Adopting a Greek cat
Discussion
Update. We've got a few cat boxes ready, and been to see the vet, who we've booked in to see the cat or more likely two on Friday evening. The tricky and dear part is the flights. It's looking like £900 to fly the 2 little buggers home 
This isn't a problem (except it is near 1/6 of the buy a Focus ST fund) but still a big ouch. Now shopping around for flight deals,but not holding out much hope. We're also exploring couriers who drive cross countries. One of our dogs is a Romanian (street dog, they're treated like crap) and Balkan under dogs, a charity, drove him and about 15 others over to Blighty. Again, I'm not sure we'll find any such service.
What to me sucks, is that the cost is an absolute mugging. £100 ish each for us, and £450 per cat, or am I missing something?
Sarah has pretty much decided 'her' cat is now called Callia
This isn't a problem (except it is near 1/6 of the buy a Focus ST fund) but still a big ouch. Now shopping around for flight deals,but not holding out much hope. We're also exploring couriers who drive cross countries. One of our dogs is a Romanian (street dog, they're treated like crap) and Balkan under dogs, a charity, drove him and about 15 others over to Blighty. Again, I'm not sure we'll find any such service.
What to me sucks, is that the cost is an absolute mugging. £100 ish each for us, and £450 per cat, or am I missing something?
Sarah has pretty much decided 'her' cat is now called Callia
DKL said:
She looks great, good on you. Yes there are loads here that need homes but when one comes along you can't leave it can you.
There is a huge thread about adopting a dog from Greece on here somewhere - Sue's story (Sally maybe?) - I can't just see it currently.
The thing is, I find it deplorable in this day and age that ANY domestic animal needs rescuing (and tThere is a huge thread about adopting a dog from Greece on here somewhere - Sue's story (Sally maybe?) - I can't just see it currently.
ts on Facebook adding to it with 'Staffies for sales' posts, please pay for my Christmas) BUT a rescue in England is not life threatened, potentially these babies are, something which makes us think we must 'do our bit'. She'd save them all if she could.
My parents ended up with a cat which moved in with them (They live in Crete) He now travels back and forth in the car between Crete and the UK.
The other option which we use when travelling to the UK with our 3 is to fly on a charter flight (30 EUR per cat) to Paris or Brussels and get someone to pick us up and take us to the UK on the ferry.
Great to see someone is saving one of the Greek cats, Its heartbreaking the condition most are in.
They grow massive though, I swear my parents cat has some "lynx in him"
The other option which we use when travelling to the UK with our 3 is to fly on a charter flight (30 EUR per cat) to Paris or Brussels and get someone to pick us up and take us to the UK on the ferry.
Great to see someone is saving one of the Greek cats, Its heartbreaking the condition most are in.
They grow massive though, I swear my parents cat has some "lynx in him"
CDB1983 said:
My parents ended up with a cat which moved in with them (They live in Crete) He now travels back and forth in the car between Crete and the UK.
The other option which we use when travelling to the UK with our 3 is to fly on a charter flight (30 EUR per cat) to Paris or Brussels and get someone to pick us up and take us to the UK on the ferry.
Great to see someone is saving one of the Greek cats, Its heartbreaking the condition most are in.
They grow massive though, I swear my parents cat has some "lynx in him"
No more to say, than he is gorgeous! The other option which we use when travelling to the UK with our 3 is to fly on a charter flight (30 EUR per cat) to Paris or Brussels and get someone to pick us up and take us to the UK on the ferry.
Great to see someone is saving one of the Greek cats, Its heartbreaking the condition most are in.
They grow massive though, I swear my parents cat has some "lynx in him"
Fermit The Krog and Sexy Sarah said:
No more to say, than he is gorgeous!
He's a proper monster but loveable, I think my parents are pretty safe from intruders with him around as he's very loyal (follows them everywhere and even meets them at the local taverna to show them the way home) Weighs close to 7 kgs of solid muscle and would attack if provoked (Doesn't like me or my wife but is very protective over my parents)You've definitely done the right thing rescuing this one, Money is one thing, love is another, Money can be made and lost. Love not so much and without sounding like an idiot cats really do choose their keepers
You wont regret the decision.I wish more people out there had your attitude towards animals
CDB1983 said:
Fermit The Krog and Sexy Sarah said:
No more to say, than he is gorgeous!
He's a proper monster but loveable, I think my parents are pretty safe from intruders with him around as he's very loyal (follows them everywhere and even meets them at the local taverna to show them the way home) Weighs close to 7 kgs of solid muscle and would attack if provoked (Doesn't like me or my wife but is very protective over my parents)You've definitely done the right thing rescuing this one, Money is one thing, love is another, Money can be made and lost. Love not so much and without sounding like an idiot cats really do choose their keepers
You wont regret the decision.I wish more people out there had your attitude towards animals
Fermit The Krog and Sexy Sarah said:
A guard cat hey, interesting!
