Who you calling chicken?

Mack, the girl kitty next door, has new pets. They look kind of funny.  Like birds, but they're bigger than the ones I usually catch (I am quite the killer, you know). And they can't seem to fly. But don't know if that's because they are in a cage and don't have enough room to fly, or because they are too heavy.

The new pets. Picture by Fleur de Bruin

Even though they are in a cage, Mack seems to be terrified of them. Which puzzles me. Why get pets that scare you? She barely comes into the garden anymore, and when she does, she hops onto the picknick table and stays put. Doesn't dare come down again, unless it is to go back inside. Too bad for me, because this makes it harder for me to sneak into her house and eat all her food, without being seen.

Of course, Mack is a real wuss. Not nearly as tough or big as I am. I am not scared of those new pets at all! And I'll prove it. I'll prove it to her and all my other friends. Especially to Woezel, my adopted big sister (God, she's annoying).

This week, Mack's owners are gone, and my owners have been asked to take care of Mack and those new feathery things. The purrfect opportunity for me to go into Mack's garden and check out the new residents.

Open Sesame!

Me on my 'rock'

As I am lying around on my pride rock, overseeing my territory and Mack's garden, I see my owner stepping out into Macks garden. She walks around a bit, talks to Mack and then, oh yes! She opens the cage of the strange birds! This is my chance to confirm my killer status!

 

I get up, and walk to the hole in the fence. I squeeze through it, and lovingly meow to my owner. "Hello boss, fancy meeting you here." Not really, of course, but hey, little does she know! She talks back to me, pets me, and starts changing the water in the cage. "Ozzy, be nice to the chickens! Don't try to catch them!" She says, and goes inside to the tap. Don't try to catch the chickens?! The whole point of me being here is to catch those darn feathery chickens! I bet they taste delicious. I could use a snack.

 

So, with my owner out of sight, I take my position. In the bushes, just a few feet away from the birds. And I wait for them to all look away, so I can quietly catch one (preferably the fattest) and take it away somewhere out of reach.

 

The Chase

Hmm, this is taking longer than I thought. Of course, my stupid owner is back in the garden. How am I supposed to catch a chicken now?! Oh well, I'll just have to do it while she watches. Not like she can stop me. I am too big and strong for her. And too fast! Ha!

Okay, here is my chance. The chickens all have their backs turned to me. I'm going in!

 

Wait! No! Shoot! What?! *Lots of wing flapper and clucking of chickens* NOOOOO! THIS IS NOT HOW IT'S SUPPOSED TO GO! Why am I being chased by chickens?! It's supposed to be the other way around!! Waaaaaah! Booooossss! Save meeeee!!!!

See how the chicken got all big and poofy and cornered me?!

 

5 Minutes Later

*Panting* I guess those chickens aren't as stupid as they look. Why are you laughing?  I'm not chicken! I'll get them. One day I'll get them. Just you wait and see.

See? I am a good hunter! This is what'll happen to those chickens next time.

 

My Dogysey

A dear friend of mine told me she was under terrorist attack. By two dogs. Yes, you read it right. Dog terrorist attackers. Well, sort of. She may have been a bit overdramatic when she used these words, but the gal IS Greek by heritage (you know, the people who perfected drama and tragedies to a tee?), so she's allowed to be.

Too cute to be a terrorist, right? Picture by Katerina Lorenzatos Makris

My friend is currently staying on the beautiful Greek island Kefalonia, where she and her husband received her aunt and uncle's home in exchange for taking care of them after they became ill. Over a year ago, she came to Greece to try and repair the house enough to keep it from falling apart, but, unfortunately, she just can't stop rescuing the poor abandoned Greek dogs. Which is how she got the two 'terrorists' and the reason why she has been away from her hubby in California for such a long time.*

Of course, the two pretty pooches aren't really terrorists. But because they chewed (a.k.a. destroyed) everything the moment she turned her back on them, the house looked like it was under terrorist attack.

Anyway, when she asked me to please come over to take the troublesome twosome off her hands, by flying them to their foster and adoption families in Holland, I agreed in a heartbeat. So, off I went. To meet the cutest terrorists ever.

