Hi from Spain

[sueg]

Hi all, thanks for this wonderful site. There aren't many cat lovers where I live in Spain and nobody wants to talk about them! I have an 8 year old black male who I rescued. I was driving along a main road when I passed this little black bundle of fur. Through my rear view mirror I saw a little tail moving. I thought it must be almost dead as I had seen the rest of the kitten dead on the side of the road. Anyway I made a dangerous U turn to get back to the kitten. To my surprise it had disappeared and I couldn't find it anywhere. I was just about to get back in my car when I heard it crying. It had jumped underneath my car and was clinging above the wheel. I had to prise it off and it scratched me to bits with it's needlelike claws. It was only about 4 weeks old. I then picked my 8 year old daughter up from school. It was her birthday and she had always asked me for a cat. So she got in the car and I said "Happy Birthday, here's your present". She fell in love at first sight. The poor mite was full of fleas, being to young to spray, my daughter used to sit for hours handpicking them off! First days were tricky, I warned her that it might not make it until morning, but she got a little medicine syringe and fed it milk every hour, cuddled it and picked off the fleas. As it grew it was quite wild, it used to almost attack us for food and knock it out of our hands. Even though he was handled a lot he didn't like to sit on laps or be cuddled and stroked. Slowly he began to change, even though he didn't approach people for strokes, he allowed us to touch him for a little while before going off again.We just let him be him do his own thing and didn't force him. He gradually became tamer but it took over 2 years before he would actually seek company, plonk himself on our laps and demand to be stroked. He is now very affectionate and chatty. So if you rescue a wild cat be very patient, some cats never like company and cuddles. It is heartbreaking to see how cats are treated here in Spain there are no cat shelters that I know of, but various individuals, usually from the uK, who help with neutering and work with local vets. THere are thousands living out of rubbish bins and many die on the roads every day, it's a common sight. well thanks for reading all have a nice day

 

[meuzettesmom]

One lucky kitten, and you are enriched too for knowing him.
Welcome

 

[jennyr]

Hi and welcome! I understand your situation completely - I used to live in Bosnia and it was exactly the same there - cats were considered vermin and htere were thousands on the streets, colonies living round the garbage bins at the ends of each street. I was considered quite crazy for taking them into my house - it took me three years before I found a landlord who would let me do that. Four of my present cats came with me from Sarajevo when I moved to France. I am sure you will love this site and find many friends here.

 

[xocats]

Welcome to our community SueG,

How fortunate for your little panther that you stopped to help...
it is heartbreaking to know that still, in so many areas of the world, cats are considered vermin.
You can feel assured that here, you have found like minded people who love and respect cats.
What is your boy's name?

If I can help with questions you have about our site, just ask. I will do what I can to help.
Please make yourself at home.

 

[cat person]

Hi and welcome to TCS

. Thank you for saving that kitten. That was truly a heart warming story, thank you for sharing.

 

[ruthyb]

Hi and welcome,bless you for taking your baby in.I know my nan used to holiday a lot in spain,she is a great cat lover and it used to break her heart to see all the feral kitties,she used to buy cat food and feed them.x

 

[nurseangel]

Welcome to TCS!

It's lovely to meet you.

Angie

 

[speakhandsforme]

Welcome to TCS.

 

[my4llma]

What a lucky cat you have

Your daughter is lucky

My parents never gave me a cat for my birthday when I was little

 

[coolcat]

Hola y bienvenido a TCS, ...Catulina

Milky

:te saludan!!!........

(Translate: Hi and Welcome to TCS, Catulina ,Milky say hello to you!!!...

)

Please feel as you home here, we can learn so much and deep about out kittys in this marvelous site, I just only please ask you read the rules and other stuffs that can help you to feel as you Real home!..

here you have the link my friend.
http://www.thecatsite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=82565

Please ask whatever you need to know, there are plenty of good members and of course our tireless Mod´s to help us here!....

See you on the forums!, Glad you join us!

 

[blueorchid]

Welcome! What a wonderful story! Bless your heart for rescuing this kitty

 

[sueg]

Thank you all for such a wonderfully warm welcome. My little treasure's name is Kitty even though he is a boy. My daughter originally named him in Spanish but it turned out to be a really bad Spanish swear word, even though it sounded real cute!! so we had to change it in a hurry. Have a wonderful day all x

 

[kailie]

Awwww, what a wonderful, heart warming story!!

Welcome to TCS!

 

[sueg]

How wonderful that you took some of your cats with you. I had a friend here who sadly died recently, who devoted his life to rescuing cats. He paid for all the neutering and vacines from his own pension. He died leaving a house full of around 30 cats, the landlord was horrified. Another friend of his was able to secure some premises to take them all in until she found homes. I think she still has about 5 left, the stragglers including a half blind one and a three legged one.

 

[sueg]

Thank you, I always had cats growing up, even though my dad professed to hate cats, he was always the one who rescued them and then complained. My daughter is now 16 and her beloved Kitty is still a huge source of daily love and joy, they can always be found together. x

 

[rosiemac]

Welcome to TCS!!!. I know what you mean about countries like Spain who don't adopt the idea of shelters

Greece and Lanzarote are the same, but l have a friend out in Greece who with his friends raise money and rescue cats and dogs for adoption.

 

[sueg]

Hi all, I just want you all to see this pic. This little fella was rescued by my hubby in Afghanistan last year. He lived with hubby for a few months in very basic conditions before being transported on a 4 hour drive via armoured vehicle to relative luxury. He is now fed and cuddled everyday and has unlimited mice to catch!!

 

[rosiemac]

There's no picture attached?

 

[cat person]

I do not see the photo as Rosiemac said. Congratulations on adopting a kitten that clearly needs a good hope

. Thank you very much for doing such a good deed

.

 

[sueg]

Hi, I joined last week from Spain and have had such a warm welcome. I wanted to share a pic of my kitty who doesn't live with us. He was rescued in Afghanistan by my husband who was serving there last year. They both lived in a rotten camp until the kitty was transported by armoured vehicle to a new camp where he is fed and fussed and has unlimited access to chasing mice. I will post a pic of my current Kitty soon. Unforutnately computer broke recently erasing 8 years' of family and pet pics so please back up on external hardrive (like I was told a million times!!!). x
ps I am having trouble uploading a pic. It says that the file is attached but it doesn't appear??