Cats' Tales | Issue 44

Cats' Tales The Newsletter of Cats in Need, Cyprus - Issue 44, 2013

Arsinoe and Tiddles - our own pieces of Zygi Stardust See their story on page 3 Also in this issue Tales from the beach Manx Tales: More stories from the kittens who were rehomed in the Isle of Man Farewell to Catsnip - the Limassolbased group are disbanding

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Remembering Mary

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Carrying on a noble tradition: We meet Shirley, who is doing such wonderful work with the beach cats

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Pyla’s cats are well loved More stories of the great work Sophie is doing in Larnaca

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A Message from the Chairperson

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t’s now just over a year since Mary French passed away and such a lot has happened since then in Cyprus.

Mary is still missed by her friends but she lives on in all of our memories. As you will all know, Cyprus is in huge financial difficulties as a country and I worry that the animals will probably be suffering more than the people. The work to save, educate and make changes for good continues. A Cypriot man called Kyriakos Kyriakou is at the forefront of this and a conference on animal welfare was held in Nicosia a couple of months ago, and was attended by Government officials and members of animal organisations in Cyprus. There have been demonstrations in the streets of Nicosia demanding better legislation and penalties for the perpetrators of animal abuse and neglect. There is also a new President in Cyprus who is an animal lover and in fact has a dog, so this can only be a good thing too. I think there is a long way to go, but there are clear signs that the Cypriot people want to make changes and have better animal welfare laws and less animal abuse and this can only be a good thing. Cats in Need are very happy to support Kyriakos Kyriakou in his work.

The front line At the front line are all the stray cats that Cats’ Tales is published by Cats in Need P0 Box 153, Douglas, Isle of Man, IM99 1GU E-mail catsinneed@manx.net Editors David and Valerie Forster

are still lovingly cared for by a number of dedicated and caring people. Shirley Lovatt has been looking after about 100 beach cats at Dassoudi for many years, despite having health difficulties of her own. Anita and Nic Argyrou look after countless cats also around the Zygi/ Larnaca region and their home has become a sanctuary for countless cats and dogs. Cats in Need have helped Anita and Nic by donating the traps needed to catch the cats to be taken to the vets and we have also helped with some of the vets’ fees.

Magic mix Maisie Holness continues to work with Paphiakos and cooks up her magic mix to entice the less friendly cats in to the boxes so that they can have their operations.

You will also remember last year that Pauline O’Neill in Limassol made a desperate plea for help, as she was caring for more animals than she had money for.

Thanks to the generosity of all of you Cats in Need were able to pay off her outstanding vets bills that had built up to €2400. Without these dedicated and amazing people a lot of cats would not have survived or be healthy, and my personal thanks go out to them for what they do, every day, tirelessly and selflessly.

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We use the traps for more than just spaying and neutering

By Anita Dale Livaditis Anita is one of the very active people in Cyprus at the moment and, as Sue mentions in her chairperson’s message, she and her husband Nic spend a lot of time and money helping the local cats. When she is not doing this, she is an artist and she sells her work, and this can be anything from a painting of one of the beloved cats to a greetings card.

She does this via a website called www.fineartamerica.com and you just need to search for her name under “artists” to see her work. All proceeds of the artwork she sells goes towards helping the cats, so please have a look. You can have great art and help the cats too.

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he traps Cats in Need provided us with have been invaluable in our work. So far we have altered exactly 50 cats and we will be busy in the coming months trapping more cats as more come into adulthood. But just as importantly, the traps are invaluable for emergencies, for example trapping sick cats in need of medical attention, rescuing orphaned kittens, and relocating cats who are in danger.

In February of 2012 a nursing mother at our local park, Baby, became unable to eat, though she wanted to desperately. She was feral and we could not catch her to get to get her to a veterinarian to find out what was wrong. We were able

Here is Milton, the orange kitten from the grocery. Giblet, the tabby female, is just behind him looking through the Christmas ornament. with a trap and some good smelling titbits to catch her easily and get her the immediate medical attention she required. I am happy to say we returned her to her kittens within a few hours feeling much better. All four of her kittens survived. They are all young adults now.

Trapping orphaned kittens Then in the summer of 2012, sadly, Tweets, a neighbourhood cat, after having kittens, was killed by a car. We were so worried about her kittens, who were completely feral, and whom we could not get near.

Because Tweets’ kittens were so light in weight, we knew it would be difficult to trap them because they might not be heavy enough to set off the trap. My husband, Nik, had the idea to tie a string to

4 the trap and run it a good distance to our car. The kittens wouldn’t see us and we could give the string a good yank when the kittens entered to get the food, to be sure the trap door closed.

