm day and night and not a raindrop in sight). I will try to keep things calm at base and hope she did like last time, where she eventually brought the kittens around.

When Molly (again above) came back from her vet treatment I felt concerned that it would be the end of her confidence with me for a long while. I was extremely touched when she sat at her usual spot the very next morning waiting for me to come give her food - and she let me pet her! I was so humbled.

And it seems Humphrey's (above) owners has arrived for the summertime - he looks very well fed and very happy. He arrived skinny and in a clearly depressed state after his owners left during winter time. Now he just comes for an evening snack - cats are clever!

Noona is making great progress and will be going in for her neutering this coming week. She's found out what it means to play and being a kitten again - so delightful. More images to come this coming week.

The suffering you will have prevented

2011-07-06T23:51:00.000+02:00

A pair of kittens before being spayed and neutered last week at the Marin Humane Society in Novato, Calif.

Marin Humane Society is credited with opening the first private, low-cost spay and neuter clinic in the U.S

I received a link to a great article this morning from Mariette's Back to Basics. The article informs that fewer pets are being killed due to spay and neutering programs - and isn't that just brilliant news!

The news comes from Los Angeles and here's a small extract:

"It took years of campaigning to change thinking about sterilizing pets, but it has paid off. This year fewer than 4 million unwanted dogs and cats will be euthanized, down from as many as 20 million before 1970.

There are several reasons: Aggressive adopt-a-pet campaigns are carried out every day in cities all over the country and breed rescues save many dogs. But animal experts believe spaying and neutering has played the biggest role in saving so many lives.

Nearly every public shelter, private rescue or animal welfare organization in the country donates money, space or time to low-cost spay and neuter clinics.

Spaying and neutering has become the law in some states, counties and cities. Many states require all shelter animals to be sterilized. Rhode Island requires most cats to be sterilized, and Los Angeles requires most dogs and cats to be spayed or neutered by the time they are 4 months old.

While shelters are firmly onboard, the biggest problem has been selling sterilization programs to pet owners."

And this is where I would like to place a comment myself...

I've come across this regretable attitude several places (countries), in particular here in Greece. I'm not sure what kind of conviction this stance comes out from - some religous (and no offense) but mostly I think just out of pure ignorance. If anyone has ever watched the miserable suffering of a cat born in the wild (and dogs too) it might make them change their mind. Truly and seriously.

If you've ever been responsible for having just one female cat spayed - just take a moment to appreciate these numbers:

The average number of litters a fertile cat can produce in one year is 3
The average number of kittens in a feline litter is 4–6
In seven years, one female cat and her offspring can theoretically produce 420,000 cats
Only 1 in 12 of those 420,000 cats born find a home! (based on estimates in America)

That is a WHOLE lot of misery and suffering you will have prevented from entering into this world!

On top of this... if only ignorant people knew how safe, simple and fast these procedures are. I've observed both spaying and netuering - both is done with very small incisions and with the use self-absorbing sutures (no sutures needed for males in what I've observed). It's all done in no time.

Thank goodness for those low-cost spay and neuter clinics appearing in America. I wish it'd spread all around the world.

You can read the full article here.

A few answers...

2011-07-03T15:34:00.000+02:00

There's been a few questions recently as to how the cats that I rescue live.

Well first of all, we live together on a small Cycladic island in a small estate at the end of the white track you can discern on the left hand side in the image above. It is set in a small bay which is a nature preserved area and therefore very friendly to any nature creature - given the fact that they are looked after of course. We're so lucky that we have a small bungalow/apartment (which was meant for another purpose!), but which has now become the home for those cats that have directly been rescued - meaning they suffered in one way or another. We have another 5-6 feral/semi-feral cats which lives in and around the garden. They have access to an outdoor sheltered space with blankets, but unless it rains they prefer to sleep in bushes or under the neighbors abandoned rowing boat (it's a very warm climate here). They would freak out in a confined space. The rescue cats spend much of their time outside but love to snuggle indoor at night time or when it is just too hot outside (which it is at the moment). Finding the right purpose for the little bungalow has evolved naturally over time. It's small with a combined kitchen/living room and a seperate bedroom, which now acts as the recovery room for any newcomer. It's just the perfect space for the cats. I've long admired this lady - and who knows... this place might one day look similar.

But then there's the sunshine...

2011-07-02T20:16:00.000+02:00

Admitted, it was a very tough week but my goodness how all your kind and compassionate words helped carry me through. Yesterdays sad turn of events did make me count my lovely blessings - the gorgeous furry bundles whose lives were saved from a certain death or a miserable existence by the dumpsters. They truly are my sunshine and light up my days. Given the fact that we've had an extremely hot day today they all retreated inside for some cool chillin', which gave ample opportunity to grab a few new snapshots. In this image above it's Tiny who was the first official rescuee - he was litterally dying from a severe respiratory infection when he was just 7-8 weeks old. Him and his brother Ninja (below) were the first to appear in the garden last fall. They were two feral kittens - now a couple of cheeky young goof balls, which I can cuddle.

Then there's lovely Benji. Rescued from a dumpster life by a busy road when he was 5-6 months old (grabbed him when I found him badly mauled and with a flu). He is amazing. He is so kind and so placid. He has turned out to be so perfect with the little kittens. He used to be really hyper but looking after the kittens, it seems he's found a purpose in life. You might have seen the lovely images of him and Twinkle a few weeks ago and he simple adores Emma.

And Emma adores him right back. Here it's Emma below - rescued when she was 7-8 weeks old. She was drowning in the neighbors water container. It appeared she was a little kitten that had gotten lost from mommy kitty (maybe mommy kitty died). She used to look for something to suckle whenever cuddled - obviously she was missing the warmth of suckling milk. Well guess what... she has taken to snuggling tightly with Benji - and suckling under his armpit! Yes, Benji is a boy :-) It is the cutest sight. The lovliest thing is that they both purr loudly and completely blisssed out. A typical moment is one like the one above where Benji is deeply asleep and Emma will creep in and start suckling!

Don't belive this girl for a moment (above). She is just looking up as if not to get caught in the act! But she does indeed suckle Benji. He'll usually embrace her with his big tender paws. Her impish cuteness is illegal. Twinkle is absent in this photoshoot as he was busy being a big boy sleeping in the bushes. He loves hanging out with these guys.

And of course the darling Noona. So tired but sooo very happy to be back home again this morning. We had a "Noona fest" where we just fussed over her for an hour before she desperately wanted a sleep. Here she is resting in my husbands arms. Purring the entire time before she fell asleep.

And having talked of my little sunshines... I received a Sunshine Award a few days ago from Mariette's Back to Basics - a lady with a passion for travel, gardening, fine things, etiquette and manners (and honestly, where do you find that these days??). I'm thrilled whenever the stories of these otherwise unwanted little people of God reaches the world and I thank you for helping me spread the word.

Very fittingly I would like to pass on the award to Sunshine, author of Such Life In The Tropics. She was the very first person to leave a comment on Gods Little People and it spurred me on at a time where I seriously didn't think anyone was out there reading this blog. She's a loyal blog companion (I really appreciate the quality of loyalty!) and I love reading her blog - so full of life, humor, happy days and a sense of celebrating life - and we share a great love of animals. I always thought her blogger name couldn't be more fitting.

Working in the trenches

2011-07-01T14:59:00.000+02:00

Noona earlier this week observing the kittens play.

Thank you ALL so much for your immense kindness. Your words have warmed so much and encouraged me hugely. They have helped carry me through a very painful week.