Shelter life

(Un?)fortunately for me, planning the trip took so long that, once I arrived on the beautiful island of Kefalonia, the terrorists had fled the country. Someone else had offered to liberate Katerina by being a flight partner (and both of them have been adopted into amazing homes).

To say my trip to Kefalonia was thus in vain, would be incorrect. For one, I was the flight partner of 4 supersweet doggies who had been rehabilitated by Linda van der Riet. Second, the trip allowed me to finally meet my amazing friend Katerina Lorenzatos Makris in real life. Up to then, I only knew her via Facebook!

She had the great idea of going to the local shelter, ARK, to profile some of the dogs there in order to increase their chances of getting adopted. ARK is bursting at the seams. It was built to shelter 75-100 dogs, but now houses over 200!

The contestants for World's Sweetest Dog. Picture by Katerina Lorenzatos Makris.

Once we arrived, it was easy to see that all the dogs there, and I mean every single one, were adorable, affectionate and so, so ready for a family of their own! It was like they were all participating in a contest of who could wag their tail hardest, lick my hands the best and just be the overall best dog possible. Heart warming and heart breaking at the same time. (A video of the shelter is on the Facebook page of Dog Rescue Greece)

After the canines, Marina Machado Kappatou, ARK's driving force, guided us into the kitty pen. And, oh my, what happened in there was...

It's a kind of magic

Once we got into the kitty pen, Marina gestured to me that I should squat down. The second I went down, I was swamped by cats! Two climbed on to my lap (nails in!), and two tried to jump on my back (also, without nails). And, like the dogs, these kitties were just so incredibly sweet! I managed to gently shake three of them off, and held one black kitty in my arms. He started to hug me tightly, just like my own Greek cat Ozzy does, and I just melted. I fell for him. Hard. And decided right then and there that this was one special kitty, who deserved his own home.

Love at first sight/head rub

Well, I guess you know what happened next... Once I got home, I discussed it with my boyfriend and our 2 other cats (who didn't have a lot to say), and put the adoption wheels in motion. Now, 4 weeks later, I am on my way to pick up Zorro, the latest addition to our family! Just hope Zorro will be able to cast his spell on our cats, like he did with me.

 Oh, and in case you're looking to fall in love/adopt: Zorro has two brothers who are just as sweet and are still at ARK, waiting to be adopted. For more info, you can contact ARK through their Facebook page, Friends of ARK (Animal Rescue Kefalonia).

1 of Zorro's brothers. Equally sweet, little bit more mischievous

*You can read how she picked up her two 'terrorists' here: http://www.spicystoriessavelives.com/puppy-on-a-chain-will-never-be-chained-again/

http://dozendogdiaries.blogspot.gr/2013/01/princess-somewhat-hairy-of-greek-castle.html

Come fly with me!

For a sun loving girl like me, living in a sun deprived country like the Netherlands, Greece is the perfect holiday destination. It has everything I want my holiday address to have: lots of sunshine, beautiful beaches, great food, cultural sites everywhere and the local people are just so nice!

Ruins of Aesklepion at Epidavros

 But there's more. Unfortunately. The locals may be super kind to tourists such as myself, they do not show the same hospitality to the stray animals you find roaming the streets (and high ways). Far from it.

Here a stray, there a stray...

The problem of stray animals is huge in Greece. On the mainland in the summer time, you cannot go for a 30 minute drive without seeing at least one skinny dog standing by the side of the road, looking at you with the saddest eyes you have ever seen.

Almost all of the dogs you see standing by busy roads, were not born 'in the wild', but used to have an owner. An owner who got bored with it, found its upkeep too expensive, or just decided to get rid of the dog because the German Shepherd puppy he/she bought grew up.

And since most Greek people do not bother to spay/neuter their pet, there is an endless stream of puppies born to the abandoned animals.

Kroepoek. A 6-month old puppy who had been hanging around the local supermarket for 3 days before I decided to step in and take him home. He now lives in Germany, thanks to Achaic Society for the Care of Animals.

Help a stray

Seeing all those poor, lost souls on our way to an ancient architectural site, or another nice outing, made me so desperate. And knowing I couldn't do anything constructive to help them (like donating to the local shelter, because there IS no local shelter) just added to the frustration.