It was a bold idea and with many hours of patience it worked. We were able to successfully trap both kittens, whom we named, in the spirit of their mother, Twiddles and Twigs, two beautiful females who are no longer feral and live with us now.

Relocating cats A third opportunity came to use the traps in a different way when we were recently asked to relocate some cats. We were asked if we would please trap some cats who were living in the parking lot of a local grocery store. The grocery shared a building with a fast food restaurant, and the restaurant owners worried that the cats were becoming a nuisance to the customers, climbing on the outdoor tables and going in the café trashcans. As a last resort, they were going to call the authorities to come and get them. But they worried they might be euthanized if they ended up in the authorities’ hands.

Orphanides, one of the cats taken from the grocery store

So Nik began nightly journeys there to trap the cats. We have trapped two feral kittens we named Milton and Giblet. They are now happily living (and playing) on our veranda and slowly warming up to us. We also caught a very sick and emaciated young tomcat whom our vets believe was mistreated. We named him Ryan. He is so appreciative. We have been nursing Ryan back to health, he’s gaining weight, and he was recently neutered. Soon we will offer him for adoption, because he will make a most loving pet.

Giblet, another of the cats taken from the grocery store, on our veranda

Support from Sue It’s our heartfelt desire that all these cats see happy endings. None of this work would have been possible for us without the traps Cats in Need provided us with, and we are so grateful to have them. Additionally, we are so grateful for Sue’s continuing support, and to all the people who contribute to make this work possible. We are grateful for the opportunity to help the cats of Cyprus, as they have won over our hearts, and changed our lives for the better.

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Tales from the beach

More stories from Shirley

Molly

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olly was found on the beach. She had a very badly fractured back leg. I took her to the vet and she was put in plaster for 6 weeks. I noticed she was getting fat. At first I thought I was feeding her too well. When I found her she was very skinny and her coat was a mess. She stayed with me and when the time came to have her plaster off I asked Harris to check to see if she was pregnant. “Yes,” he said, “about 40 days.” He looked at me as if to say “I don’t want to take them away from her.”

“Don’t worry,” I said, “I will have her with me.” Three weeks later she had 5 beautiful kittens. Now I have to try and find good homes for them, otherwise it’s back on the beach. The mother is a lovely white

Cornflakes and Oliver

Molly and her kittens with a little ginger and black, one blue eye and one green. If I didn’t have seven cats I would keep her as she has a lovely temperament. the beach. He seemed to look after the kittens. He is still a favourite to everyone and is coping well. He sits on the wall and waits for his food and once a month for his Front Line. I felt so bad when he went to the beach but he was happy to go back to where he was born.

Oliver was a cat that I hand fed from two days old. He was going to England to my son but he got very sick and spent a lot of time at the vet’s. It turned out he had colitis and has to have special food, so I kept him.

He is my baby and he loves to play with all Cornflakes and his Brother Oliver the kittens. He can be very naughty at times. When you tell him off he walks off o you remember Cornflakes? He lost one of his legs and became the star of head in the air as if to say “nagging again”.

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Sisu Sisu was very poorly when we picked her up from the beach. I thought it was such a shame that she had to go back on the beach. Marion and I were doing our car boot as usual on Saturday when a man came up to me and asked if we had any baby kittens. His two sons wanted one. I thought yes, and when they get fed up with it they will throw it out so I was a bit reluctant. He went away and later came back with his sons and wife. His sons were 9 and 11 years old and not, as I thought, babies. They wanted a tabby but I only had two ginger and white ones. We arranged for them to come on Monday evening. When they saw her I had never seen boys that age so excited. They had bought toys, a bed food and everything she could want. I was so happy and don’t think she could have a better home.

I get photos and the father comes every Saturday and gives me updates on what mischief she gets up to. Sisu is one happy puss.

Freddy Another happy pussy is our Freddy. Marion came with me to Haris to pick him up to put him back on the beach. She knew that I hated putting them back; after all they are only babies. She took one look at him and said, “I will take him.” She had two other cats, Snowy and Sandy. Sadly Snowy got a virus and died. Freddy missed her because

Sisu they played together, but he has settled down. He brings all the strays to his house. Poor Marion! But Freddy is another happy pussy and I know he also is loved very much.