As mentioned in the last post Noona went in for her second treatment for mammary hyperplasia. During the afternoon though, after having come back from the vet, she developed a bit of a peculiar behavior. She started eating bits of gravel from her toilet tray, stopped drinking, ate very little and seemed generally very tired. I spoke with different vets to try to collect some intelligence about this peculiar behavior and were told to give it a bit of time. The next day she developed a cold (again) - she just finished a course of antibiotics for a cold. This made it somewhat difficult to discern her symptoms because it is a well known fact that a cat (just like humans) doesn't really eat or drink if it is unwell. I was adviced to replace the gravel in her toilet tray with sand - which I did - and then she started licking the sand! Still not drinking any water. Yesterday morning I brought her back to the vet to be monitored and to have some intravenous fluid. Well I just came back from visiting her. She seems to be doing well - they haven't observed her eating from the toilet tray and she is eating a little. I had a lovely nuzzle with her - nose to nose as we do - and I felt moved when she wanted to show me her 'good-will' by eating as eagerly as she could. She will be taken off the intraveenous fluid this afternoon and if she remains as stable as she is now, she will come home tomorrow morning. Her treatment for the hyperplasia has otherwise worked really well - they swelling has gone down so much. Unfortunaly the treatment is so new that no written documentation exists about possible side effects in cats (only in dogs). I need this little girl to recover and come home (I told her I would collect her tomorrow!) - because it has been an otherwise very sad week.

The mammary glands having shrunk so much that Noona can finally sit with her front paws together.

Last weekend two new feral cats appeared in the garden. An adult and a 6-7 month old kitten. Both extremely emaciated. The mature cat ate well - the little one tentatively. As with feral cats you can't actually get too close - but I could see the little one wasn't too well and I've frankly never seen a cat with such sad eyes. You know, where you can see the expression in the eyebrows. It was very painful. I instantly tried to establish a connection because I knew this one too had to go to the vet. I simply sit down on the floor at what for them will feel like a safe distance. And I start to talk. I let the cat know that it is safe and that I will look after it - if it will allow me to. She - I named her Kimmie - listened and within the next couple of days she was within an arms reach. I could see her breathing was strenuous. Monday night I told her to be there in the morning if she would allow me to get her help (I was going to vet with Noona and thought to bring this one along). She wasn't there in the morning (guess I forgot to be specific!) but suddenly in the evening she appeared before me - clearly not with an ounce of energy left. It was just before closing time at the vet so I leapt for a transport box and my mobile phone and asked if I could bring her in. They instantly brought him! into intensive care. Upon examination the following morning it turned out he had a very bad double-sided pheumonia and they put him on intravenous antibiotics. I prayed and I prayed... I so badly wanted this little beauty - a long haired brown tabby - to live. But sadly this morning, as I received the news that Noona was stable, Kimmie had just given up the battle. The pain stung so badly. The inevitable I should have gotten him there earlier kicked in. And then there's the mental predicament. Why do I get so carried away by these little furry lives?

I just can't stand their pain. I can't stand the thought that they don't actually stand a fighting chance. This week I also pulled aside a 10-12 week old kitten that had just gotten run over by a car. They matter so little that no one can be bothered to check on the life they've just left behind to die. And another kitten - even younger - that sat at the dumpster for a few days looking for food. I fed it for a few days but it has now disappeared. Gone no doubt.

Many years ago I was taught a valuable lesson - that just because you care or do a kind act - you shouldn't expect from others to do the same. You do it because that is how you have decided to be as a human. Sometimes it feels as if I'm working in the trenches on my own - but at the end of the day... I feel so honored.

P.S. Mariette, my dear friend, thank you so much for the Sunshine award. I will return to that in my next post.

Noona's rescue

2011-06-27T23:13:00.000+02:00

Last week I mentioned a new addition to the feline tribe around here - and here she is. Her name is Noona. She was in a very particular and urgent need of help. I first spotted her in a taverna 10 days ago. You might know it's a very common sight to see cats begging for food in Greek tavernas - it almost epitomizes Greek tavernas. And this one was no different. Most cats though looked well and healthy enough but this little girl sat back and was having a difficult time keeping up with the others fighting over the bits of food people threw for them. I noticed she had a very strange shape. She is little (maybe 6 months old) and looked pregnant, but in a strange way. She looked just in an appalling state. Apart from her pregnant look and being way too young for a pregnancy, she was emtremely skinny and had a cold. To me it was clear she wouldn't make it much longer in her state. I wowed to come back to find her and to get her to the vet immediately.

I passed by three days in a row before finally spotting her again last Monday. Luckily she seemed to know she needed help - she popped straight into the transport box! Then off to the vet.

Turned out this little girl had a condition called mammary hyperplasia. A condition where the mammary glands swells due to too much progesterone - something that tends to occur in young unspayed female cats due to pregnancy. So yes, she was indeed also pregnant, but the strange shape was from huge swollen mammary glands. Quite unreal. You can see the enormous extra added weight she was carrying around - and these images above are AFTER she aborted four 4 week old feteuses (that's almost half-way through a cat pregnancy). Before the injection to help cure this condition (which is what caused- and is meant to cause an abortion) she was swollen the whole way up her chest and she could hardly walk. It was more of a waddle. In the second image you can see that her legs had gotten quite bend to allow for all the added body mass. She was and still is unable to preen herself - she understandably loves it when I wash her.

Well, these bottom images are from today. As you can see she is MUCH better already but will need to go back for another shot tomorrow. She might need treatment for a total of four weeks before this condition is in complete remission. Sometimes it might not completely disappear so I'm keeping fingers crossed she'll be fully cured.

She has spent most of the week resting... and just wanting cuddles and attention. Whenever I've stroked her along her spine I've literally been able to feel/sense the soreness she's been feeling. It must have been hugely arduous for her with the extreme added weight.

It's literally taken all week to get her cleaned up (her belly still needs the treatment, but that'll have to wait). The muck and dirt (even oil) from the road was so stuck to her fur. But we're getting there. Last weeks trip to the vet was very taxing for her - I hope she'll do better tomorrow. Hopefully the TLC so far will have made her stronger. When I look at the pain in her face and eyes in the first image I sometimes wonder how these cats even have the will to go on. Who cannot not want to help a cat in such a state?

The right to build a nest

2011-06-26T12:32:00.011+02:00

If you're familiar with some of my earlier posts you'll know just how much I love bird nests and all the beauty jam-packed into it. The nest above is one I found in a forrest floor - I think it'd been abandoned, no trace of chicks or egg-shells. I had a moment where I just stood in awe and admired all the fine intricacies wowen into it. I mean... look at all those little twigs, feathers and horse hair - collected from a nearby horse field. I honestly think it gives pause for thought. Doesn't it move you to know all the effort and urge this little bird/birds must have felt.

Well, this nest is quite small (maybe built by a blue tit) - so just image how teensy this glorious little hummingbird nest is.

And yet, it is a PERFECT little nest. A master-piece. Just look above and below at the details of this hummingbird nest sent to me by a dear friend (I'd long wondered what a real hummingbird nest looked like - my jaw dropped and I shed a tear).

Ok, now to the actual point in this post. A reader of this blog sent me an email last night with a plea for help. She lives somewhere where nets are put on buildings to prevent pigeons from nesting. As the nets doesn't work the outcome is horrific - the birds get caught behind them, gets tangled in them and suffer a horrible slow death (read her own words here). She asks for help in the way of leaving a comment so she can put pressure upon those responsible. I know the cynical mind that thinks one person can't make a difference - but I support that one individual who stands up against such callous human behaviour. As the sovereigns of this planet I abhor what it is in humans that would cynically (for some human convenience sake) exclude and prevent any animal from having it's rightful place and it's right to live. Please support Emma's attempt at rescuing these birds from such an attrocious fate. Thank you!

P.S. Please follow the link to Emma's site via the first link by clicking the words (above) "read her own words here". A Blogger gremlin has gotten hold of me trying to post the link at the end of my post. Hope you succeed with the link.

