PROFILE Grey

This is Grey

Thanx to the rescuer of Grey I have quite detailed information about how this sweet grey cat started his life.
Grey was born in May 2009 at the college campus in Alexandria Egypt, in a litter of 3. Sadly he was born in the wrong place, where cats were unwanted, tortured, poisoned and killed as if they were just 'things'. Along with this litter, there was another one, as you could expect in a country where almost no one looks after the cats, let alone neuter them. But Grey, and a few other cats were very lucky. Because there was one woman who looked after them. Who cuddled them and fed them, even during the times that the campus was closed, finding her way in to water and feed the cats.

Everybody was calling her crazy to do this, and why not feed the poor people instead of those useless cats... Because that is unfortunately how the average Egyptian sees their living ancient heritage, considering those cats being filthy, unwanted and a plague. A plague caused by humans themselves, because they allow them to reproduce. Everyone knows how fertile cats are, that is why they are together with rabbits, symbolic animals of fertility. But also are they those magnificient creatures that were once worshipped as living appearance of the Goddess Bastet, and are now equal to a bag of garbage you throw away.

Thats how the cats got fed at the college campus in Alexandria

Prince and another cat from Greys clan. I can imagine the right one is related to Grey...

Grey at his birthground in Alexandria

Another picture of Grey at Alexandria

This is hunter, in the background it is Grey

Grey on the look out

Grey grew up, while some of his litter mates and other cats around him got killed without any emotion. Thrown away litteraly to die. But Grey was loved, he was the only cat that even those men that killed other cats loved, and begged for to not have him taken away. Because the guardian angel of the cats was trying to bring as many cats as possible to a better place. And they all wanted Grey to stay. But Grey didn't stay. He qualified to be Egyptian Mau enough to go to the EMRO shelter in Cairo. And together with another cat named Prince, Grey left his birthplace and the people who loved him to find a better life. So on April 2nd he and Prince started the 200km journey to Cairo.

Both Prince and Grey stayed at the shelter for some time. Prince still awaits his forever home. And since I also loooved Noha, who he bonded with, his future may look bright if my life turns to the right direction. It is funny that he also caught my attention as possible adoption choice to company Tiger. But it turned out to be Grey... and really that was destiny because I really opted for another cat, but before I knew it, Grey as third option, was confirmed and I decided to keep it this way. 

Grey at EMRO in Cairo on August 17th 2011

It's Tiger, at EMRO on August 17th 2011 :-) with a still healthy leg.

And Grey found his way to Holland 3 months later. Where I got contacted with his recuer who is of course more than happy to stay in touch with this amazing cat. I would have loved it too to know how an animal that means so much to me ended up. It would be painfull to hear the animal travels out of reach. I know with 'my' horse QueJuizo how it feels, as he was sold before I knew it, and ended up in Thailand. While I had been there just that time. I didn't know. But happy I am he returned to Portugal. And though I have no contact with anyone, I wait patiently for the day I can go back and visit him, as he returned to the grounds he was born at. Now I know, Grey won't return to his roots. But he sure took some of it with him. And he was saved and protected by lovable people. And I am thankfull for getting this 'old day' pictures of Grey, in the place he grew up.

I do not know Grey well enough yet to describe him, but he has really a special personality. In his new life he has to conquer the claiming and attentionholic Tiger, who thinks all attention belongs to her. But Grey on the other hand is quite sophisticated. He knows what he wants, and though he loves to come say hello and shrug his head and kick you over, he is not a cat that loves to be on your lap for hours. At least he did not show this so far. Maybe because he is 'afraid' of Tiger, or accepts his place. Sometimes he looks at me like, 'Oh I want this too, but she is always in the way'.
Grey is very smart, especially if it comes to getting food. He begs like a dog, carefully getting attention with his paw, and if that makes no sense, he will be more pushy giving gentle bites to let me know he is (always) hungry. He has a special meeow to let me know his water or food has run out. Grey is also quite vocal. He meows a lot, saying hello and answers if I ask him something. Every room he enters he says hello. And when he plays he talks to, even when he jumps. Also I am amazed he knows when I come back home from work. He is always waiting there in the window, giving hugs through the glass and of course, meowing.

Grey is also an excellent climber. You will know when I finaly settled my new life and schedule. I will hopefully get on with more frequent posting. But Greys climbing talent stunned me when I was woken up by lots of stumbling. I thought of robbers, but no... It was Grey who managed to jump all up to the window sil of the small windows above indoor doors. It is only 6cm wide at max, and he stood there towering out, scared and didn't know how to get off. He choose for his pride and didnt allow me to help him. That's Grey... my little explorer. Curious to what other strange places he discovers!

Tiger's progress

When Tiger arrived here at the airport, she came with a lame leg that I only discovered when I got home with the cats. I was really heartbroken this has happened, and in all veterinairy reports she was declared in full health. People already told me, those vet checks make no sense, as they only look if the animal is still alive and the paperwork is ok. But at the airport I didn't pay attention to the fact that the seal of Tiger's crate has been removed, and her foodbowl was disconnected. Something has happened with her. But since I accepted her this way, nothing I can do. Even if I said something at the Lufthansa desk, the only option I possibly could have is to leave her, to die. Because Lufthansa only knows accept and treat her yourself or not accept and have her send back or being killed. What fair option would I have? I could only accept a cat with a lame leg. And I love her, I waited for like 4 months for them to be here, and I am not giving up. I have declared myself responsible for them until the day they die, in hopefully old age and good health.

