When my husband and I came to live in Crete, Greece in September, 2010, one of the hardest things we had to do was leave our 17-year-old cat with my mother in Boston. 

Yes, I admit it: I am a cat person.  And a dog person, and pretty much an animal lover in general.

So, when we arrived at our new home in Akrotiri, Crete to find that we had inherited a small cat family, we were excited. Our first sighting was when we arrived home one night from dinner out in the local metropolis of Chorafakia.  Walking down the sidewalk to our front door, we were surprised to hear a wet hissing accompanied by a bunch of furry balls scampering into the surrounding brush.  By the end of that first week, we realized we had a feral cat colony consisting of a mother, 5 kittens and one adolescent, all completely terrified of us (of course).  As animal lovers, we decided to somehow improve their lives because without our intervention not only would they likely suffer, but the colony would only grow and create a practical problem as well: cats have two litters of kittens a year, and if we did nothing, they could soon overtake the property.

Why the concern about suffering? During our travels in Greece, including Crete, I have been disturbed sight of cats – and dogs - roaming the streets, hanging out at archaeological sites, begging for food at tavernas and, worst of all, lying dead at the side of roads having been killed by cars. In fact, there is not one day that goes by when we don’t see at least one dead cat or kitten left by the roadside, or hear stories of abandoned or tortured animals. Generally speaking, those of us from North America and Western Europe are surprised to see that the Greek attitude towards animals that we consider pets is neglectful at best, and is surprisingly uncivilized for a place considered the “cradle of civilization.” If fact, most Greeks do not value cats and even consider stray and wild/feral cats to be vermin. They are preyed on by dogs and other predators and killed by people whose property they invade.  But that is a subject on its own for another time….

So, what we have on our hands: mother cat, Maman; older sister, Kitty; and five 2 month-old kittens: males ‘Ptsino, Checkers, Tweedle and Turtle and female Effie. After weeks of patience and trust-building, they have become quite accustomed to my husband and I, and arrive at the appointed hours in the morning and evening for food, sometimes playing on our veranda and around the pool during the day.  All but Turtle, who seems to be the wildest, and Maman like to be pet and we can sometimes even coax a purr out of them, although holding them up is not option – their sharp, little claws make sure we understand that!

The current challenge is to find a cat trap to get Maman to the vet for her “procedure,” along with Kitty who will be easier to round up.  Finding a cat trap is a challenge, so if you happen to know of anyone in the Chania/Akrotiri area of Crete, Greece who could lend us one, please let me know!