Twinkle, come find me...

2011-06-23T23:47:00.003+02:00

It's been a busy week with a new addition to the growing tribe (no, I'm not looking for more, but this one was in need of urgent help for sure - more about that later). But for now I just wanted to share a few more images from the weekend where Emma and Twinkle were so excited about having taken their friendship to a new level. Caught these two in an exhilarated round of hide and seek. Aren't their facial expressions just priceless?!

eGotcha!

Taming a tail - for those who have the courage to do it

2011-06-20T00:43:00.000+02:00

In this part of the world the weekend has already drawn to a close - and what a sweet one it's been in this little kitty-kindergarten. The kittens (I swear) are growing a little every day and getting more confident and brave. Twinkle, dear little thing, has already been abandoned by kitty mom so he is now standing on his own paws - but all members in the garden have taken very well to Twinkle, so he is in good company. He has been spending a good time hissing at the other cats if they came too close - a job kitty mom otherwise did brilliantly for him. It's been a courageous step for him to get to have a physical interaction with the other cats (figuring out that they only have a friendly intent). I was therefore thrilled to see his confidence in playing with Benji's tail... just look at this sweet bravery.

And what was Benji's response? He was so brotherly, sweet and docile. He didn't twitch a muscle but allowed Twinkle to have a moment of great bravery.

Stay tuned for more tales!

Sweet opportunism

2011-06-18T13:57:00.000+02:00

WISHING YOU ALL A LOVELY WEEKEND!

Greek vintage image via mylot.com

A racehorse track for fairies

2011-06-17T17:18:00.000+02:00

Ok, so I honestly don't know what I was thinking when I promised I'll capture some images of the kittens playing together! When I try to capture these two firecrackers together all I get is action tripes or puffs of air as in cartoons. It sounds like a racehorse track for fairies when they play... not very loud but FULL of ACTION!!

Twinkle (above) was born in the wild (and only survivor of a whole litter) so he is "street-smart" in the garden. He knows his way around each bush and bramble.

Emma on the other hand was rescued from drowning in a huge water tank just about a month ago - so she lives indoor and is only gradually getting introduced to the garden.Twinkle is very willing to show her how the tracks around the plants work. Lovely whiffs of mint and lavender rise as they beat around the bushes.

We are fortunate to have a walled garden which acts as a brilliant playpen for the meeting of these little destinies (and all the other characters too).

I know there's nothing novel about the cuteness of a couple of kittens playing but it's truly special to witness how a couple of complete strangers approach each other and how they have now gradually introduced themselves to each other. To begin with they only lightly touched each other and agreed that no teeth or claws would be involved. They did not play wrestle like siblings normally would. Too shy for that - not really knowing who the other one was.

But today - as a matter of fact - they physically wrestled with each other for the first time. Just like siblings. I take this to be a big vote of confidence in each other knowing that they have no intention of harming each other.

It's also lovely to see how giddy they make the big boys. The bigger boys are captivated watching the little ones play and they love if they can get one of the little ones to run after them. You can almost hear the exhillarated little shreaks of joy.

Their common well-being is such a never ending source of joy.

Benji's friends

2011-06-15T19:18:00.001+02:00

Maybe you remember this ginger boy... Benji, who we rescued (he was in a pitiful state) from a miserable dumpster life on the 1st of March this year. In spite of a somewhat compromised immune system (he is currently on his 5th antibiotic treatment since he was rescued!) he is thriving and in the company of good friends.

It's difficult to tell what happened in the first few months of his life but his is both extremely hyper and extremely gentle. He will wear out all the other cats in turn (Tiny & Ninja fled him in the beginning - they got so fed up with the incessant need to play-wrestle) until Mr. Moggles took over - a former alpha male never resisting a good "fight." Benji and Mr. Moggles hang out all day - in fact they adore each others company. It's sounds like they've having a major fight but minuttes later you will, literally speaking, find them in each others arms lovingly and endearingly washing each other. So when Benji is all wrestled out and mellow he will happily go and chill out with Tiny and Ninja. Then he might even give them the treat of a loving wash.

I did indeed promise to get back with some images of the kittens Twinkle and Emma playing together. Unfortunately Emma's had a very bad flu - I suspect she caught the bug from Benji. She for some inexplicable reason also adores play-wrestling with him - I think she is not aware of her own size (t-i-n-y!! shhh...) - so she is now recovering (much better already). Benji is very gentle with her - no claws - but he on the other hand still believes he is a kitten and will sit full weight on top of her until she squeeks for mercy. Yes, it's a kindergarten (a gorgeous one!) and it does need supervision from time to time! Anyhow... so I promise to come back to the kittens in the next post.

The art of sublimation

2011-06-12T14:48:00.003+02:00

So here I go passing on the award and I choose to pass it on to just one girl whose blog and life inspires me hugely. My smittenness started last year where I happened upon her wonderful photographic images and my heart just plain melted when I saw her baby lamb photography. I can't get enough of them.

Having followed her blog ever since I've found such a kind, searching, inspiring, generous, corageous and encouraging open heart. To me she is a bold and full-blooded explorer of what I would call the art of sublimation (the origin of the word sublimate is 'raise to a higher status). She describes herself as a girl smitten with God and as a beholder of her photography, playful art and word buzzing I'm always left with the feeling of happy exploration, light, beauty, thoughtfulness, grace and intactness. Visiting her blog I often leave with the thought; "God must be well pleased with this girl!"

Pop over to her lovely blog or darling shop - if you love animals her photography will lift your heart. Promise!

Images © by Junelle Jacobsen/www.yes-and-amen.com

Young cat girl

2011-06-08T16:37:00.003+02:00

Some days ago I received a blog award from Corner of Cat's Mind - thank you sweet Catherine! It’s a heart-warming thought that someone finds your blog read-worthy enough to spread the word. I believe the award came with the prerequisite to tell five things about myself – and to pass on the award.

I’ve wondered; what do I tell? Well, instead of telling five things about myself I’ve chosen to go freestyle and do a special little “celebration” as the award also coincided with hitting the 100 followers mark on the same day. So I thought to reveal a little more of myself - and here it is… a serendipitous snapshot from my childhood (first photo of myself ever included in a post!).

When I was about 9 or 10 years old my mother came home from a night shift one early and very cold winters morning. She used to come and wake me up for school - and it was never an easy task getting me out of bed, particularly in the dark and cold of winter! But this morning she had an adorable trick up her sleeve – or under her coat to be more specific. She sat down at my bedside and said; “Look what I’ve got under my coat!” A starved and frightened black and white kitten peeked out from underneath her coat – she’d rescued it from a deep ditch from which it had been unable to get itself up. It was L O V E at first sight… and I guess you could say today – a whole lot more than that!! I loved her to absolute bits and after her much to short life (too many kittens and too much ignorance in the 70's) I threw my love on a German shepard - the next discarded pet (too many imperfections for its first owner apparently!) to enter our family. She was a perfect goof-ball - I could dress her with my track suit and socks (I'll spare you the photo, LOL) and she just gobbled up all the attention.

I have very fond memories of animals from my childhood but cats for some reason has left a very indellible mark inside (maybe a happy print from that cold winters morning?).

As for passing on the award I'll be cheeky and leave that for the next post (including photo).

So there you have it... the humble beginnings of young cat girl.

Whilst I get my camera ready...

