Adopting a Greek cat

Author
Discussion

Fermit The Krog and Sexy Sarah

Original Poster:

12,973 posts

100 months

Sunday 24th September 2017
quotequote all
Sarah, animal mad, has made friends with this ADORABLE little feral kitten in Greece, and wants to take him home. Madness?




Fermit The Krog and Sexy Sarah

Original Poster:

12,973 posts

100 months

Sunday 24th September 2017
quotequote all
The Spruce goose said:
it requires a bit of work though.
This point isn't of any concern, and quarantine regs are now just 21 days (were 6 months)

Fermit The Krog and Sexy Sarah

Original Poster:

12,973 posts

100 months

Sunday 24th September 2017
quotequote all
greygoose said:
It would need to be chipped, pet passport, jabs etc so probably easier just to get a cat when you get home and leave that one in the climate it is used to.
It's a fair comment. The dilemma faced though is that when all the tourists have gone home some starve to death, or worse are poisoned (a slow nasty death) by some who don't like cats.

Fermit The Krog and Sexy Sarah

Original Poster:

12,973 posts

100 months

Sunday 24th September 2017
quotequote all
OK. S is quite keen to do this.

Speaking with these people tomorrow for advice - http://www.paws-peliongreece.com/adopt-bring-home-...

Then heading to Thassos to find a cat carrier (box)

Then qualifying the local, probably mainland, vet.

It's why I love my wife, she has a big heart.

Oh, and she's now thinking about two of them, so they each have a 'friend'

Fermit The Krog and Sexy Sarah

Original Poster:

12,973 posts

100 months

Sunday 24th September 2017
quotequote all
The Spruce goose said:
2 before long will be 10, sounds like you married a cat lady lol. good luck
the female of the species, they're all nuts!

Fermit The Krog and Sexy Sarah

Original Poster:

12,973 posts

100 months

Wednesday 27th September 2017
quotequote all
RRH said:
Our Vizsla came from a rescue in Cyprus.

Cost to the charity for vaccs, passport and flights to the UK etc came to approximately £600.

Hope this helps smile
Yes, this is what we're figuring it shall be about. We have a Viz x Dobe, so I feel your pain rofl

Names;

I do like the idea of Gray, as, he is well grey. One we've come up with is Micky - we're honeymooning at a venue called Makryammos, pronounced Mikry-am-os, so a fitting link to where he comes from.

Sarah is wracking her brains on a name for the other, who spent the night on our bed last night!

Edit. Yesterday we found a good, helpful, fluent in English local vet. He's told us where we can get cat boxes from, and is working with us regarding our return journey on Sunday. The other thing is that cats can't fly in to Birmingham, where we're landing, so they shall need to go to Gatwick or Manchester.

Edited by Fermit The Krog and Sexy Sarah on Wednesday 27th September 06:22

Fermit The Krog and Sexy Sarah

Original Poster:

12,973 posts

100 months

Wednesday 27th September 2017
quotequote all
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 eek

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

Fermit The Krog and Sexy Sarah

Original Poster:

12,973 posts

100 months

Wednesday 27th September 2017
quotequote all
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 tts 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.

Fermit The Krog and Sexy Sarah

Original Poster:

12,973 posts

100 months

Wednesday 27th September 2017
quotequote all
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!

Fermit The Krog and Sexy Sarah

Original Poster:

12,973 posts

100 months

Thursday 28th September 2017
quotequote all
ali_kat said:
I've said it before about you two, and I'm saying it again...

Every time I read your posts, I think you're really good people

love
Awww, thank you Ali.

And BTW, I'm not up at 4am, it's 6.15 in Greece, and we've got up to watch the sunrise bow

Fermit The Krog and Sexy Sarah

Original Poster:

12,973 posts

100 months

Thursday 28th September 2017
quotequote all
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 smile You wont regret the decision.

I wish more people out there had your attitude towards animals smile
A guard cat hey, interesting!

Fermit The Krog and Sexy Sarah

Original Poster:

12,973 posts

100 months

Friday 29th September 2017
quotequote all
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.



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

Fermit The Krog and Sexy Sarah

Original Poster:

12,973 posts

100 months

Friday 29th September 2017
quotequote all
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
I always did like Hale And Pace

Fermit The Krog and Sexy Sarah

Original Poster:

12,973 posts

100 months

Friday 29th September 2017
quotequote all
sleeping






booby pillow, second cat



Edited by Fermit The Krog and Sexy Sarah on Friday 29th September 22:09


Edited by Fermit The Krog and Sexy Sarah on Friday 29th September 22:11

Fermit The Krog and Sexy Sarah

Original Poster:

12,973 posts

100 months

Saturday 30th September 2017
quotequote all
ali_kat said:
woohoo

What's going to happen to Grey, if he comes back to you today/tomorrow?
We've not seen him all of today, mind, we've been in the bungalow all day batting off cleaners, and entertaining two cats. Thank god for the sedatives, as the younger one is nuts! Gray, he was lovely, but he obviously wasn't as bothered by us.

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.


Fermit The Krog and Sexy Sarah

Original Poster:

12,973 posts

100 months

Sunday 1st October 2017
quotequote all
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!

Fermit The Krog and Sexy Sarah

Original Poster:

12,973 posts

100 months

Monday 2nd October 2017
quotequote all
Thanks both, and we already have some Feliway and are using. She is creeping out from under the sofa a little more frequently, so guess time is all that shall be required.

Fermit The Krog and Sexy Sarah

Original Poster:

12,973 posts

100 months

Thursday 5th October 2017
quotequote all
So we've taken Callia (one eye) to the vets, and to spay her and operate on what is left of her eye is going to be around £700. The cost for these two - vets in Greece, passports, flights, vets at this end - is currently sitting at about £2000 for the pair. Has anybody ever spent more on a pair of scruffy mogs?!

Fermit The Krog and Sexy Sarah

Original Poster:

12,973 posts

100 months

Friday 6th October 2017
quotequote all
DKL said:
Fermit The Krog and Sexy Sarah said:
So we've taken Callia (one eye) to the vets, and to spay her and operate on what is left of her eye is going to be around £700. The cost for these two - vets in Greece, passports, flights, vets at this end - is currently sitting at about £2000 for the pair. Has anybody ever spent more on a pair of scruffy mogs?!
I'm sure you will but get them insured otherwise, if you're all very unlucky, £2k could seem like small change. Been there done that.
Great job but where are the pics?
I'll get some up in a bit


Fermit The Krog and Sexy Sarah

Original Poster:

12,973 posts

100 months

Friday 6th October 2017
quotequote all
A few pics of 'little one', Mellina, she's a baby, guess 4-5 months.

She is so affectionate, but a little bugger for going for your toes at 4am in bed!

I'll try to get some pics taken of the other girl soon.