There's been worse ideas.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lie7VYtf33Q
I was once in a pub in Menorca (Pueblo de Pescadores) and the barman had rather a large 'guard cat', named Seamus. Normally, Seamus was pretty placid and would snooze happily on the bar.
Enter a couple of visitors with a dog. "Oh dear, I do hope that he won't scare your cat", they said.
"It had better be a pretty big dog", warned the barman. Whereupon Seamus opened one eye, spotted the opposition and jumped down onto the floor. You could almost hear him saying "So it's a fight ye'll be wanting, is it?" before launching himself at the dog. Much yelping ensued, the visitors wisely took the shocked pooch outside and Seamus resumed his snooze.
Hope your little Greek mogglettes have a safe flight home!
Enter a couple of visitors with a dog. "Oh dear, I do hope that he won't scare your cat", they said.
"It had better be a pretty big dog", warned the barman. Whereupon Seamus opened one eye, spotted the opposition and jumped down onto the floor. You could almost hear him saying "So it's a fight ye'll be wanting, is it?" before launching himself at the dog. Much yelping ensued, the visitors wisely took the shocked pooch outside and Seamus resumed his snooze.
Hope your little Greek mogglettes have a safe flight home!
Edited by nickwilcock on Friday 29th September 14:27
I think there is some ancient rule that foreign grimalkins need wear a style that better ingraciates them into UK society for a period of one quarter.
I'm not sure how enforceable this is of course - a cat is a cat and invariably does what it wants. Nice cat, worth the effort I'd say, as long as it pulls its weight when it's home.
I'm not sure how enforceable this is of course - a cat is a cat and invariably does what it wants. Nice cat, worth the effort I'd say, as long as it pulls its weight when it's home.
Another update.
Gray, who I had become really fond of has been seen nowhere for the last two days, after visiting us regularly. Tourists are very friendly with them, so I dare say he'll have been spending time on someones bungalow bed!
Sarah has made a close bond with another cat, a one eyed tabby (needs sowing up) so we knew she was coming home with us.
Again, she was NO where to be seen today, and Sarah was quite panicky as today the vets were booked at 6, to sort 2 cats with passports, chips, jabs etc, to fly home on Sunday. A German neighbour got wind that we were looking for her, and advised that she was on their bed. At least we now knew where she was, but, they then were just sat on their balcony for hour after hour. Have you got no sunbeds to claim we thought? Anyways, at 4 o'clock, finally, their doors were closed, and there she was. In our bungalow within a few minutes. Now, having spent £1000 to get 2 cats home we were quite keen to find a second. We recognised most on the site by sight, but most were fine to be approached, but not picked up. None were suitable. We tried some we'd got to know at a local restaurant last night, the same (after explaining to staff, who were cool)
Searching about for a cat, I was getting to feel like some sort of Cruela DeVille!
Anyway, we were near the vets, and 6 o'clock, so we resigned our self that we were just taking home one eye, who Sarah's called Callia.
So, we got to the vets - this guy - https://www.facebook.com/vetthassos/ - a wonderful man called Nikos. He has a huge heart, and does all he can to help local strays, he's also looking to move to England, better pay rates. He said that a a vets bill we had on one of our dogs costing £4000 would be a 700euro bill from him!
We asked, we have paid for two cats, we want to rescue two, to give them a better life, does he know of anyone who rescues them? He said he knows a few, and he made some calls. 5 minutes later, good news, a lady he knows locally rescues cats, who currently has 30+, who knows just the female (needed to be, pet passports already sorted) and she'd bring her down. She arrived and what a little beauty she is! We'll have her. What seemed fate, Sarah likes the name Melena, so we put that on the passport, knowing it's not set in stone, and we could change it. We asked her the cats name, Melany, what are the odds of that! If anyone wants a cat and is going to Greece, please please please message me. She's a lovely lady, desperately trying to find homes for all these cats, and not many get taken. She feeds them, neuters them at her own cost (yet I wouldn't be surprised if Nikos does this for free) A wonderful lady. Also if any of you know cat lovers who go to Greece, or would happily share her Facebook page link etc.
So now we are in our bungalow with 2 lightly sedated (by Nicko) cats, who we need to keep indoors tonight, tomorrow, then flight home early Sunday. Swerving the cleaners at some point tomorrow, who usually knock once, then enter. That would be unthinkable, a cat making a bolt for it to not be found. We're not taking the coach transfer, instead leaving our hire Panda car (a great little car, loves bends, a lovely lively noise when you ring its neck) at the island ferry port (Speedy Rent a Car, a wonderful co, 23euros a day! Mods, if breaking rules mentioning delete this bit, please don't delete the post)
Flights are on early Sunday, and the 2 girls are going to Gatwick. Sarah's bestie is going to meet them, take them to hers, and when we land at Birmingham I'll drive town, then Sarah back. Then happy days, two street cats getting a (hopefully!) lovely life, with meals every day, comfy furniture, human company, and no sleeping in the rain. Happy days.