Kittens I have had 8 kittens dumped on the beach, which I have bottle-fed. It is impossible to find homes for them and it seems a shame that they have to go to the beach but I have seven cats already and my neighbours are very good but it breaks my heart when I have to put them back. I had all of them neutered. Now I have these to do. They are all doing well at the moment. I really don’t know how they will do on the beach. Some stay and some go.

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Manx Tales Baz

By Anna Hemy

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i Baz here, Bazil Hemy, back again to tell you about another fun-filled year in the Isle of Man. Bentley, Fleur and the other posh bird from across the road, who never came out to play, have moved back to Essex.

However, another cat, Simba, has arrived. He is apparently what is called a pedigree, which I thought was dog food, something the silly dog next door eats. Simba will be dog food soon if he does not stop coming in MY garden, sitting on MY fence and getting attention from MY Mum and Dad. Obviously I am allowed to go in his garden and sit on his fence because I am Baz, the king of Cronk Y Berry and beyond. To be fair to Simba, he is only a kitten and I intend to teach him what is accepted practice and what is off limits.

Unfortunately he does not seem to be a

More stories from the kittens who were rehomed in the Isle of Man very interested student but, however, I will persist and not give up on this challenge.

Manners cost nothing is my mantra.

Pesky seagulls Otherwise life continues apace; those pesky seagulls are still a big problem for me. Fortunately Simba seems to share my interest in them and I can only conclude that my lessons are showing some positive results.

You will appreciate that this gives me hope for his future. I fill the rest of my day by sleeping, eating, sitting on the fence and getting attention from passers-by, sitting on the kitchen window sill, and hiding under the car and then it is time for bed and some more sleeping.

I shall sign off now as I have things to do and Simba to take care of. Rest assured I shall be back next year with another exciting update.

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Fudge and Belle

By Elli Sewell

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udge and Belle are doing great Belle’s got a little igloo bed on the counter top in the utility room and she likes sitting on the window sill next to it so she can keep watch. It’s a prime spot and sometimes fur flies as Fudge quite likes sitting up there too. Fudge is always outside waiting for me to come home in the evening. They love it out in my conservatory as it gets warm at any time of year if there’s any sunshine and they get a good view of the garden and birds. Last year Fudge was on the lawn and he leapt way up into the air trying to catch a low flying seagull. It was so funny - I wished I’d had my camera. Normally the cats aren’t bothered about birds or the rabbits which are at the bottom of the garden.

Bonnie

by Phil and Dee Diment

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onnie is looking well and has grown in confidence in the time she's been here, approaching four years this October.

The first 3 months after we had her were difficult. She retreated to our spare bedroom and wouldn't come out at all, so we

We’ve just had the most snow for 50 years and there was 1 metre of snow outside my front door - Fudge kept sitting by the door wanting to go outside but was totally perplexed when I opened the door and there was just a wall of snow. I had to block up the cat flap as we had two days of gales and blizzards. It took four days before my road was ploughed, but spring is here now and both cats are well and happy.

fed and watered her and put a litter tray in there. With gradual encouragement she would allow us to touch her, but even now will only allow us to pick her up for a few seconds.

Over time she began to venture out of the spare room, then into the house and eventually into the garden, sunning herself and lying on top of the chicken hutch.

She will now actively approach us and curl up on our laps or by the radiator.

However she still runs away when visitors call. She appears to love our Labrador and actively curls up next to her, sometimes sleeping in the dog’s bed, with the dog making no effort to move her.

She's obviously had a difficult life and will never be a confident cat, but her true loving nature has now come out and she's a pleasure to have around our house.

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Brikey

By Roger and Stephanie Corkill This is another story of Brikey, who was also rescued from Cyprus. He decided he didn’t want to live with Sue and Alan anymore so moved in with their next door neighbours Roger & Steff.

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rikey's paws are firmly under the table and he has the complete run of the place at Upper Crow Creen. He is extremely nosey and enjoys scenting the majority of the shrubs, trees and corners of buildings to prove this really is his place. What a territorial boy he is! Brikey loves being in the garden with Roger and Steff and likes to dart up trees when least expected only to drop out again and roll in any newly dug earth. In fact rolling is a particular joy for Brikey, which has resulted in him also being christened "Dusty". A favourite place is the site of an old manure heap in the top field - and

yes there are consequences of this including missing cat collars and a requirement for serious grooming - Steff is most proficient and carries this out in front of the open fire much to Brikey's delight. He shows his appreciation by loudly demanding his favourite treats and stretching out on the long hearth stool to toast himself prior to another garden trip. We are so pleased that this includes regular, if not daily visits next door to see Alan and Sue and his old companions. What a great life!