2011-05-30T15:29:00.000+02:00

So all kinds of sweetness is happening in the garden - two tiny strangers - aka Twinkle and Emma - has met and sized each other up (so cute). They are such a perfect size match and they each need someone their size to play with, so we're keeping fingers crossed that they will develop a friendship. Even though Twinkle is beginning to take on playing with some of the bigger guys it's evident that his confidence rose a few levels when he saw Emma. They each did a little hiss and made their tiny tails big and bushy - but then they agreed to jump and skip a bit together. Mommy kitty is s bit confused - she can't quite figure out if Emma is one of her own lost kittens, so she both hisses at her and seem to want to protect her from the big guys. Anyhow... until I get some batteries for my camera I'll leave you with this melting moment found on Youtube. From what I can gather it's been uploaded only a few days ago but has already been watched more than 13 million times! Seems there's a big need for awww in the world. So 'till next... hope you enjoy!

Ask, and it shall be given to you...

2011-05-24T23:49:00.000+02:00

We've only just gotten through trying to settle teensy Twinkle in his new surroundings (surrounded by cats much bigger than him - and he is doing great in the company of his big brothers) before this (above) complete and utter heartbreaker cried its way into our lives just a few days ago.

Sunday morning whilst doing some gardening I suddenly heard a very loud and penetrating kitten cry from what sounded like our neighbors huge water tank (yes, oh horror!). As the neighbor hasn't actually moved in yet I instantly ran across to check where the sound came from. When I got there the sound had stopped and since I probably honestly didn't want the sound to come from the water tank I walked back. Only to hear the same sound about 45 minuttes later - and there really wasn't any doubt about where it came from. This time I insisted my husband came to help out with finding a ladder that was tall enough to go the whole way down the water tank. This time when we called out there was a desperate cry back. We had no idea how deep the water was but as we lowered the ladder we figured that the water "luckily" was only about ankle deep. My dear better half instantly climbed down the ladder and soon found this tiny kitten (about 9-10 weeks old) paddling around the water. Acting swiftly he grabbed the kitten, made his way up the ladder and suddenly cried out in pain... the panicked-senseless kitten had done what it knew best - to bite hard! He quickly handed me the kitten and same thing happened! It bit me hard (blood streaming) so I instinctively had to let it go. From the day long drama that then ensued I couldn't believe I'd made such a (as Monica from Friends would say) rookie mistake. Why on earth didn't I think to bring a transport box to place the kitten in??? Anyhow... the terrified kitten ran straight into a nearby waterpipe leading straight into the water tank where it had just been rescued from! And then it just sat there again hiding... and crying and crying and crying. It appeared to be a feral kitten not at all interested in human contact. After a long while we decided to just leave some food and come back later. I have to say I felt kind of desperate because even if it found it's way out I didn't think it would stand a chance on it's own. I've never heard of kittens that small roaming around.

Well, we came back a few hours later and found it had indeed eaten a bit of food and seemingly backed into the pipe again. The food had only been eaten from one side! And sure enough we heard it's cry again when we came back. Only this time it had made it's way up into another pipe (yes, can you imagine the agony!?) and it kept poking it's little head out only to retreat at the speed of lightning. It seemed that no way were we gonna catch it. Feeling somewhat defeated and rather desperate we went back to our house. I SO badly wanted to figure a way to rescue it - so I asked God to provide me with a solution. I kid you not, but a moment later I came up with the following idea. Only one thing could get it out of the pipes, which would be the sound of it's kitty mom calling it. Only that she obviously wasn't anywhere nearby (otherwise she for sure would have come to it's rescue long ago). So I got this idea to go on Youtube and search for a kitty mom calling her kittens and to record it onto my iPhone and to then play it down the pipes (yes, crazy girl... I know!). Thanks to all the weird and wonderful downloads on Youtube I did indeed find a kitty mom calling it's kittens. So back to the pipes I went with the downloaded sound on my iPhone and I swear that I almost jumped back in chock at the LOUD and instant response from the kitten. It was as if it appeared in a flash right in front of the opening. Crying desperately for it's mom to come and rescue it. It was acutally truly heartbreaking. I had to keep playing the recording for it to stay close - only that at some point it obviously got confused and thought she had to be at some other pipe opening since she wasn't coming inside to rescue it. After it having a few frantic runing to and fro inside the various pipe-openings I decided it was time to catch it, so I put down some more food and kept the recording going. It appeared, retreated, appeared, retreated and then I knew I had to make a fast and decisive swipe at the scruff of it's tiny neck. And bingo! - safely inside the box it went.

Back home I tried to see if our garden kitty mom (who'd recently lost some of her kittens) would show any interest, but unfortunaly she only sniffed the box, hissed and walked away. So there was no other thing to do than to let it recuperate in a warm quiet place with food and water until we could bring it to the vet the next morning. Turned out she was fine in spite of her ordeal. After her treatment for worms, fleas and earmites we brought her back - and in all honesty thinking it would be weeks before we could handle this seemingly wild feral kitten. Well, this is where my astute assistant (as my husband so endearingly calls himself) really gained his certificate :-) He firmly lifted the tiny kitten into his hands and after a brief struggle it began to purr!!!! My jaws dropped a little bit (a lot actually) - this was brilliant news. We were able to cuddle it. It was obviously terrified, but as long as it was gently but firmly handled it would purr. In the top image you can see my super talented assistant in action - and the girl is purring blissfully! Her name is Emma by the way.

Here she is having a rightfully carefree kitten moment again - fiercely tackling and killing a straw :-) She had the most sad, abandoned and painful look on her face when we first looked at her, but now - a few days later, I think she has gotten the hang of that she will be loved to bits.

It's a blessing that we can handle her but from my (maybe limited) experience, feral kittens won't let you anywhere nearby. This leaves us with a rather obscure feeling as to how she ended up in the water tank in the first place. No other houses nearby where she could have come from.

Anyway... I'm thrilled this girl has such strong lungs. I simply cannot bear to think of her fate otherwise. She's taugth me a lesson about not letting my fear hold me back (I dreaded to find a kitten in that water tank) - and to not be indecisive when you're dealing with someone in urgent need of help (I feared hurting her when grabbing her tiny neck). In a very brief moment I actaully felt that my indecisiveness could've cost her life, which was enough to cause a clear cut decision.

The darling moments

2011-05-19T22:15:00.010+02:00

If you're familiar with the story in the last post you will know that Twinkle - portrayed here - is the only survivor of a kitten litter of (at least what we know of) four kittens. I actually held all four kittens in my hands at some point so you can imagine my sense of inadequacy and loss realising that indeed three of these kittens hadn't made it. No trace whatsoever of what happened to them.

A few years back I met a lady who does some very inspiring work for people in lesser circumstances. I heard her talking about how fierce she felt about their rights for a proper (and not a lesser) life. She talked about some of the things they were up against in life and she used a set of words about her fighting stance to protect them and about avoiding things happening to them and the words are not on my watch. The words inspired me so much - that's how I felt about anything possibly happening to animals... not on my watch!

So yes, I have to admit that I felt some pain and grief about what could possibly have happened to these tiny kittens on what felt like my watch. Even though the nature areas around here are vast and kitty mom seemingly kept moving them around. But it felt like they were just a few arm reaches away. I've had a tough time trying to figure what could possibly have happened to these tiny critters.

Anyhow, Twinkle is being a real brave-heart. He is taking on making the young cats his play mates. He observes them from a distance when they play and sometimes dare an encounter with one of them. And it's as if the young cats knows this little guy needs some extra care, gentleness and attention (even though he is in fact a new "cat" in their territory). Throughout the week I've observed them lick his little face, sniffing him, gently saying hello with paws touching, allowing him to eat next to them and carefully playing with him. There's been so many awww moments... and also a few paw swipes. But Twinkle never runs away - he just shakes his little head and jumps straight back into "the ring." Luckily mommy kitty is fiercely protective - she's made quite a few swipe-backs on Twinkles behalf. It's like she is teaching them manners and they all listen when she scolds them.

