Nine Lives Greece – Επτάψυχες January-June 2011 newsletter

Thanks
to you...
It is with most heartfelt thanks to all those who have supported Nine Lives that we can
proudly announce that, despite the credit crisis crippling Greece, our work for the stray Contents
cats was able to continue apace this year. Although we feared that lack of available
funds would force us to cut back on our feeding/neutering programmes, thanks to the
faithful support of our Nine Lives friends and family, we not only neutered an equal
number of cats as last year – approximately 300 in Athens, and we helped local animal
welfare groups to neuter a further 1,050 cats in remote areas of Greece – we also
expanded our feeding programme to 200 cats in central Athens (for this we owe a debt
of gratitude to Thodoris Alonistiotis of Pets&People for the hugely generous donations
of cat food), and found loving homes for a record 45 cats and kittens. And we still
ended the year with a healthy (just) bank balance! Thanks to you... 1

This year also saw our work being publicised on mainstream Greek TV: we were
featured on Skai’s Paratriha programme, as well as on Greek state channel ET1 in the Neutering update: Cats in the ghetto;
series Zoofilia. Epsilon magazine of Eleftherotypia ran an article on our work which Snip decisions; All he needs is love! 2
resulted in brisk sales of our calendar and T-shirts, and an article in Cat Press magazine
is anticipated early in the new year. We sincerely hope that this publicity, for which we
Six months in the life of a colony 3
are most grateful, helps to educate people about responsible ownership; about the
importance of neutering, the miserable plight of stray cats, particularly those that are
abandoned by families who mistakenly believe that their pet will be happier ‘in nature’, Rehoming special: Stories from some
and the urgent need to curb breeding and cease sales of animals in pet-shops, where former stray cats and kittens that
they are purchased on impulse.
have found happy homes 4-5
We could not possibly have done any of this without you and your generous support of
our work, be it through volunteering to help in our feeding/neutering programmes or
Nine Lives calendar
at our bazaars or parties, making donations in money or in kind, attending our events,
Thank you! 6
buying our T-shirts and calendars or simply becoming a Nine Lives member. So, we
would like to start 2011 expressing our most heartfelt gratitude to each of you whose
help has enabled us to improve the lives of Greek stray cats now and for the future.

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 2

Cats in the ghetto

During 2010, Ioanna Foscolou of Nine
Lives continued her crusade to help the
countless stray cats in the grimy, crime-
ridden areas around Athens’ central
Omonia Square, taking a further 10 to
be neutered this year.
‘Unfortunately,’ she says, ‘There are so
many cats that I sometimes feel as if
I’m just making a hole in the water. The
situation is crazy. There are so many
un-neutered cats, but we need help, we
need many traps (the females are too
wily to be caught by hand), the cats
don’t come out in the daytime so we
have to catch at night when the vet
clinics are not open... It’s very difficult,
but we’re trying our best.’ Financially
supported by Nine Lives, Ioanna feeds
around 100 cats in the Omonia Square
area every day, and is tackling the
Herculean task of getting them all
neutered.
Nine Lives urgently calls for volunteers
who can offer help (in trapping, driving
to the vet, feeding and adopting) to
these cats and kittens, which struggle
to survive in the most abject
conditions.

In 2010, vets working with Nine Lives neutered around 300 stray cats in central
Athens, and a further 1,050 cats throughout Greece