I'll post some photos in due course, when we have some.
Gray, who I had become really fond of has been seen nowhere for the last two days, after visiting us regularly. Tourists are very friendly with them, so I dare say he'll have been spending time on someones bungalow bed!
Sarah has made a close bond with another cat, a one eyed tabby (needs sowing up) so we knew she was coming home with us.
Again, she was NO where to be seen today, and Sarah was quite panicky as today the vets were booked at 6, to sort 2 cats with passports, chips, jabs etc, to fly home on Sunday. A German neighbour got wind that we were looking for her, and advised that she was on their bed. At least we now knew where she was, but, they then were just sat on their balcony for hour after hour. Have you got no sunbeds to claim we thought? Anyways, at 4 o'clock, finally, their doors were closed, and there she was. In our bungalow within a few minutes. Now, having spent £1000 to get 2 cats home we were quite keen to find a second. We recognised most on the site by sight, but most were fine to be approached, but not picked up. None were suitable. We tried some we'd got to know at a local restaurant last night, the same (after explaining to staff, who were cool)
Searching about for a cat, I was getting to feel like some sort of Cruela DeVille!
Anyway, we were near the vets, and 6 o'clock, so we resigned our self that we were just taking home one eye, who Sarah's called Callia.
So, we got to the vets - this guy - https://www.facebook.com/vetthassos/ - a wonderful man called Nikos. He has a huge heart, and does all he can to help local strays, he's also looking to move to England, better pay rates. He said that a a vets bill we had on one of our dogs costing £4000 would be a 700euro bill from him!
We asked, we have paid for two cats, we want to rescue two, to give them a better life, does he know of anyone who rescues them? He said he knows a few, and he made some calls. 5 minutes later, good news, a lady he knows locally rescues cats, who currently has 30+, who knows just the female (needed to be, pet passports already sorted) and she'd bring her down. She arrived and what a little beauty she is! We'll have her. What seemed fate, Sarah likes the name Melena, so we put that on the passport, knowing it's not set in stone, and we could change it. We asked her the cats name, Melany, what are the odds of that! If anyone wants a cat and is going to Greece, please please please message me. She's a lovely lady, desperately trying to find homes for all these cats, and not many get taken. She feeds them, neuters them at her own cost (yet I wouldn't be surprised if Nikos does this for free) A wonderful lady. Also if any of you know cat lovers who go to Greece, or would happily share her Facebook page link etc.
So now we are in our bungalow with 2 lightly sedated (by Nicko) cats, who we need to keep indoors tonight, tomorrow, then flight home early Sunday. Swerving the cleaners at some point tomorrow, who usually knock once, then enter. That would be unthinkable, a cat making a bolt for it to not be found. We're not taking the coach transfer, instead leaving our hire Panda car (a great little car, loves bends, a lovely lively noise when you ring its neck) at the island ferry port (Speedy Rent a Car, a wonderful co, 23euros a day! Mods, if breaking rules mentioning delete this bit, please don't delete the post)
Flights are on early Sunday, and the 2 girls are going to Gatwick. Sarah's bestie is going to meet them, take them to hers, and when we land at Birmingham I'll drive town, then Sarah back. Then happy days, two street cats getting a (hopefully!) lovely life, with meals every day, comfy furniture, human company, and no sleeping in the rain. Happy days.
I'll post some photos in due course, when we have some.
Edited by Fermit The Krog and Sexy Sarah on Friday 29th September 20:17
Edited by Fermit The Krog and Sexy Sarah on Saturday 30th September 19:45
Edited by Fermit The Krog and Sexy Sarah on Wednesday 11th October 21:51
TwigtheWonderkid said:
Fermit The Krog and Sexy Sarah said:
A guard cat hey, interesting!
There's been worse ideas.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lie7VYtf33Q
ali_kat said:
What's going to happen to Grey, if he comes back to you today/tomorrow?
Setting off tomorrow early AM, so just got to keep them in and entertained tonight, then they're on the plane.
I'll get some more photos up when we're home. In the meantime, a pic of a VERY cute black kitten who visited the other day.
All 4 of us home.
Now, little one is flying around the house like a bee, but Callia - one eyed, the 6-7 year old is lying under a sofa and not budging. Any cat owners have any pointers as to how to help her feel at home, how long she may sulk, etc. We know time is the order of the the day.
Personally I think she's pissed off with us. When we got to Sarah's besties house to collect she ran away from us and was a bit cold. I could swear it was her telling us off for putting her on a plane!
Now, little one is flying around the house like a bee, but Callia - one eyed, the 6-7 year old is lying under a sofa and not budging. Any cat owners have any pointers as to how to help her feel at home, how long she may sulk, etc. We know time is the order of the the day.
Personally I think she's pissed off with us. When we got to Sarah's besties house to collect she ran away from us and was a bit cold. I could swear it was her telling us off for putting her on a plane!
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