Friday, January 31, 2014

Creamy Arrives in His New Home

I am happy to report Creamy arrived in his new home in the USA.  He was safe and sound and I am very thankful to God for this. I am grateful for the good care that was taken of him at London Heathrow by the vet staff there. I am grateful to his new family for offering him love and a good home, a family who were not only committed to making it happen, but did a lot of work and research to that end.  I am thankful to all of my readers who shared their money and information and emotional support and held my hands through it all as I was very nervous.  Finally, I am thankful to Creamy and for the day he appeared in my life.  I marvel at the transpiration of events. Thank you all for your kind and wonderful hearts.  His new family has sent me many wonderful pictures of him enjoying his new home.  Enjoy.  There are also several more recent pictures on my Altered Cats! Cyprus Facebook page if you would like to see more of Creamy in his new home.



Altered Cats! Cyprus on Facebook


Thank you all again. 



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Monday, January 20, 2014

Creamy Goes to California

Well, I finally found a home for a cat.  In California.  Creamy is just adorable and I can totally see why his new mom fell in love with him.  I did, too.  Someone left Creamcicle , now known as "Creamy",  at the park a while back.  He was young, still a kitten, and terrified.  But he has turned into a lover and with his irresistible charm, and darling expression, he has found himself a home with a lovely lady and her family in sunny California.  I wonder if he will be the first Cyprus cat there?  I have started a fundraiser to raise money for his expenses.  I ask if you could donate and share my fundraiser.  I would really appreciate it. 


I also ask and would appreciate your prayers for a safe journey for him.  I will be sitting on pins and needles until I know he has arrived at his new forever home safely.  This is the first time I have sent a cat abroad and it is a long journey for him.  Thank you. 

Creamy, I pray for the absolute best for you.  I love you and I will miss you.  Thank you for the time we have had together.  Thank you for coming into my life. 



Friday, January 3, 2014

How Do They See Themselves?

Narcissus so himself forsook,
And died to kiss his shadow in the brook.
- William Shakespeare

There have been incidents in the Cyprus news lately that have animal lovers very upset.  One was a dog deliberately dragged to death while tied behind his owner's car on Christmas morning in Limassol.  Apparently his reasoning was that the dog was disobedient.  He had sent the dog to training school and when he got him back, he was still disobedient.  So I guess this somewhat less than human being figured he would show the dog.  He killed him.  He said in the event he was not successful killing the dog by dragging him, he had a hatchet in the back of the car to kill him with, just in case.  (Astoundingly, he had a Plan B.)  The police arrested him.  What will happen?  Not much.  This is Cyprus.  This is the Mediterranean.  This is the mentality. They tolerate it.  Is everyone here like this?  No.  Are there a lot here like this?  Yes.  So it is not just a few freaks?  No.  It is a freakish cultural attitude.  It is a distinctly Mediterranean cultural attitude.  You will find it in Greece, in Italy, in Spain, in Malta. I have artist friends there. I hear the same things about poisonings, cruelty, neglect, illegal hunting of birds.  I have tried to figure it out for a long time.  I have been here 8 years.  I think I finally have a clue that, felicitously, I happened upon.  I will go into more later, because I need to do some more research and think more about it. 



But suffice it to say at the root is a wrong, misguided belief about their place in the world they live in, that, unfortunately, has its roots in Hellenism.  Remember I am Greek American. I have a unique window into this world.  I can say what a lot of expats here can't, and not be accused of racism. 

On top of the Christmas incident of the poor dog being dragged to death in Limassol, there was a situation over Christmas where a Cyprus rescue group's dogs where being housed in a  Cypriot kennel, owned by a former municipal worker, where neglect and cruelty where discovered.  You can read about that tragedy here: http://cyprus-mail.com/2013/12/29/squalid-kennel-shuts-down/ 

You can read about the tragedy in Limassol here: http://cyprus-mail.com/2013/12/27/dog-tied-to-car-and-dragged-to-death/

It was a just a few weeks ago that while I was walking my dog I found a live puppy tied up in a bag at the village dump.  It has been on-going that where I am living my cats have been vanishing into thin air.  My landlord believes my neighbour is killing them.  I have effectively been shut out of three of my feeding stations. 

How do they see themselves?  When they look in the mirror, what do they see?  It is something to think about. 

Narcissus does not fall in love with his reflection because it is beautiful, but because it is his. If it were his beauty that enthralled him, he would be set free in a few years by its fading.
- W.H. Auden