Meepos

I've been a bit negligent about blogging lately, partly because of a sad string of events here at Ladas House.  I try to keep my blog positive even with the touch of self-deprecating humor and the inclusion of some of my mishaps in Greece and elsewhere, so I wasn't sure how to include a post that was sad.  It starts out happy, though - and you might say that it has a happy ending.

One of the exciting events of my sister's visit in late February was the birth of a litter of kittens.  I went down to our laundry room (which is in a three-sided room attached to the back of our house) to put in a load of laundry and discovered that a cat had had kittens in a cardboard box in the corner!  Now, this is the same mother cat I mentioned in my post "The Lada Cats" in the fall.  We had begun to suspect that her growing belly meant that she was pregnant again, but I had know idea that she would have kittens so soon... or in our laundry room!  Five tiny, furry babies - two striped, one black, one black and white, and one striped and white.  Completely adorable.  Here's a picture of Halie holding one of the babies on her last day in Athens; the kitten is probably about 2-3 days old.

Shortly after their birth, I found that the black kitten had died.  Since it had happened so early, I wasn't too attached, and I had read that it was not unusual for kittens to die a day or two after they are born.  I buried the kitten, and I started feeding the mother.  I even arranged for one of the other fellows to feed the mother cat during my time on Crete.  I came back to four cute kittens who were growing bigger.  In fact, kittens are supposed to double in weight the first week after they are born!

At about two weeks old, a kitten went missing.  They had grown big enough to grab onto the blanket that was draped over the side of the box and use it to climb out - I was afraid that by leaving the blanket it in that it was my fault that the kitten was missing.  But it's possible that the mother moved it because it was sick or even that it had been taken out by something else.  Alarmed at the prospect of something happening to the others, I took the kittens and their mother to a vet, which was an adventure in itself.  (Using a cat rescue website to find a vet.  Calling to see if they were open.  If they spoke English.  If I could bring the cats.  Confirming the address.  Hailing a taxi to take me there.) 

The veterinarian was extremely nice and spoke fluent English; she even stayed in the office late to see me that Saturday.  She confirmed that the kittens were healthy, cleaned their eyes, and gave them vitamin booster shots.  I bought good quality cat food, a vitamin supplement, and declared my adoption of the cats, though I knew that couldn't take them in the house because my roommates are allergic.  But I was growing increasingly attached to the babies - they had become like pets.

One morning I heard the noise of a scuffle outside, which is de rigeur for our house.  All sorts of cats roam the campus, and we hear weird cat noises at all hours of the day and night.  I put some cat food into a bowl and headed down to the laundry room... only to find a lone kitten, frantic and mewing in the turned-over cardboard box.  I desperately glanced around for the others, and when the mother arrived, she did the same.  She, too, seemed confused.

I never found any trace of the other kittens.  I can only assume that something got them - probably another cat, as we don't have any larger animals on campus.  I was worried and heartbroken, and I kept the last kitten (who happened to be my favorite) and its mother within reach for the rest of the day.  Two of the fellows who live in an apartment off-campus had expressed interest in fostering a couple of the kittens once they were weaned, and I was grateful that they were willing to take the mother cat and the baby instead.  Even though it sounds sappy, I miss their company, especially in a country where friends are few.  Claya (the mother cat) and Meepos, as Mandee and Whitney dubbed the baby, seem to be very happy in their temporary new home, however.  And it makes me smile to see them so content.   

Photo Credit: Shamelessly stolen from Mandee's facebook page.
P.S. "Meepos" is a Greek word which means "maybe."

"Telea," the Greeks might say.  There it is - the end.  Not a cheerful post, perhaps, but a part of my time abroad, and a sad facet of the country that I'm living in.  I didn't think I was an "animal person" - I'm usually too wary of all the germs - but it seems that I am, or at least that I can be.  And, I suspect, it has a lot to do with the need to feel welcome and loved in an unfamiliar country.  So, everyone go and give your pet a hug!  And thank all of the animal rescue groups both in the US and abroad.