In this image above it's Tiny allowing his (directly blood-related) brother to feel as if he has the upper hand. So darling sweet...

A place where nature is brute

2011-05-10T20:01:00.001+02:00

One of his very first "real" meals.

Yes, this is of course what I was talking about as the special treat for you! The very newest and teensy little member of this garden colony - his name is Twinkle. And yes... there's a story behind why he is all on his own - apart from mommy kitty.

A timid little look for the adoring photographer.

A while back I met a French women who has lived here for many years. She said that what she loved most about the place here is that it is so beautiful in a brute (said with a French accent!) kind of way. And it's very true. Where I personally see and feel it most is with the animals. It's survival of the fittest. When you come from a more - shall we call it culturally civilised place, it's oh so difficult to not get your emotions tangled up in that particular kind of "theatre".

A little lick after a tasty meal.

Well, Twinkle started out with 3 or 4 siblings. I knew they were somewhere within the vicinity of our garden, because it's the same kitty mom that fostered Tiny and Ninja (they've even got the same father). She never let me in on where she hid them until one evening of torrential rain (which we've had a lot of in recent time). It was a noisy evening with strong winds and heavy rain. Suddenly through all the noise I heard this distinct high pitched cry. I instantly knew something was wrong - mommy kitty wouldn't bring the kittens nearby because of all the other cats in the garden. And yet... I didn't doubt what this sound was. I grabbed a torch light and flew out the door and went towards where the noise came from. Suddenly I saw this wee little thing dropped on a slope not far from a caravan in the garden (we keep little compartments open for the cats to sleep and seek refuge during cold weather). It was completely and utterly rain-battered and had clearly not yet learned to walk. It was actually a highly distressing situation... kitty mommy was obviously in the middle of some desperate rescue mission of her litter - they were probably getting drowned whereever it was she had made her den. She had such a wild and manic look in her eyes that I couldn't even recognise her to begin with.

- and a little wash after the tasty meal.

Well, I quickly got my husband involved. He listened out for more cries whilst I dried and tucked the first kitten in an empty compartment with blankets. Suddenly there was another faint cry and with no time to spare we both jumped over fences across neighboring fields. Eventually we spotted kitty mom with another kitten in hear mouth... I knew it was too far for her to carry it without taking way too long to go for the rest of her kittens so I deliberately followed her letting her know I would carry it to safety. She eventually dropped it and when she saw I'd brought it to safety she went off once again.

Mmm... maybe it's time for a little nap.

After she'd brought the 3rd rain-battered kitten to safety, she actually jumped inside the compartment and we thought it was time to leave her alone. We'd dried them as well as we could - and we actually each sat with a wet and very cold kitten under our shirt to keep them warm, whilst kitty mom went to get the 3rd kitten. When we heard her approach we quickly tucked the kittens back in and left as soon as she seemed to settle.

Ooh yum... a wash from momma.

The next few days the weather was warm and sunny and I kept my fingers crossed that she would keep them in there even though I doubted it with all the many cats around. Yes, as you can imagine... I was very fond of the idea that she kept them just there where I could observe them from a small distance. But alas...

... and to finish it all off with a bit of milk, bliss.

Two days later there was suddenly a small cry again... and it became evident she was in the middle of finding them another place to hide. I badly wanted to bring them back but realised it was natures way. A week went by and I didn't see any signs of kittens. Another week went by and suddenly one evening one kitten was sat in one of the boxes where some of the younger cats normally sleep. I had a horrible sinking feeling that it might be the last one. This happened twice - it appeared in the box and was removed again. I believe it was kitty mommas way of letting me know that she was going to raise it in the garden with the other young cats (Tiny, Ninja, Benji - well and not so young Mr. Moggles) - and could I please start feeding it some proper food.

This has gone on for a few days now - Twinkle has his own little bowl tucked under some of the wild flowers a little bit away from the bigger cats until he gets used to them and they get used to him. I do so hope he makes it. He is a bit vunerable being on his own when kitty mom takes a little roam around, but hopefully the young cats will realise he is no threat to them. He sure has the potential to become the new little mascot around here.

So predictable...

2011-05-08T23:39:00.002+02:00

It's been a while since the last post - I have among other things been travelling and therefore been away from all the cats for a while. It's the first time since making all these darling little acquaintances. I'm the kind of person that chit-chats with them whenever I pass one or more of them in the garden - so they are quite used to my company by now. I missed all the little characters (I heard all about their antics whilst being away) so upon my return I instantly made my way through the garden to say hello to them all and to leave little treats...

The next day when we had to go out the keys were nowhere to be found. We always keep the keys in the same place... so we searched and searched and searched - but no keys! Finally my husband did a mental trace to try and locate where they keys could be and realised I was the one that had them when they got lost. He suddenly resolutely walked out the door and came back a moment later with keys in hand - and a big smile. He said he just had to think about the first thing I did coming home (rushing to say hello to all the cats and leaving the treats at their feeding station). That's exactly where I left the keys. I happily forgot all about the keys in the midst of the happy euforia! I can't say I like being thought of as predictable - but this incident really made me smile at myself. And I think this little tale makes a nice tribute to the sweet friend who gave me this key-fob (yes, it's an actual little book of cat quotations). So until next, let me leave you with one of the quotations to give you a hint of the t e e n s y delicious treat awaiting you in the next post... Yes, things have been happening around here!!

"It's impossible to keep a straight face in the presence of one or more kittens"

Fit paw: Check!

2011-04-28T21:17:00.000+02:00

Tiny is extending a high five to say thanks for all your lovely little well-wishes and good advice. Luckily his paw was back to normal size the following morning - big sigh of relief! Tiny is a feral cat at heart so even though we've come a very long way - lots of sweet strokes - he does not like confinement and I simply wouldn't be able to examine his paw. It's a major patience exercise interacting with a feral and as some of you will know, you will simply have to persist if you hope to one day interact with the cat. But the reward is so great - to feel that such a furry little bundle one day come and show you its trust - woo hoo!! It's totally worth it.

Dear poor

2011-04-26T20:31:00.000+02:00

... or dear paw to be more specific. This evening as I was feeding all the little furry bundles I almost had to rub my eyes to see if I really did see it right - that Tiny's paw was this size. Double its normal size! It's difficult to say what happened - we've got some seriously horrible brambles around here and even though we tried to remove them all it's difficult to keep cats from walking into neighboring fields. Or it could be a bee sting... the little ones unfortunately love trying to catch anything that flies. Or a snake bite. Wish I knew. Anyway... he was limping but luckily had a healthy appetite. The vet said not to worry unless he was salivating or in a depressed state. He wasn't exactly jumping about with his friends... he took a more quiet approach - watching the games and play from a distance. I'm sure it must be throbbing and quite painful. So fingers crossed that the swelling will have gone down by tomorrow.

More updates soon.

Why I fall in love again and again

2011-04-17T15:31:00.000+02:00

Walking through town the other day I suddenly spotted this little black beauty soundly asleep on a doorstep. He never even noticed me as I knelt down and snapped a little bit of the essence of his blissful sleep. Probably just another unwanted cat - or maybe he is lucky to be looked after. I don't know. But living in a country where all these little beauties are up for grabs - I find myself falling in love again and again. Don't they all deserve to feel that there's a such a thing as human care. When your heart is filled with that feeling - it's oh so difficult to not want to scoop up every little precious creature. I once got caught by a sentence written by Barack Obama... "The power to be kind." Yes, that's it. It's a power we have. And the power to love. I'm overflowing.