But then, while looking around online, I found out that there is something you, as a tourist, can do for those abandoned animals. It's easy, really rewarding and... Free! You can help by... becoming a flight partner!

 Local shelters and animal support groups do their best to help as many animals as they can, by nursing them back to health and fostering them (with up to 10 dogs per volunteer!) while looking for a new forever home. But Greeks hardly ever adopt grown dogs. So, these groups turn to organizations abroad for help. Organizations in Western- Europe (Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, etc.), where there are no stray dogs and dogs are valued as pets. As a flight partner, you are a stray's ticket out of hell and to its bright future with a new family, to a life where it will be loved.

How it works

When you volunteer as a flight partner, that's all you need to do: volunteer to be a flight partner. The rescue groups will take care of the rest. They will book the dog/cat on the flight, make sure the animal is healthy, chipped, has had all the necessary vaccinations and has a valid passport. They will also bring the animal to the airport with the proper transportation cage, check the animal in for you and help you get through customs (Greek officials can get grumpy and noisy when there are animals involved. Just let the rescue group talk to (or yell back at) them, it will work out). And, of course, they will pay for the animal's actual flight.
So, what do YOU have to do? Show up at the airport. Preferably on time.

When you arrive at your destination, the animals are wheeled out by personnel. You gather the animals and your suitcases and roll out of the luggage hall to the arrivals area. There, you will be met by another volunteer who will drive the animal to its foster home or (if extremely lucky) forever home.

Lucy, a doggy we helped to fly to safety thanks to a great cooperation between Stray Gang Rhodos and Stichting AAI.

Normally, I want my vacation to last forever and don't want to go  home. But when I'm a flight partner, it's different. I know that, by returning home, I have helped at least one lucky cat or dog to a life of bliss. And although I know there are still so many unfortunate animals left, I will have helped to save at least one. That's what I call: ending your vacation on a high.

It's not me, it's him

In the beginning, two years ago, we were so happy together. I always had his full attention, and he wanted my opinion on everything. We talked a lot back then. After a long day at work, I couldn’t wait to see him, and he was always overjoyed that I was home again. He loved everything I served him, just because it was served by me.

But as time went by, our relationship changed. Now, I know that’s natural and it’s supposed to be a good thing. Because you can’t be in love forever, it’s physically impossible. So, in time, the ‘crazy, madly in love’ feeling evolves into a deeper feeling. A feeling that’s more stable and doesn’t cloud your judgment as much. And so, as the butterflies have slowly faded away, I cannot turn my back on the problems any longer.

At first, he started to distance himself from me. He wouldn’t be as happy when I got home as he used to, and his happy banter had become rare. The food that I prepared didn’t seem to go down so well anymore. He just shoved it into his mouth without really tasting it. Like a forklift truck. Not a pretty sight.

I had hoped that things would improve again during the summer. Summer, the time of year that’s perfect for picnics and romantic outings. Being outside and doing things together. But he wouldn’t even sit outside in the garden with me anymore. Instead, he chose to go out on his own. Without me. For hours.

And now, come fall, things haven’t gotten worse, but they certainly haven’t improved either. He’s still gone half the time, without telling me a single thing. He still eats like a forklift truck and when he comes home, he just crashes on the couch or bed and ignores me. Oh, sure, we still cuddle every once in a while. When he’s in the mood. But it’s not half as often as it used to be.

I think he’s cheating on me. I’m almost certain he’s cheating on me. He doesn’t even really try to hide it. When his buddy comes by to pick him up, he’s out the door so fast, I only see a blur. And when he comes home, early in the morning (or really late at night, depending how you look at it), he smells like perfume and smoke. And I don’t wear perfume and I certainly don’t smoke.

I don’t get it. What am I doing wrong? Is she prettier than me? More fun? Does she serve better food? I really don’t know. All I know is he’s getting fatter and fatter while I see less and less of him (which sounds like a contradiction, but you know what I mean). He’s now at a point at which I am getting seriously concerned about his weight. 

