Holiday surprise

Most people bring back chocolates and small gifts from their holiday. We have brought back this

Still at vets in Skopelos receiving treatment, but should be travelling to the uk end of this month. We had a week's holiday and then a week spent visiting vet clinic twice daily  . Very tired tonight but full story of cat to follow tomorrow.

Almost looks like a cat in this pic

 

Bless. Hope the journey from the vets is not to stressful. Has s/he got a poorly leg too?

 

OmG that is so sad. I need a name please to send my datastream of healing.

In the meantime, tears and hugs...

 

Yes, he has had part of his paw amputated.

 

Here is the cat's story......

We arrived at the villa on Fri evening and early Sat morning I found a very dirty, mangy and emaciated cat sleeping on a patio chair. He was absolutely filthy and had ear mites, several large ticks and tiny ants living in his fur. My camera actually makes him look a lot better than real life! No food except a few slices of left over ham from the welcome pack, so he had that, spent some time with us and then wandered off. I bought cat food from a supermarket later on.

Several days later the cat was involved in a fight, which we witnessed. Both cats ran off and the following morning our cat turned up with two large facial wounds, eyes gouged and limping. We did not know that there was a vet on Skopelos at this time ( on our previous visit there wasn't,), so we did not know what we could do to help. We thought there was a cat sanctuary, so we were looking online to try and find anyone to help. He ate food and then disappeared for 3 days. Given his already very poor condition and now the injuries sustained in the fight we thought he must have died. He had been visiting us 2-3 times a day. On the 4th day he came hobbling down the drive quite literally screaming at the top of his voice . I have never heard a cat make a noise like that. He was no longer able to walk on his injured paw, one eye was partially closed and the smell of infection was quite overpowering Poor little bean he must have been in so much pain. Still managed to purr at me though. He wolfed 2 bowls of food, had a long drink and very surprisingly clambered up onto one of the sofas and promptly fell asleep ( he had not done this before ). The sofa was the one I was sleeping on ( beds in Greece are just slabs of rock ) and Roger thinks the cat chose it because it smelt of me. Cat seemed to like me a lot - no idea why he would prefer me over Roger, who actually likes cats. Anyway, in the time he had been missing we discovered there is now a vet and he gave us a carrier to transport the cat in if he came back. So cat spent the night with us and we took him to the vet in the morning.

The vet, who is such a lovely, lovely man, had to give the cat an anaesthetic to fully examine him. The wounds on his face and eyes were cleaned and treated, one of his toes had to be amputated and he was neutered at the same time. The vet said because he is a wild cat he would be put back into the wild to face a very uncertain future and probably end up in same condition again. The cat sanctuary already has 70 cats and several dogs, so were not able to help. He told us about the adoption process, costs, legal documentation, etc. After discussing it we decided that adoption would be for the best welfare of the cat.

We have named the cat Dimitris after the vet who saved his life.

 

Oh @luciusmaximus that is so nice of you. I'm sure the cat will feel like it has come into heaven on earth

Healing datastream on the way to Dimitris...

 

I doubt my bank balance thinks its nice but putting him to sleep or back into the situation we rescued him from were not options I considered.

I have never had a cat before and truthfully I'm not a cat person. But, the cat needed help so we had to give it. Roger had cats as a child and has taken delight ( sadistically so I believe ) in informing me of fur balls, cat vomit and presents I really do not wish to receive

 

Well, I had a few cats in my past lives. Here's a tip. Don't try to make love if the cat is next to the bed trying to hoark fur balls. Totally takes the romance out of the scenario

 

This. Also, keep your socks on. He might go for your feet

 

I'll bear it in mind, but the cat will not be coming into my house or any room in the house until he's had a bath! He really is filthy . No doubt once recovered from his injuries he will try to wash himself but his fur is very matted and stained.

We think he was abandoned up in the mountains as he seems very friendly for a truly feral cat. Lets me pick him up, rubs his head against mine, waves his tail in excitement when he sees me, purrs when I touch him and knows what a sofa is for. Holiday rep told us that cats are dumped in the mountains.

So, now I'm looking at stuff online as regards cat ownership as I take my new responsibilities very seriously.

 

. I thought it was the other way around with cats, but as I said, I've not had a cat before. I have been told that a cat owns you and not you who owns the cat.

 

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HartleyHare considers me to be his personal indentured female, so he should get along well with the cat. Not sure what the others buns will think.