Something to Meow About

Greece has been a country full of surprises for me.

Admittedly, we came here with no advance plan, and therefore no preconceived ideas of what we would see and do, but sometimes it’s the small things that capture my attention the most.

On this trip, it’s been all about the cats.

They are EVERYWHERE … and since I love cats, I’ve been preoccupied with taking photo after photo of their adorable little fur faces.  I’ve earmarked at least a half a dozen cuties that I would love to bring home with me – although I’m sure Theo would be completely unimpressed … as well as Canadian Customs.

 

Had I known about the local cat population, I would have travelled with bags of kitty treats for my new friends.  I’ve looked everywhere in the local grocery stores and been unable to find any – not that it matters.   I’ve learned these little scavengers will eat just about anything anyway.

Life on the street isn’t easy.

It breaks my heart to see how painfully thin some of them are – especially in Athens – and many don’t look healthy.

However, on the island of Hydra, the cats were in much better condition and obviously cared for by the locals.

This boat had arrived with a load of fresh fish.  As the nets were being cleaned, pieces of fish were tossed to the patiently waiting crowd

With such a large stray cat population, cities like Athens have adopted a trap, neuter, and return program.  Some of the cats we saw in our travels had notches missing from one of their ears.  This is actually a sign that the cat has been neutered as part of this program.

Not all of the cats we encountered were strays though … this charming little princess had a collar and was extraordinarily comfortable with people.  With her purr volume on maximum, she was more than a little aggressive in her attempts to sample Gilles’ breakfast.

I will have many fond memories of our time in Greece – and some of them will involve the many 4-legged fur-balls who briefly entered our lives.