But what can I do? I mean, how do you stop a food-addicted cat from going next door and (ch)eating, without taking away the freedom his cat flap offers him? If anybody knows, please tell me.

Click here to see the (ch)eater

Why cats and computers don't mix

Cats are great pets. They keep you company when you're alone, comfort you when you're hurt or lonely and they are always ready to listen to you. Plus, they are more independent than dogs and a lot less work (no walks!). Reasons enough to make them the number one pet in Holland (and why I have two).

The downside of cats

Cute as they are, there is a downside to having cats (besides having to clean the litterbox, I mean). They always, ALWAYS want to know what you're doing and, if it doesn't involve them, they seem slightly offended and want to BE what you are doing. Doesn't matter if you're reading a book (they just lie on the book) or working on your computer (they lie on your keyboard). The latter can have some serious consequences...

For instance, with just two tiny steps of those cute paws, they can reset all your settings: change your keyboard from English to French settings for example, or make everything on your screen appear so tiny you can't even read the answer to this problem on Google.

Cats  going online

Ozzy taking a nap. On my laptop.

But walking the keyboard and re-setting settings are relatively easy to fix (yes, it may take a while, but it's fixable). Your cat could do a lot more damage. You know the computer mouse? Well, as you may know, they love to play with it (this is actually quite logical. I mean, with that name, it's almost asking for it, isn't it?). Hit it, click it, throw it off of your desk and watch it swing on its cable, hitting it some more. Now, this game could get you into some serious trouble.

A woman was surfing the web and left her computer for a bit. When she came back, she found her cat playing with the mouse. As she looked on the screen, she saw: "Congratulations! You are now the proud owner of 2 tickets to the musical We Will Rock You!" Her cat had, accidentally, purchased tickets online!** Luckily, after she explained what had happened, she didn't have to go through with the purchase, but beware: this could happen to you!

Cats put online

One of the millions of cute kitty-pics online

That's not to say that cats and online don't mix. Because that is just not true. Cats are hugely popular online! Just think of all the cute kitty pictures there are, being shared on Facebook and Pinterest. In fact, the biggest Hyves-group* is a cat-group! Over 80.000 people are in this group, just sharing pics of their cats and saying how they love them all.

And there are loads of cat-clips on Youtube, proving the online popularity of cats. Just look up 'stalking cat', or the popular cartoon 'Simon's cat' (based on a true cat!). People just can't get enough of them!

Conclusion

I think the lesson to be learned from this is that it can be a great idea to put your cat online yourself, but it can be a very bad idea to let your cat go online by itself. The first could make you money, the second could cost you money.


*Hyves is like the Dutch version of Facebook (or MySpace, if you will).
** True story. Check: http://www.poezenweide.nl/nieuws/2358.html

Might as well face it, I'm addicted to... dogs

Vanaf mijn dertiende/veertiende namen mijn ouders mijn zussen en mij elk jaar mee op vakantie naar Griekenland. Voor ons echter geen gebruinde Griekse beach boys (die destijds nog geen Engels spraken). Die zagen wij totaal niet staan. Nee, wij gingen cultuur snuiven, lekker zonnebaden en vielen voor een heel ander soort 'Griekse goden'. Wij werden namelijk ieder jaar weer verliefd op de altijd en overal aanwezige zwerfhonden, de een nog liever dan de ander. Ieder jaar smeekten mijn zussen en ik onze ouders of we 'deze ene, eentje maar!' niet mee mochten nemen naar Nederland, dan zouden we daar eventueel een nieuw thuis voor hem vinden. Maar mijn ouders hielden altijd voet bij stuk en zeiden steevast nee. Sommige hondjes zie ik nog mee rennen met de auto als we weg reden van de camping of uit de stad. Hartverscheurend.

15 jaar later

Het is inmiddels 15 jaar later en, afgezien van de crisis die op dit moment flink om zich heen grijpt, is Griekenland economisch flink gegroeid. Helaas is het probleem van de zwerfhonden, in tegenstelling tot wat je zou verwachten (als een land rijker wordt, krijgen de dieren het in dat land ook beter), ook gegroeid. Enige voordeel: nu ben ik volwassen. Ik hoef mijn ouders niet meer te smeken om een hondje te redden, ik kan zelf besluiten of en hoeveel ik er wil redden (hoewel mijn vriend er natuurlijk ook wel wat over te zeggen heeft. Het is tenslotte ook zijn vakantie). En ik heb besloten om niet langer mijn ogen te sluiten voor alle gedumpte honden, maar om te redden wat ik redden kan! 

