Cats

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Plume: The story of a special cat

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Plume was born in the same building in which our Center is located and for ten years he had a loving family and a best friend in his very own mother. Unfortunately, due to the crisis in Greece, his owner, Francoise, could no longer find work and was forced to move back to her home in Switzerland. For Plume, this was the beginning of a series of tragedies that would change his world forever.

When Francoise left, his own mother died suddenly and Plume was left alone. We, at AZI's center, agreed to care for him. But the peaceful and quiet life that Plume had known did not prepare him for a place filled with so many cats that were in our care.

Plume decided that he was happier spending more time outside in the neighborhood but it soon became apparent that he had developed an infection. Our veterinarian treated him for respiratory disease and gave him antibiotics but when nothing seemed to help we decided to send him to Athens for a second opinion. The discovery of a nasal fistula began a series of three surgeries and five difficult treatments over a long period of time, all of which left Plume in need of a calm sanctuary.

Our dear friend in Holland, Juliette, became interested in Plume’s story and began to search for a home for him, but, because Plume had also been diagnosed with FIV (Feline Immunodeficiency Virus) he would not be able to live among cats who were free of the virus. Juliette and her friends found a shelter for cats in Belgium which seemed ideal for him, Buddy Kat: http://www.buddykat.be/

Nathalie, the wonderful woman from Buddy Kat, fell in love with Plume and agreed to take him into their section for cats living with FIV. First though, he would have to be examined by a veterinarian and treated again for the fistula and so Juliette escorted him from Amorgos to Holland where he stayed with her for two days before being fostered by Nathalie at the Villa Vagebond, http://villa.vagebond.com.

Plume remains at Nathalie's care at the Villa Vagebond as Nathalie fell in love with him. After going through a series of treatments, finally Plume seems to have overcome the problem with fistula.

Plume, in spite of all his problems, is still such a gentle and sweet cat that we hope, despite the fact that he is eleven years old, his time of suffering will soon end. We wish for him a loving home to live out the rest of his days. So many people have become fond of Plume along the way, and we have all done our very best to help him not only survive but thrive.

We wish him well on his journey forward. We hope for our dear Plume an old age of peace and loving understanding.

 

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The Vaccination Program

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Our vaccination program took place earlier this month, over the weekend of July 9th and 10th. It was completed successfully in spite of challenging conditions. The cats tend to hide away in the summer heat and we were only able to find them early in the mornings and late in the afternoons, but even with these difficulties over one hundred and seventy stray cats from the area of Aegiali have now been vaccinated for panleukopenia, calicivirus, rhinotracheitis and chlamydia as well as having been given pills for worming.

Many of the residents of the island have told us that there are still a large number of cats that hid so successfully we could not find them and it is our belief that from now on we should try to conduct our programs before the summer weather grows too intense.

We are happy to say that many of our island cats are now protected from the danger of viruses and we hope to inoculate the rest of their tribe when the weather cools down.

While we were out on the streets and in restaurants and hotels, many people seemed interested in learning about our work here in Amorgos and the island’s residents as well as the tourists who come to this beautiful island have therefore become much more concerned about the health and safety of the island animals.

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Voula and Voulitsa

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Little Voulitsa was living with her mother, Voula, and her three siblings, in an area where there had been serious outbreaks of disease and infection.

Only Voulitsa and her mother were found alive when we reached them and, as you can see in the photographs that we have included below, they were both very close to death. After an intense period of care and treatment in our facility both the mother and daughter have not only survived but have each recovered their health and strength.

Voula has now been released back into her home area after having been spayed but we felt that we could not allow Voulitsa to return with her mother since the area is extremely dangerous for young kittens. Chickens and ducks and cats are all kept together in a small yard by a woman who has consistently refused our help with sterilizations and medications, which means that Voulitsa has remained with us at our center.  

Voulitsa has put on weight and has now become an active and very playful kitten but we must continue treatment in the hope of saving one of her eyes. Soon she will need a foster home while waiting for the family that we hope will come to adopt this small girl and give her a safe and loving home—the miracle that we want for all of these animals who are brought to us in their great need.

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Angel

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One early morning in June of this year, a woman who works in a café in the central square of Katapola called our center to tell us that the café cat, who only the night before had been healthy and full of life, was now desperately ill.

Litsa, our coordinator, went to the café at once and saw that the cat was not only covered with a caustic liquid of some kind but that in trying to clean himself he had swallowed much of the toxins and his life was clearly in danger.

At the center we began to clean him and, when the room filled with the smell of lime, we realized that he must have somehow have fallen into a vat of that very corrosive liquid.

We immediately treated him with a course of antibiotics, cortisone, painkillers and creams but he was unable to eat and had developed a high fever. The wounds were severe and we had little hope for his survival but day by day he began to improve and so we gave him the name of Angel.

It took a month of treatment but Angel has now returned to being the handsome boy that he was before the accident. A few of the wounds remain but new hair has begun to grow and his appetite has returned. 

Once Angel’s wounds have healed completely and his fur has grown thick, he will be driven to the central square of Katapola where the sweet lady who has fed him since he was a kitten is waiting for his return.

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A Kitten’s Struggle to Survive

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This sweet baby was only two weeks old when she was discovered in a trash bin by an animal-loving family who knows the work we do. They brought the kitten to us in such dire condition that we were not certain we could save her. Her small body was so malnourished that she was too weak to take milk from a bottle, which meant that we would need to feed her by hand, drop by drop, until she began to gain strength. Now, her appetite has returned, and this small fighter is gaining strength day by day. When she is strong enough to eat on her own she will be adopted by the family that first found her for they have grown to love her as they watch her struggle for life.

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Little Nano

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Little Nano was found on 16 of September. Litsa, our coordinator, heard a kitten crying while walking her dog. But because the kitten was located inside a garden, she left it and returned to next day to check on it. The kitten was still crying so she found the owner of the property and received permission to search the area. Little Nano was found under a plant crying nonstop, no mother around. She appeared to be only a couple weeks old. Back at the AZI center, little Nano received care and nourishment from a baby bottle at first and is she is starting to eat by herself. She is a happy and sweet kitten and she will be available for adoption in 1 month.

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Two Kittens Arrive from Koufonisi

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Last week two 3-week old kittens arrived from the nearby island of Koufonisi. We gave them the names Mick and Esthel--both are girls. They were discovered by one of our most active volunteers, who was spending a few days in Koufonisi. The two kittens were crying nonstop but their mother was no where in sight. After waiting to see if their mother would return (there was no sign of her), the kittens were put on a boat to Amorgos where Litsa, our tireless coordinator, fed them milk by hand.

We suspect that something must have happened to the mother, and so the kittens were left all alone. We are looking for good homes for these two new additions and hope to find some when they are old enough to travel. To help care for these kittens and all the others like them, please consider making a donation to Animal Zone International. Thank you!