The motley kitty crew

2011-04-12T15:19:00.000+02:00

A question appeared in the comment box in the last post - how many cats do I have? Well, first of all, I believe they have me more than I have them :-) But to answer the question - it varies. In this garden there's somewhere between 12-15. A few comes and goes. Then there's two different small colonies around the island (one of colonies having been abandoned by the person who fed them) so all in all I daily feed around 25-30 cats. Apart from Tiny, Ninja, Benji and Mr. Moggles, here's the local motley kitty crew (as a friend so endearingly named them all) in order of appearance. Well, first of all above there's Stempel (named by a child and refers to the kneading movement a cat makes). I discovered from an image taken a few years ago that she was actually here before we arrived. I've got no idea who she belongs to, but she is extremely friendly and has never walked away. She's definitely the matriarch of the place and gently beats up newcomers until they know who's in charge!!

Then there's Pepper - Tiny and Ninja's kitty mom. She was initially fed by a man who comes to tend to his hobby garden once or twice a week. But as we all know - it doesn't quite work like that... feeding a cat once or twice a week. He doesn't seem to mind I've taken over!

Eddison (above) and Molly arrived at the same time... after a day of a very serious torrential rainfall. I think they literally got washed down the hillside. They are the sweetest little couple - a boy and a girl (not sisters and brothers - he is an adult, she is a kitten). They seem to depend on each other for everything... warmth, sleep, eating. Eddison is very shy and sweet...

Molly is little and scrappy! She hisses at all other cats but is really a little dearie.

Humphrey seemed to belong to a house a bit further up the road, but the people left at the beginning of January and after that he just got skinnier and skinnier. He seemed to get depressed too - you'd never see his tail up in the air - so I decided to encourage him to come for food and for the company of the other cats. He tentatively accepted (I believe he's been used to being a single cat), but he was of course hungry and he actually seems to have taken to the company very well. Now his tail is in the air whenever it's feeding time!

Ruby arrived after a snow storm in early March - very emaciated. I think she needs the reassurance of knowing there will be food, because she literally sleeps next to the food box. She is very sweet and appreciative.

Last but not least - the very latest newcomer - a tropical cat named Harvey. A darling arigumi creation by my sweet blogger friend from Grand Cayman. As you can see he has got the approval by Mr. Moggles - no hissing or fighting, just gentle acceptance :-) Thank you Sunshine, we all love him!!

The charm alliance

2011-04-07T03:31:00.000+02:00

Mr. Moggles has made a few photographic appearances, so let me introduce him a bit further. I first noticed him a cold evening in early January. He was skinny and rummaging around a local dumpster and in the search for a pretty girl. I started leaving a bit of food for him, because there's not really any people living in this area in winter time - hence no scraps in the dumpster to live off. Well, he soon realized there was one house where other cats seemed to thrive and there was a pretty girl too! Silly as I was I thought the pretty girl was neutered, because she showed no interest in the boys whereas Tiny and Ninja's kitty mom was off having fun with the local boys in no time (yes, I've learned a lot about how fast you need to be about neutering!!). Little did I know that just because a girl shows no interest, it doesn't mean you can't pursue her. Whenever Mr. Moggles was fed he was a real friendly cat but when he pursued the girl he'd laid his eyes on - phew... you could seriously talk about a split personality. One day he chased the poor girl up a tree and when I found the two of them up the tree 8 hours later I thought it was time to rescue the poor girl. You could talk about a battle of forces - no way was he gonna come down! I physically had to push him down with a broom and there was a lot of hissing and spewing of mouth water. Ironically, when he was finally down, it was a piece of cake getting him in a transport box and off to the vet I went to have him neutered. When he came home the next day I let him have 24 hours inside to recover. You simply wouldn't believe it was the same cat. He turned into a cuddly jellyfish and rolled on his back to expose his tummy for rubs. He was perfectly content will all the food, fuss and TLC. Well, that was the beginning of Mr. Moggles settling around here. I kind of thought he'd be off again some day - but he's stayed ever since. He will steal your every ounce of attention (he follows me everywhere) and will do what it takes to avert my attention from the little ones - Tiny, Ninja and now Benji.

The other day when I was taking some new close ups of the little ones all the attention with my camera got too much for him and he couldn't resist jumping up right in front of the camera to steal the attention. If you look at his face you can almost see him conjuring up a plan for how to also appear in a real charming way in the images, so he seemed to in the above image to turn his head toward Ninja as if thinking; "Well, maybe if I wash the little one."

It worked! I of course couldn't resist capturing Ninja getting the first proper wash since his mom left in early January.

He loved it...

- but was left asking for more of that nice TLC which only another feline friend can give. It didn't last too long - Mr. Moggles seemed to think that it at least got him in the images. But it did give him the merit of the title nice uncle Moggles. He doesn't care much for the company of the adult cats around but he seem to love the company of Tiny, Ninja and Benji. They play beautifully together and he knows to be gentle with them. Even Benji (to his bewilderment) got a great big wet facial slurp yesterday. Knowing they have different backgrounds, there's something very endearing about seeing how these four male cats have teamed up.

In the absence of human interference

2011-04-02T14:28:00.000+02:00

An innocent little comment from yesterday - "God never wanted us to mow the yard" (thank you Mark) reminded me of a documentary I saw a while back, which I back then thought worth mentioning here. So upon remembering it, here it is...

This clip above is from a documentary called Chernobyl: Life in the dead zone. It's an eerie portrayal of animals resilience and amazing ability for survival - and most eerie of all; what life on this planet looks like in the absence of human interference (and what a sad dichotomy it is)... it looks like a garden of eden!

I happened upon this documentary quite by chance but I promise it is very worthwhile watching. It's about how animals have survived (even living with radiation) and adapted to life after the Chernobyl disaster in 1986. It's nature taking over where there were once humans. Just so beautiful, peaceful and still.

It's chilling in the light of the current situation in Japan but also strangely enchanting and not just a little bit thought provoking.

You can watch the full documentary for free several places online - simply Google the title and lots of results will appear.

P.S. There's a kitty story in it that will capture your heart!

Why the weeds should stay

2011-04-01T14:38:00.000+02:00

Benji

Well, I simply wouldn't be able to capture these darling wee folk lost in their own time and space if it wasn't because of these tall weeds. It's good for following interesting buzzing insects...

Tiny

It's good for hiding when you're playing...

Ninja

It's good for a quiet shaded snooze...

Mr Moggles

It's good for a shielded place to soak up some warming sunny rays... So they should stay for a while, right?! :-)

Wishing you a lovely weekend.

The gift of life

2011-03-30T23:28:00.015+02:00

Tiny's startled look says it all... "Who are you?"

As promised, here's a few images of Benji and Tiny meeting and playing with each other. I know there's nothing original about kittens having fun together, but the beauty of these two little guys playing together is that they simply wouldn't have been here today if it hadn't been for their rescue stories. Tiny first appeared in the garden way back in October where we soon discovered he had a horrible respiratory infection. By chance I'd had the experience of taking a very similar sized kitten to the vet earlier in the year, when a friend of mine had found a tiny kitten dumped by the roadside by humans (it was completely tame) and she asked me if I would take it. It turned out it was emaciated, but because kittens are such little fluff balls it can be extremely difficult to detect. So I soon realized Tiny was in quite a bad shape... mommy kitty no longer showed interest in feeding or caring for him. He constantly sought her affection but got none. It was not an optimistic vet that sent me home with antibiotics, but luckily Tiny's appetite was intact and lots of quality food combined with the antibiotics gave him enough strength to fight back. And as for Benji, well you know the story by now.

What is that Tiny?

So even though there's quite a selection of furry destinies in the garden (each with their unique story), I do of course have a major soft spot for these two heartthrobs (and believe me they are!).

Seriously, what is it?

As mentioned in the last post it was a bit nerve wracking introducing Benji to the other cats around here, and Tiny was the only one who didn't seem too scary for him. They appear to have been born within a few weeks of each other and match perfectly size-wise.