Bessie, een relaxte hond. Zij woont nu in Nederland op een boerderij.

Rescue Crew

Sinds dit voornemen hebben mijn zussen en ik al een aantal Griekse zwerfhonden gered. Om dit te bereiken hebben wij ook elke keer een 'bedelbrief' verstuurd naar al onze vrienden, met daarin een oproep om ons financieel te helpen bij het redden van de hond(en) die we die vakantie hadden gevonden. Of, beter gezegd: bij het redden van de honden die óns die vakantie hadden gevonden. Het redden van zwerfhonden is namelijk een prijzige aangelegenheid waarbij we hebben alle hulp nodig hebben die we kunnen krijgen. Cynici vragen: "Maar jullie kunnen al die honden toch nooit zelf houden? Waarom zou je dan geld steken in het redden van een hond die naar iemand anders gaat? Hou het lekker in je zak." Daarop zeg ik: wij redden die honden omdat het gevoel dat je krijgt als het is gelukt om een zielige hond van de straat en een pijnlijke, eenzame dood* te redden onbeschrijfelijk is. Dankbaar. De kick die je ervan krijgt na afloop is misschien zelfs een beetje verslavend te noemen.

Het is echter ook nogal stressvol om een hond te redden. Je moet de juiste mensen kennen met de juiste middelen, zorgen voor de vaccinaties, paspoort, chip, etc. Het betekent eindeloos telefoneren om alles te regelen. En niet alle vliegmaatschappijen staan even positief tegenover het vervoeren van dieren. Als particulier is het eigenlijk bijna niet te doen. Daarom roepen mijn zussen en ik vaak de hulp in van een professionele (vrijwilligers) organisatie zoals Mirtos.** Zonder hen zouden wij niet al die hondjes hebben kunnen redden.

Gestrikt

Nu ben ik omwille van stressvrije vakanties al een hele tijd (nou ja... 2 jaar) niet in Griekenland geweest. Hierdoor heb ik me afzijdig weten te houden van het redden van zwerfhonden. Onlangs ben ik echter weer 'gestrikt'. Via Facebook kwam ik in contact met een Grieks-Amerikaanse die het, net als ik, niet kan laten om zwerfhonden te redden. En ze vroeg mij om hulp. Ze had namelijk een hele lieve hond gered die wel 5 dagen voor haar hek had zitten wachten. Uiteindelijk was ze gezwicht en had ze de hond binnen gehaald. Alleen, ze vertrekt binnenkort naar Californië en kan de hond dan niet meenemen omdat ze al 8(!) geredde honden heeft thuis.

Natuurlijk kon ik, in tegenstelling tot mijn ouders vroeger, geen nee zeggen. Dus ben ik nu, ondanks het gebrek aan Griekse vakanties, weer betrokken bij het redden van Griekse zwerfhonden. Alleen is het deze keer van een afstand. De zegen van internet? Niet volgens mijn vrienden. Zij zien de bedelbrieven alweer aankomen... Tsja, what can I say? "My name is Anneloes and I'm addicted to rescuing strays."

Diamandi, de hond waarbij ik op afstand betrokken ben. Zij vertrekt binnenkort naar Denemarken!

Moet ik afkicken?

*Grieken 'geloven'  niet in het nut van sterilisatie- en castratieprogramma's. Om het aantal zwerfhonden terug te dringen, strooien de Grieken rattengif voor de honden. Hierdoor krijgen de honden ernstige inwendige bloedingen en sterven ze een pijnlijke dood.

** Ga jij binnenkort op vakantie naar Griekenland en wil je helpen? Neem dan contact op met Mirtos. Zij zijn altijd op zoek naar flight partners voor honden en katten. Flight partner zijn is makkelijk en de kosten worden betaald door Mirtos.