All he needs is love! Snip decisions

Micky was found as an eight-week-
old kitten by an Anglo-Greek couple
in a derelict house in Koukaki. He
was in a miserable state, with
ringworm and a sniffly nose and
runny eyes. After treatment at the
vet and lots of TLC, he is now in peak
health, a vivacious, intelligent and
playful five-month-old kitten who
just craves a home and family to call
his own. He has grown up in an
apartment, but would be equally
happy in a house with a garden. To
find out more details and meet
Micky, please call 210-9763422 or
6979621649
One of the key arguments that we use in persuading feeders of stray cats to neuter them
is that otherwise they – and, more importantly, their long-suffering/nagging (depending
on your viewpoint) neighbours – will soon become overwhelmed with cats and kittens. Of
course there are other reasons (the cats will have healthier, longer, less dangerous lives
not exposed to a wide range of illnesses and injury; the human residents will be saved the
screams of mating and fighting cats, the stench of tomcat urine and the sight of numerous
unwanted kittens etc) but usually the numbers argument is the deal-clincher. The only
problem is that, unless a colony is small and somehow contained, it takes a l-o-o-o-o-o-n-g
time to see any return on your efforts. In Zappeio-National Gardens, where we have been
neutering every new cat for the last two decades, and which is cut off from other cat
colonies by busy roads on all sides and is patrolled by stray dogs, the only new cats that
appear are deliberately abandoned there and, tragically, are often killed by the dogs
before we even find them. So, the population slowly reduces. In Plaka-Acropoli, on the
other hand, where hundreds, maybe thousands, of cats lurk in the narrow alleys and old
courtyards, more and more cats continually appear at our feeding stations, attracted by
the good food and higher quality of life. Yes, looking at the bigger picture, it does indeed
mean that the population in the greater area is stabilising and reducing, but seeing a
steady influx of eager new whiskered faces at the feeding stations, needing to be trapped
and driven to the vet for the big snip, it can sometimes feel an endless task.
This year, as well as neutering every new cat that appeared in ‘our’ colonies, we also
continued neutering cats in Pangrati, at Filolaou and Damareos, and at Agiou Fanouriou,
where a two-dozen-strong colony of largely male cats is making life very difficult for a
disabled woman in whose garden they spray and fight (we have so far neutered 11 of
these cats). In the neglected central area of Kerameikos, Nine Lives volunteer Tsabika
responded to a call from a tavern about unwelcome cats in the courtyard; persuading
them not to ‘get rid of’ the cats as threatened, she took the females to be spayed and
showed the owners how having healthy, neutered cats can be an asset. We also assisted
another restaurant-owner in the same area, who daily feeds 40 cats and kittens, to get
several neutered. Further, we took cats from colonies in Kolonaki, Lycabettus, Paleo
Faliro, Papagou, Maroussi and Kifissia to be neutered. Our total is 300 cats throughout
Athens neutered this year. In early 2011, we have additionally pledged to help a colony of
cats in Nea Kifissia whose owner was recently taken into care, leaving 15 or so ill and
undernourished cats on the streets at the mercy of hostile neighbours. Any help in
trapping, neutering and relocating these cats would be most gratefully appreciated.