Watch out, here I come!

These images are from one of their first encounters - at first some startled looks and then some sweet exploring. In the above images Tiny is showing Benji the garden (I belive his first visit ever in a garden!) and which is the good plants (good smelling for cat nostrils) and not so good (prickly!).

Benji in mid-air!

Then there was a whole lot of exhilarating rumping around... I chase you then you chase me. Every time they caught up with each other there seemed to be an unspoken agreement that it would be without bites and attacks - only a whole lot of playing. They seem to be at ease with each other and as I've also said, it appears they're good for each others confidence. Tiny is tiny (yes, I know... duh) due to his early life setback and probably has therefore always shied away from confrontation, so this other early-life-beaten-up newcomer is so good for him. And vice versa. It's a little miracle witnessing these two enjoying the gift of life.

Postcard from Benji

2011-03-26T20:32:00.000+01:00

Benji wishes to pass on his immense gratefulness for the overwhelming kindness that has come his way in terms of good wishes, kisses, hugs and sweet words. I promise - hand over my heart - that every single kiss and hug has been passed on to Benji and his response has been a blissed out purr and little licks on the tip of my nose. It's now three weeks since Benji was rescued and I'm in utter disbelief at how this infinitely tender little soul could possibly have survived a life that hard for as long as he has. He has this fairy like quality about him and I swear there's not a mean bone in his little body.

This past week he has been introduced to the increasing furry family around this garden and it has honestly been a bit nerve-wracking. There has been a lot of hissing, growling and paw-swiping - yes, poor Benji (I feel so fiercely protective of him). But (melt your heart out!) Tiny has turned out to be a good little friend to Benji. They appear to be roughly the same age and I believe they're good for each others confidence. Tiny's response to threat from other cats has been rolling over with all four paws in the air a la "but don't you just think I'm the most adorable thing you've ever met?" (which does seem to work!). But in Benji's company he's been able to hiss a bit and act BIG and Benji would roll over in exactly the same way as Tiny. So cute. But they would take it in turns and Benji would make a few paw swipes even though it doesn't at all fit his nature. Maybe Benji hasn't had a sibling to have play-fights with (Tiny and Ninja play-fight all the time) because he just simply is so gentle. Anyway... I promise there will be images of Benji and Tiny together in the next post.

A special thanks to Marg and Sunshine for your sweet mention of Gods Little People this past week. It's been a delight to share especially the story of Benji with so many.

Image © Joan Rachlitz Bowell

The story of Benji

2011-03-21T18:01:00.004+01:00

Notice the large abcess on the right side of this little face.

This is the story of the rescue of Benji. Benji and I have a curious sense of destiny together. He is a dumpster kitten that I first noticed just before Christmas. He was very small, shy but had a very loud and penetrating miaow (that should have given more than a clue!). He lived among other feral cats and seem to survive off a few dry pellets and some food scraps left by some individual at the dumpster. I felt tempted on several occasions to snap him but I thought someone must have some connection to him because he was so sweet and friendly after a bit of warming up. Unfortunately, because there are so many cats here, some people take in kittens when they are little, cute and irresistible just to discard them when they become bigger and loose that kitten cuteness. There is always a new cute kitten waiting in line!

In great pain!

Well, I'm not quite sure what Benji's story is but only on some occasions would I drive past the dumpster where he used to live, because I couldn't stand that image of him always sat on the same narrow ledge up on a wall just by the dumpster running right by the road.

He is an approx. 16-18 week young cat/kitten that was captured for the recent large scale neutering project which took place here on the island. I didn't know he was one of them but only discovered it after I finally rescued him at the beginning of March. Because this was the first neutering project ever on this island, there was no actual after care unit set up for the neutered cats. This meant that they stayed overnight in someones garage and was released by the dumpsters the very next morning after their neutering. As you might know, you would normally be advised to keep your cat indoor for some days after an operation/neutering because it makes them vulnerable and therefore easy targets for attacks from other animals. Well, Benji was both little, sick and had just been neutered - so he was probably an easy target for whichever animal mauled him within days of his neutering. I found him one evening where I quite out of the ordinary happened to walk past the dumpster where he normally sat. He miaowed and miaowed and was quite obviously in pain. He had horrible bite wounds all over, sneezed constantly and his eyes were all watery. I knew he needed urgent medical help and it wasn't an easy decision to leave him until the next day, but I decided to give it until the next morning because the vet had already closed for the day and it would give whoever might have "cared" for him an extra chance to bring him to the vet. But of course - no surprise... he was still there the next morning crying out for help.

So I rushed him to the vet where it was discovered upon closer examination that he had a large abcess a quarter the size of his head. He was taken into surgery on the spot where the abcess was flushed and he had his bite wounds stitched up. Afterwards I brought him home and settled him into a small quiet room of his own, so he could heal and recover in the warmth of a well padded box.

In safety inside his very own box

Well, things went well to begin with. Benji was sweet and ever so grateful. He kept rubbing my nose and purring madly whenever I handled him. He ate well for about a day and a half but then I think the actual effects of his trauma and horrible flu took over. He stopped eating and drinking. On the second day of no food and water he was brought to the vet once again to have a saline infusion and a new antibiotic treatment - this time to cure the flu. Now he actually had to be force fed (quite unpleasant) and I had to inject squirts of water into his mouth. On the fourth morning of no food and water I felt quite discouraged felt that maybe he'd lost his will to keep fighting.

8 days later - wounds having healed beautifully

But... suddenly (I am convinced he must have felt how desperate I was on his behalf) he started eating ever so small nibbles of his food. I almost cried because I really felt he did it for me. But this was the beginning of Benji's recovery. From the on he gradually began to eat more and more - and drank too. I kept going with his twice a day antibiotics and thrice a day eyedrops. We had lovely little special times with eye/facial/body washes with camomille tea (he was to poorly to take care of himself). But Benji eventually started preening himself again and did a marvelous job making his asphalt grey and dirty tummy a once again splendid pale peachy color.

Benji and his play blanket

Since then he has just gotten stronger and stronger. He has figured out what a cat toy is for (he couldn't quite understand what playing was to begin with!). And he LOVES his play blanket. Tuck it slightly and he makes a delightful leaping jump. He is every bit as DARLING as the above image portrays. Just such a gentle little thing.

15 days later breathing in the fresh air in the garden

The above image is from a few days ago when he had his first little trip outside once again. He liked the fresh air but loved running back into his little room again. I think it is a great part of his healing knowing he has a place to run and hide and where he knows he will be cared for with proper food, water and tons of tender loving care.

I don't know why it took me so long to rescue Benji - he is a very special one. Can you believe the above images is actually the same cat?? I keep staring at them in disbelief. Isn't he beautiful?!

How much is that kitty in the window?

2011-03-19T23:15:00.000+01:00

I was going about my business a few days ago when I suddenly got stopped flat in my tracks. I walked past a seafront (pretty dead-beat to be honest) tourist shop. The shop itself is a bit dull and dark and you frankly can't make your way around the shop from the sheer load of touristy junk. BUT... the man who owns the shop obviously loves his cat. This little kitty usually putters around on the sidewalk in front of the shop and the owner spends a lot of his time standing outside just chatting with passers-by and smiling each time someone acknowledges his little shop mascot. Yes, I know what the shop looks like inside because I went in there one day because, in my mind, any one with such an attitude towards his cat (particularly in this part of the world where you don't see it much) deserves support. I have often smiled and thought that the cat had a kind of drawing power - you want to go inside because the cat leads you in. But I didn't know he was capable of such clever selling tricks too :-) When I walk passed the other day he was just climbing the shop window shelves and found himself this perfect spot which made it seem like he was part of the window display (don't you think?). I caught the moment with my mobile camera and found it amusing to find this multilayered image when I downloaded it. I only had my eyes on the kitty and didn't realize that I also caught the whole seafront life (people, motorbike, car, ferry and even a small island) in the background mirrored in the window. But isn't he just darling!?!