Brikey is a much loved boy (something he knows only too well) and is very talkative, especially when food is required. When he is asked what he wants, he replies in his unique meows and then does something he has developed this year - he stands on his back legs, gives a nudge and then drops down to clear the bowl of food.

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Farewell to Catsnip Sue writes

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auline from Catsnip contacted me recently to let me know that the small group of Pauline, Len, Mandy and Russell had made the very difficult decision to disband Catsnip. Over the last 7 or 8 years they had caught over 3000 cats that were spayed and neutered, preventing many more thousands of unwanted kittens being born in to a life of starvation, misery and often abuse at the hands of humans.

Cats in Need are very happy to have been associated with Catsnip and wish the members all the very best for the future. The Cat traps that we purchased are being donated to other charities in Cyprus so others can benefit from the equipment.

David and Valerie join the Catsnip team as they enjoy a well-deserved evening out in 2006

Remembering Mary Sue has sent us this brief message

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t is now over a year since Mary passed away and there must never be a day when she is not remembered by her many friends. Mary's legacy lives on in all of us as we all strive to help the cats of Cyprus. We all miss Mary and her wit, laughter and dedication to all things "cat".

Mary was closely associated with Catsnip from its formation, and here she is with Len in 2006

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Carrying on a noble tradition Valerie describes meeting with Shirley Lovatt, who is doing such wonderful work with the beach cats

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e always like to meet up with Shirley when we go to Cyprus, so, one day last August we filled up the car and headed off to the St Ermoginis Restaurant, near to Kourion Beach in Episkopi. We met Shirley under the trees, where we used to meet Mary. I have never met anyone in my life who was as wonderful as Mary. You always knew if she said something it had a wealth of knowledge behind it. Yes, she told us all off, including me as I used to feed the cats at the table (don't tell her I still do).

She made such a wonderful difference to the cats and animals, not just in Cyprus but in the surrounding countries. She will always be with us in spirit. Frank was also wonderful and we met him many times and he and Mary both had wonderful stories to tell. I believe Frank is now still looking after the animals in Cyprus with his wife Anthea; at the moment it’s mostly dogs, but he also does the annual turtlewatch.

Caring for the beach cats Shirley is carrying on their tradition in the wonderful things she does for the beach cats: she feeds around 100 of them. She once took me and showed me all the places where she puts pots of food down for them. She is, as the saying goes the salt of the earth, and when I told her how wonderful she was she said, "I could not do this without Sue as she pays my

Shirley with Valerie and David at St Ermoginis in August 2012 vet’s fees.” Shirley pays for the cat food mostly herself. She also collects food from some of the restaurant owners.

What she gives the cats is a mixture of cat food and she mixes it with a kind of pasta to make it go further. The cats love it and wait for her to arrive for their meal.

Thank you Shirley and your helpers; you are wonderful people.

Footnote An apology is due to Shirley, as in the last newsletter we wrongly referred to her as Shirley Illingworth. Shirley, please accept our sincere apologies for the error; it was unintentional but we realise that it caused you some distress. Sorry xxx

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Pyla’s cats are well loved Over the years, the situation of the cats in Club Pyla near Larnaca has been improving, as Valerie explains.

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hen we first went to Club Pyla, there were so many cats in need of love and care, and with Sophie's help over the years we have managed to keep them in a good place. I remember one year seeing a small kitten that needed help, and also a kitten with two small kittens of its own, which I fed but was not able to do anything

about. Thankfully, the area does not have any unwanted cats now as they either find their way to Sophie or to another person who is also a cat lover and can deal with them. Last year when we went, all the cats were in a good place, so I hope it will be the same this year as we all know this is an ongoing situation, but with help of Cats in Need, things are slowly improving, as Sophie’s story below shows.

Maffi finds a home Sophie has sent us this story about a cat called Maffi, one of the lucky cats who live in Club Pyla.

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was so pleased one morning when Sylvia, one of the staff, came to me to see if she could have a beautiful kitten cat, and said, “Please would you let me have her as she is so beautiful.” I was more that delighted, and, as she had already been spayed with the money I had received from Cats in Need, she was able to go right away. Since then Sylvia has said that she has taken in another beautiful kitten, and as Sue has put funds in the vets, I will make

sure she is spayed soon. There are also four more cats that come and go, which I now know I can get to the vets soon.

All my thanks to Cats in Need for all the help they are giving me and the cats.

Love, Sophie