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 2

Vasilakis the prince

Vasilakis is a very affectionate 5-

Six months in the life of a cat colony month-old male kitten who loves to
share your pillow and cuddle in your
As we come to the end of 2010 we’d like to bring you up-to-scratch with news from one arms. As he's just a baby, he is also
of our colonies. Our newcomers this year included Thomas the tabby adolescent dumped very playful and inquisitive. He was
at the children’s playground, who spent his days begging for food and strokes from the abandoned in Athens’ National
mothers and trying to catch a nap in the kiddies’ strollers. As you can imagine, he wasn’t Gardens as a kitten and seems to have
welcomed! Fortunately, he has now been given a lovely home by Victoria, as a been badly kicked by someone, as we
companion for her rescued kitten Tilly. Our darling Bella, a young tortie kittie, was found him one day with a displaced
dumped during the summer and joined up with the group of ‘B’ boys (Ben, Bob, Billy, and shattered hip bone. After one
Barnie, and newcomers Bruce and Bugsy). The all warmly welcomed her and enjoy her
month at the vet, he is now almost
female company. Bella is particularly fond of Bugsy, a young tabby, also abandoned
100% well again, but he has a slight
during the summer months, and they spend hours chasing pigeons and fooling around
limp so can never be an outside cat. If
together. Although Bella accustomed relatively quickly to colony life, Bugsy was terrified
and took much longer to adjust. He spent a lot of his time under a container, too scared to
you think you could you offer this
come out for food and ate only after we left. We now have the problem that he is so little lovebug a caring and responsible
much in love with his feeders that he follows us and we have to shoo him back ‘home’ home, please email us at
away from the road. Bruce, a strapping black lad, joined the ‘B’ boys this autumn. Bob, ninelivesgreece@gmail.com
however, became depressed and stopped eating because of Bruce’s tendency to thwack
him at mealtimes, but happily after serious doses of sweet talk and reassurance from his Aliki Vouyouklaki
feeders, he has found his appetite again. Things do get fraught though, every now and
then, as too many cats are being left in this area. Beauty-queen Aliki was found by Nine
The three little kittens Miu Miu, Molly and Lucia were all 2010 dumpees and now have
Lives volunteer Julie on the streets of
loving and happy homes. Vasilakis – see right – arrived late-summer, his short stay
northern Athens. She was very
included being chased up a 4-metre tree by dogs and then probably being kicked. Now
friendly, but frightened of the traffic,
that he’s in a foster home we don’t have to worry on a daily basis what is happening to
this little sweetheart. In September Alejandro from our ‘Spanish’ group was fostered as dogs and boys playing football. Julie
we received complaints from nearby residents about the cats. This leaves only Juanita took her home and has been fostering
and Julio there and we tiptoe around trying to feed them without upsetting anyone. her for about five months. She is very
Screamer from this little cluster disappeared into thin air one day, never to be found. affectionate and loves being stroked,
In autumn a traumatized young tabby male was cruelly dropped next to some filthy WCs. but intensely dislikes other cats and
Again, he was too terrified to come close to us, but after a lot of encouragement became therefore needs a home where she is
loving and happy, he enjoyed to his feeding routine and was a good companion to Nyhta the only cat. She is spayed and will be
(a beautiful black cat who moved to the WCs from another feeding station because of vaccinated before adoption. She is
bullying). Sadly, Ioanna found him dead one Sunday morning from unknown causes. about nine months old and is very
One of our cats from the park’s small zoo spent almost all December at the vet’s after pretty with white fur and green eyes.
somehow trapping her foot. Roula found her with a totally crushed foot; this resulted in Please email us at ninelivesgreece@
two of her toes being amputated. At the same time we had Vasilakis at the vet’s with his gmail.com for more details
serious injury. It was a difficult month.
Finally this year we said ‘goodbye’ to our darling Aristo (photo above left) – a huge,
chubby tabby who had been with us for years. He died from kidney failure. Aristo was a
favourite with children visiting the park as he let them stroke, pat, massage and generally
do anything to him. Gorgeous Mika-Kanella (pictured right) also died from kidney failure.
Mika-Kan was over 10 years old and had been a favourite with the nearby restaurant staff,
getting chicken fillets and other delicacies when our other cats were eating out-of-date
dry food! Our beautiful, shy Tree Calico died after a short illness in her retirement home
after living for nearly a decade in the hollow of a tree and hiding in a broken pipe when it
rained. We also bade farewell to darling Poppy, another calico who was lucky enough to
spend the last three years happily at home, thanks to her adopter, Liz.
As we always say: Sleep soundly little ones and remember you were truly, truly loved.
We miss you.

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Ella
Beautiful long-haired black-and-white
Ella was found with her three kittens at a
small park in the chichi Athenian
neighbourhood of Kolonaki. Her kittens
found homes through kind Lucille Morin,
and then Ella was lucky enough to be
adopted by Maria, an incredible cat-
rescuer and Nine Lives supporter, who
keeps us updated about Ella with
amusing anecdotes and fantastic photos.
“Ella continues to thrive and adjust to
life as a house cat. She and Nanook,
who is only about 6 months older than
Ella, are the best of buddies. Now that it
is getting cold, they are often found curled
up together in a ball of black fur. If it
weren't for Ella's white bits, it would be
hard to see there were two cats. She's
developed a fascination with my wrist-
watch. I often take it off in the evening and
used to put it down on a table by the
couch. Ella will not leave it alone. She
carries it around, hides it under carpets,
and chews on the band. It's cute, but I have
learned to be much more careful about
what I do with the watch when I take it off,
so I can find it again the next morning!”
Maria, adopted Ella in July 2010