Never ending stripes...

2011-03-09T19:16:00.002+01:00

A few weeks back someone kindly asked about how Tiny is doing. Tiny and his brother are doing very well and they have become a charming addition to the garden landscape. They goof around and entertain on the terrace on a daily basis and almost tumble inside the kitchen every morning when I open the door to feed them. It’s hard to believe they’re the same extremely feral kittens I spotted in the garden almost 4 ½ months ago. Now I’m able to stroke them whilst they eat (yes, a little bribe goes a long way!). When Tiny was at his worst with a serious respiratory infection I made a little video of him and his brother. I actually had to erase the video because it was too painful to watch. Tiny shied away when his brother jumped on him wanting to play – he was simply too weak to play. But… today they jump on each other, fly through the air and perform all kinds of silly (and sometimes naughty tricks). They’re delightful!

Trying to take a pic of Tiny!

The other day I took a few shots of them having a leisurely time on the terrace. As you can see – Tiny didn’t get his name for nothing. Brother Ninja has (we like to joke) three more stipes than other tabby kitties. I was in the middle of taking a few shots of Tiny when the never-ending stripes interfered.

Ninja is like a tabby who comes in three instalments… front, miiiiiddle and back. Just have a look for yourself!

Truthfully...

2011-02-24T14:32:00.000+01:00

- there's maybe not much more than a tiny little bee in the middle of this top image to represent the animal bit in this post but I just really wanted to share these delightful images of a beautiful old almond tree in full bloom. I pass it every day driving to and fro my home on a little hillside and yesterday I just had to stop and stick my head and camera inside it to enjoy that pale pink essence raining down on me. Sweetly smelling and buzzing everywhere with bees - I just stood real still with my camera so as not to disturb them in their business.

Just a little bit further up the road there's a beekeeper with white beehives (maybe you can spot them in the background). I dream of one day buying a fresh jar of honey from him. I'm sure his is more likely to be thyme honey (also wonderful) but how about a jar of almond blossom honey. How sweet would that taste!? Anyhow... just wanted to share a few images to those of you dear friends who live in parts of the world where it's still freezing cold and where trees in bloom is still a while away.

Prophetic beginnings

2011-02-22T13:23:00.002+01:00

Newcomer Mr Moggles - doesn't understand the word NO in any language but he is a complete charmer!

Two years ago today I started this blog with a simple image and text. The image was a holiday shot of a couple of cats having just been fed by a caring soul on a little Greek island. I'd been traveling to this particular island for some years and always thought how I would love to get my heart and soul into doing something for the cats on this island. Little did I know that I would be living here two years later (I really didn't know!). But... here I find myself today living on this very island and I'm happily immersed in feeding two colonies apart from a sweet little one appearing in my own garden.

This blog is about my overall love for animals and was never intended to be solely about cat stories, but as you can imagine it's a bit difficult to not write about what's in front of my eyes. In the end it comes down to the same issue - tender loving care and inclusion of all God's little soulful people. So I will continue to share whichever animal story - as and when it appears.

Kitten Molly arrived in the garden with the recent torrential rain.

Molly doesn't miaow she squeeks... so sweet.

But today is a particularly great day. I believe I've been part of kicking up enough fuss for local vets to tend to the cat problem - way way too many cats and way to few who wants to look properly after them. Properly to mean food, water, shelter and vet care when needed. And that's just the basics before some loving human interaction. When you come from a culture (as I do) that consider cats "a proper pet" it's hard to get around the fact of each cat not having all that a pet should have (and a warm bed at night... yes, I'm a major softie when it comes to those furry bundles!!). SO... this week the local vets have agreed to volunteer the entire week to neutering cats and this is BRILLIANT news! The turn out of this week will probably be something like minus the birth of about 1000 kittens (just for the coming season) and that will seriously keep 1000 new cats from a miserable existence.

This is a good way to celebrate a two year blog birthday... being part of making a little difference!

Mine was the privilege

2011-02-20T13:10:00.003+01:00

The welcoming committee!

When we had our last bad rain fall and the local road washed away I was asked by a cat acquaintance if I would look after her beach cat colony for a while. I live in walking distance so this was a pleasant ~ and may I say very gratifying little task to take on. Every day I’m met by happy cats who runs towards me as I approach and a jolly cacophony of miaowing ensues.

On rare occasions other caring individuals drop off some food for these cats. This morning as I approached from a distance I saw a man pull up in his car and went to the boot and pulled out a big bag. The cats went straight towards him with happy tails and all their usual signs… the sweet anticipation of full tummies. I felt a bit like “Bummer… missed out on the privilege this morning.” But… that is not quite what was happening. As I came closer I could see a big bag full of a selection of riffles. Turns out that I live in an area where hunting is allowed in the winter season (had I known I don’t know if I’d ever want to move here). Apparently these sorry souls hunt for wild rabbits and game. As I started my good mornings with the cats he quickly vanished (I guess the emotional connection with animals was not quite the warm up he was looking for!). So solely mine was the privilege again... the darling welcoming committee and happy cats with full tummies.

That's when you know...

2011-02-14T17:33:00.000+01:00

When you become quiet in your heart and mind... everything in life makes purrrfect sense... and there's nowhere else you would rather be. Have a happy one!

The paws that walked into my heart for good

2011-02-09T14:02:00.003+01:00

Tiny's brother Ninja... a darling sweetheart

We’ve had a few weeks of on and off horrible storm and rain, which escalated in a torrential rain (the equivalent of an entire winters rain fell in a few hours) and washed away cars, mountainsides and our local road. Some days in advance I’d gone to Tiny and Ninja’s new hide out, where they’d been led by mommy cat. It was a place of (certainly seen with my eyes) many dangers. A field they walked through had just been sprayed with weed killer and they gravitated around a very picturesque old well full of nesting pigeons - “oh so interesting” to watch when you’re a little kitten but “oh my God” when you’re the human trying to care for those kittens! On top of it all a vicious cat had sniffed out that there were new little “runts” in the neighbourhood which had to be annihilated.

I watched this for a few days and saw that kittie mom began to reject the kittens. She would lash out if they came too close to her food and there was no longer any mommy to the rescue when they got attacked and whined like little piglets. Weather and all taken into consideration it was no wonder that they one day had disappeared from this new hide out and was nowhere to be found (once again!). I’m sure you have your own experience of how difficult it can be to not let your human emotion get in the way sometimes, but I have to admit that I had come to feel responsible for these kittens. That night I prayed they would return to the same spot and decided I would try to catch them and bring them back and try to semi-domesticate them. The next morning they were there!! (the power of sincere prayers are REMARKABLE) – I popped some food in a transport box and they both walked in. They spent the next week in a small apartment on their own – in the warmth with a soft blanket in a great cosy dark hide out (under the sofa!). They very quickly got the hang of toys, regular meals and me playing with them several times every day. A week later they were released into the garden – and oh what a delight to see their joy at rolling around on the ground and once again rumping around and being up to kitten mischief. Now they stay close – they’ve got a small open window to the downstairs apartment where it seems they disappear to at night-time. They appear at our kitchen door for breakfast, lunch, in-betweens, dinner and playing time.

Tiny ready for a round of games...

Well, there are so many cat tales to tell… but this is one in particular that I’m very fond of. At least I consider that I’ve done what I could. They are getting bigger and stronger by the day and I now believe they know where to come for food should they decide to venture into the wilderness of their own volition.