When a Greek black cat crosses a Dutch girl’s path? For him, good luck and a trip to Holland
Love at first nibble – Anneloes and her new feline friend / Photo: Katerina Lorenzatos Makris
“Did you see what I posted about black cats on my Facebook page a couple of weeks ago?” friend Anneloes Wagenaar Hummelinck asked when we spotted one sunning himself on someone’s porch during her visit to Kefalonia. “It was this quote something like, ‘A black cat crossing your path means… that the cat is trying to get from one place to another.’ I really hate all the crazy superstitions about black cats and bad luck.”
Neither of us knew it at the time, but just a few hours after Anneloes’s remarks the life of one particular black kitty who crossed her path on this Greek island would change forever.
Done deal
That afternoon I took Anneloes to the Animal Rescue Kefalonia (ARK) shelter so as to photograph and video her speaking in Dutch about the animals there, in hopes of getting some of them adopted in Holland. After visiting with several adorable canine candidates, she asked ARK’s hardworking co-founder and manager Marina Machado Kappatou, “Can we see some cats now?”
Although I love kitties, I’m not thrilled about being amidst a crowd of them. When they scratch or nibble, even if only in affection or play, any resulting breaks in my skin turn red and swell up painfully. Nevertheless I dutifully followed my friend into the cat corral to photograph her admiring the kitties.
The shoe, however, turned out to be on the other paw. It was Anneloes who got admired, and quite ardently at that, by a certain feline individual.
Sealing the deal / Photo: Katerina Lorenzatos Makris
Anneloes turned to Marina. “How much is the adoption fee?”
Creating a future
After Anneloes’s return to Holland, a blizzard of emails, Facebook messages, phone calls, and texts arranged the black kitty’s future. Soon he will travel along with the Alphabet Puppies to Amsterdam and into Anneloes’ eager arms.
Meanwhile, Anneloes and her partner have been busily pondering names for him and preparing to welcome their new family member.
“Lucky kitty,” remarked Pat Dolman, founder of another local rescue group, Kefalonia Animal Trust (KATs).
Exactly. So much for black cats and bad luck.
For more about the Alphabet Puppies please check in with Spicy Stories Saves Lives again soon.
Better yet, please FOLLOW us by clicking the ‘SUBSCRIBE’ button above. You’ll receive email notifications of our new articles, we will NEVER give your email address to anyone else, and it’s free!
Please note: Spicy Stories Save Lives is proudly providing part sponsorship for several Kefalonian animals including Viktor and Violetta and their mom Vaso (if/when we find her).
Meanwhile, Kefalonia Animal Trust (KATs) provides free spay/neuter for hundreds of animals per year here. Please give to KATs via PayPal or bank transfer. Spay/neuter and education are the animals’ best hope for a better future.
Also please consider Animal Rescue Kefalonia (ARK), another group on the island that runs a shelter and works miracles with terribly few resources.
Spicy Stories Save Lives and the author of this article have no affiliation with KATs and ARK other than as a friend, volunteer, and donor.
Seen our book? Your Adopted Dog: Everything You Need to Know About Rescuing and Caring for a Best Friend in Need, by Shelley Frost and Katerina Lorenzatos Makris, available through Amazon.com.
The Alphabet Puppies: Abandoned in supermarket parking lot on Greek island
Rescued dogs Jorja and Ipo headed to bright new lives in Holland tonight
‘Don’t leave without me!’: Puppy Ipo will follow foster sister Jorja to a new life
Have tiara, will travel: Greek (canine) princess to emigrate for new throne
Heart marking on puppy’s face symbolizes her loving nature, waiting to give it all to you
Puppy on a chain will never be chained again
Traumatized puppy Violetta now safe thanks to Greek islanders’ teamwork
Terrified feral puppy, please let me catch and save you
Small but spunky animal rescue group on Greek island launches push to spay/neuter 100 dogs
Katerina Lorenzatos Makris is a career journalist, author, and editor. Her fiction includes 17 novels for Simon and Schuster, E.P. Dutton, Avon, and other major publishers (under the name Kathryn Makris), as well as a teleplay for CBS-TV, and a short story for The Bark magazine. She has written hundreds of articles for regional wire services and for outlets such as National Geographic Traveler, The San Francisco Chronicle, Travelers’ Tales, NBC’s Petside.com, Animal Issues Reporter.org, and Examiner.com (Animal Policy Examiner).