Magus & Cleo

Some readers may remember Magus’
story from the January 2009
newsletter – we found him as a kitten
in Plaka with one eye having
‘exploded’ due to an untreated
infection. Our wonderful Greek-
Australian friend Maria had already
adopted little Cleo, who had been
abandoned as a kitten in a central
Athens park, but she responded to
one of our desperate appeals for
Magus (we had been seeking a home
for him for months) and has been a
happy family of three ever since!
“My cats are a joy. I adopted one-
eyed Magus Love Ball thinking he
would become Cleo's live-in
(neutered!) boyfriend but I fear that
social class still reigns supreme in the
cat world. Magus is from the Plaka
and Cleo comes from a more up-
market part of town and to date still
looks down her whiskers at him. But
since they eat together, pee
together, sleep at different ends of
the bed and sometimes play-fight
each other, I do believe they really
are in love.”
REHOMING SPECIAL!
Stella
In November, we got a distressed call from Ricky, a Germany-based American in
Athens on business. He had gone for a coffee at the nearest Starbucks and found, lo
and behold, a ginger-and-white kitten with a runny eye hanging out at the tavern. The
kitten was being fed scraps by the staff, who explained that he/she had had a sibling
who had been run over – no surprise, since the coffee shop is located on a very busy
side-street just off a six-lane thoroughfare. To cut a long story short, we found the
kitten, who turned out to be a little girl, took her to the vet for treatment and, when
she was well, she received her anti-rabies vaccine, passport and microchip. A month
later, Ricky and his girlfriend Cristina flew back to Athens to take the kitten home with
them. She is now settling into life near Frankfurt, with two other cats, five rabbits and
two chinchillas to befriend and play with!
“We decided to name her Stella, because she will be a bright shining star in our
lives! Our plane was delayed 5 hours, due to the snow storm in Frankfurt. Stella was
surprisingly calm, but we were all glad when we finally made it home! She spent the
first night sleeping in our bed so we had some nice bonding time!”
Ricky & Cristina, adopted Stella in December 2010
Below (L to R): Stella at Starbucks; exploring Cristina & Ricky’s home; having a rest!

Maria, adopted Magus and Cleo in

late-2008

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Olivia

Olivia was part of a colony in Zappeio

park. When her best friend was killed
by dogs, we asked kind Carole, a
great cat-lover who happened to be
temporarily without a feline
companion, if she would take her in.

“The photo shows Olivia in her little

‘house’. At five o'clock every day
she has her tea of tinned meat and
Look at us now! after that she is very active and
hunts clothes pegs. She is very
Gigi (top left), abandoned as an adult cat in a central Athens park, was adopted by obedient, very good, very loving
Nine Lives volunteer Rachel, who was in Greece for a short spell before going home to and she follows me everywhere.”
the UK. Having completed the extensive bureaucratic necessities, Gigi joined her and
Carole, adopted Olivia in 2008
they now live happily together in Poole. “Gigi often comes to look for strokes and
cuddles, and has even tried to get into the shower with me which is quite alarming
when you aren't expecting it,” writes Rachel. “She’s a bit of a character, and she'll Loulou
make friends with anyone who has a warm lap to loll about on!”
Hermes & Gracy (top right) both had a challenging start in life, but thanks to Beautiful Loulou is deaf, elderly, and
archaeologist Charlotte, are now living in cat paradise in Tennessee! As a kitten, was found hiding behind a dustbin in
Hermes was rescued from the engine of a delivery truck and offered a foster home – Omonia. She was, miraculously,
which soon turned permanent – by Charlotte. Gracy, meanwhile, had been found as a adopted by Bridget (and, even more
kitten with a badly injured eye, underwent surgery and spent a month at the vet’s miraculously, accepted by Bridget’s
clinic recovering. After a brief honeymoon period for Hermes and Gracy to get to inseparable companion, Betty the
know and love one another, Charlotte took the duo on an eventful trip (that included Dachshund!)
Gracy hiding in the pipes of a toilet at Zurich airport and requiring four people to
dismantle the sewage system to extract her) home to the USA. “The kittens get along “Loulou has taken up residence on
wonderfully with each other; each yowled from their respective rooms when the bookcase in the guest room,
separated after Hermes' surgery [castration],” writes Charlotte. “They often grab BUT we have serious cuddles during
each other's faces and kick each other in the head repeatedly, but they seem to the day, especially when I get into
enjoy it!” Incredibly, Charlotte also managed to persuade her father to adopt two bed at night and she is very sweet.”
Athenian stray kitties – Molly & Lucia (bottom left), who were abandoned as tiny
kittens in the National Gardens and were fostered by Charlotte before she left. Their Bridget, adopted Loulou in Oct 2010
new ‘dad’ Don, reports: “They’re getting along very well. They love a salad I make -
avocado, tomato, onion, garlic, and olive oil. Maybe it's the olive oil, or just that
they grew up in a dumpster. They've taken to sleeping on the bed at night with the
other cats, and they love playing in the dry bathtub, diving and sliding around in it.”
Meanwhile, Molly & Lucia’s sister Miu Miu is living with long-term Nine Lives
supporter Cassie in Kolonaki, feasting on tuna and pouncing on her unsuspecting adult
cat Mavri from dusk till dawn. Ulysse (bottom right) was one of several cats living at
Athens’ Roman Agora when Claire and Stephane visited and were heartbroken by the
skinny, motley stray scrounging at their table for scraps. They enlisted our help, and a
few weeks later Ulysse was home with them in Brussels! “Ulysse is doing fantastically
well,” says Claire. “She is putting weight on by the minute as she scoffs down two
helpings of dinner and then polishes off whatever the two other cats have left! I
think we have managed to make one little cat very happy indeed!”

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Nine Lives Greece -
Επτάψυχες
Check out our website
www.ninelivesgreece.com
Email us at
ninelivesgreece@gmail.com
Charity number: 18938
Tax number: 998313420
Nine Lives is a group of volunteers who
feed and neuter stray cats in central
Athens. The happiest part of our work is
when we find good homes for ‘our’ cats. If
you would like to help, but cannot provide
a long-term home, we often need
temporary homes for cats or kittens. We
welcome donations of cat-food and anti-
parasite medicines, as well as good-quality
secondhand items which we can sell at our
fundraising car-boot sales. Become a friend
of Nine Lives for a subscription fee of just
25 euros per year. And don’t miss the
chance to join us at our next fundraising
party! Find details on our website or
through Nine Lives Greece on Facebook.
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12 happy cats for a happy ’11!
A perfect feel-good New Year gift, Nine Lives’ 2011 calendar features 12 of our feline
supermodels, beautifully photographed by professional photographer and Nine Lives
supporter Nadia Kouloura.
Unlike the souvenir ‘Kitty cats of Greece’ calendars commonly available at tourist
shops in Athens, not only is each featured cat in our calendar neutered, vaccinated,
fed a healthy diet and given necessary veterinary treatment when ill or injured, but
every cent of profit made from the calendar goes towards the continued feeding and
veterinary care of the featured cats and their four-pawed pals throughout Athens.
The glossy wall calendar, with captions, cat-facts and holiday dates in both English
and Greek, costs 10 euros per copy (excluding postal charges).
For Greek residents, if you live in Athens, we will try our best to arrange a hand-over
rendezvous to avoid the extra postage costs. Otherwise, we can send your calendars
via the Greek Post Office’s ‘Cash on Delivery’ system. To order, just email us at
ninelivesgreece@gmail.com including your name, address, telephone number and
number of copies required, and we – with the help of the Greek Post Office – will do
the rest!
Residents of other countries, your payment can be made into our Alpha Bank
account, IBAN number GR27 0140 1280 1280 0278 6010 729, BIC: CRBAGRAA (the
account is in the names Kefalopoulou/Mataragka), but please email us with your
order first, and we will confirm your order and the cost of the postal charges before
you make your payment.
Our most grateful thanks for supporting Nine Lives and helping the stray cats of
Athens have a happier New Year!
THANK YOU!
Nine Lives president Eleni Kefalopoulou, vice-president Carol Spanou, treasurer Evgenia
Mataragka, secretary Cordelia Madden-Kanellopoulou & board members Magda
Panoutsopoulou and Ioanna Foscolou are eternally grateful to:
DN, Antonis P and Marcy & Rick for the incredibly generous donations; Stef for the fabulous
designs for our T-shirts and logo; Nadia for all her hard work and creativity in photographing
our calendar; Meredith for our wonderful website; Pets&People for life-saving food
donations; Bark Avenue pet shop for food donations and promotion of our society; Lucille
for fostering and rehoming so many cats; vets Popi Marouli & Yiorgos Katsiamboulas, Chrysa
Simou and Konstantinos Papanikolaou for all the neutering and treatment; Carol McBeth
and GAWF, Angela Collins and GCWS, WSPA and SPAZ for the invaluable support; Shirin for
her help again with our calendar; Cassie and Mimis, Sudha and Lena for so generously
hosting our fundraisers; Heather B for the beautiful cards; Andreya for donating traps;
Jimmy for donations towards vet bills for Kolonaki cats; Charlotte, Sydney, Ada, Christina,
Zillah, Judy, Rebecca and Roberta for fostering cats and kittens; Ada for tireless effort at the
carboot sales; Pat Kouyoufas for hosting book sales; Sophie, Alex, Rebecca, Shirley, Liz and
Alicia for so much help for our events ; Heather and Sueyyma for ideas and help with PR;
and our wonderful feeders Jim, Karolyn, Karen B, Karen F, Julie, Alyssa, Roula, Tsabika,
Paulanne, Vaso, Nikos C, Nikos O, Chloe and Gareth. We couldn’t do any of it without you!