I went to my vet the next day, as I hoped the problm would just be some muscle pain, going away in a few days time. But my vet really disappointed me. When I told her my cats came from Egypt, she immidiately made a statement I could expect this things to happen if I just take some good luck strays. I was furious, because I know EMRO is a decent reliable organisation, offering limp cats, threelegged cats, disabled and blind cats like any healthy cat in their true nature. They would never have send me a lame cat as a good walking cat.
The vet did nothing more than a quick palpation of just one leg. Every idiot knows you always examine both legs at the same time to compare and possible feel differences in temperature, sensitivity, fractures, swellings, reactions etc. She never saw Tiger walking. And did not even consider medication to relief pain. She told me to come back when the leg got infected, because that is the moment her leg should be taken of. Her diagnosis was that this cat has suffered this for much longer time. I was really flabbergasted. Not even she suggested to put a wrap around the leg...

So I went back home, confused, but with an incredible feeling that leg will be cured. There is no way that without fracture or any clear reason this leg should be amputated. The cat is lame for no longer than 24 hours so far.

I saw slight progress over the next days, but also her skin wore off. I had to find a way to protect the foot of Tiger. I put wraps on, which is quite hard thing to do. It is not that she is not cooperative. At first she was very mad, but after a few times she accepts it as daily routine, but she is so flexible, she curls and moves with her paws and tails. Just doesn't know to lie still for a second. And with one hand in her neck to avoid me being bitten it is almost impossible to roll the sticky wrap tape with one hand.

After exactly a week, when I made an appointment with another vet, I got tearshed, bcause I noticed Tiger to use her leg again. She bends it, brings her leg underneath her body again. Not always, but the progress is there. The only worry is, that her paw seems to have no feeling. I could squeeze it, touch it wrap it without her notice. While when I touch just above her paw, she gets quite mad, what is her reaction because she only likes to be touched on the head and body.
But, I understand this paralysis can be temporary, because I feel there is life and energy in her paw.

At the vet, I received good news. I am glad I went here, they were taking it seriously and were very interested in the cats, where they came from and what my idea was about EMRO. They understood that there are good people out there, caring for the cats. And they loved Tiger. I left Grey at home because he isn't really a traveler. Tiger loves it and she may come with me for trips in the future, but for Grey I have to see how he develops.

The vet told me it is very possible and very likely she will overcome her problem. She cannot guarranty, but believes this is a temporary paralysis. She felt reaction in the paw, it is not completely gone. So somewhere a nerve may be blocked due to infection or swelling. Or indeed a moved spine. She checked her from spine to toe for fractures or dislocations. And afterwards wrapped in her leg. She gave me spare material to wrap, which surely will make it more difficult because this kind of wrap is already a nightmare with 2 hands free.
Also Tiger got medication, and if I need it, approval to forward to a specialist. Im glad for this, because I sure believe specialistic care may help her. Like fysiotherapie or ortho manual therapy.

Now I supply Tiger also with homeopathic medication. I am curious how it will work out. It brought me back to my ambition to do more with the study I did a while ago. I still want to be herbologist and homeopathic consultant.

It is waiting now for the further progress. I hope and keep believing it will be allright. :-)

Tiger & Grey's first time in the livingroom

Today is the day that Tiger & Grey get a little more access to my house. My budgy is still around, so I had to replace her first.
I took some time before the cats can go into the livingroom, because I did not have a lot of time to supervise them. But they appear to be ready to explore a bit more of the house now. So the budgy got moved, and the door open. From the chaos I expected, so far nothing has come to reality. Two cats are stucked behind the window, looking with BIIIIG eyes to this green world they may have never seen before (of course, I don't know how Cairo looks, but on Google Earth there appeared a lot of green spots in the city). Since I overlook a small park with lots of birds and even some hedgehogs, they will continue looking the eyes out of their sockets here. And no birdy will come for dinner anymore at my balcony.

So their introduction is here quite smoothly, but yet they will only be here only with supervision, until I know what their habits are.

Grey fell into the curtains and when I try to rescue him, he ran off scared. This cat must really have been chased off a lot in the past. I blew away some dust on his whiskers, and this also scared him incredibly. Really have to do some TLC work with him, to give him back his self esteem and feeling to be loved and wanted. He is so sweet and social, but so easily scared...

Well, nothing interesting so far to tell, they are still gazing outside... I really hope I can manage to leash them, so next spring/summer I can take them outside. I am quite sure Tiger will once be 'tame' enough to just walk with me completely free. But Grey I am afraid has a too fainted heart, learned too much to trust on his own instincts, which will make him run off a lot. But, will return, I am sure of that. As I said have to work on this with him.

One more week, and now it really is!

Since KLM was so kind to let me know on Tuesday my sweets would not arrive this week, I decided to leave KLM behind. I do not want to wait for a last minute chance to have them travel together. I would only hear 48 hours in advance if they will travel. And I don't want to live with this uncertainty. I had the feeling KLM either does not want to carry them, or a charity organisation decided to collect a full rescue shelter to get those dogs to Holland to be adopted. I never understood why people get stray dogs to here, but... that would mean I should doubt myself to do the same with 2 cats.... ;-) I just think dogs are usualy more complicated since they carry more diseases and inherited problems. And, last but not least, have more need to be trained and socialised as youngsters than cats do, who are more independent. I personaly would never get a stray dog from afar... even if this sounds so hypocrite. I know...

So I applied for Lufthansa once more, and if I only did earlier, they would have been here now sleeping on my footend.... But destiny may have wanted it to happen this way. Now my sweets will arrive on August 28th for sure. They are booked, Lufthansa is lots more flexible than our angry blue bird... It is only a pitty my kitties will have a much longer journey now. Which I think they will be looked after much better anyway.

I can get ready for them! And not to worry about Lorelei in the meantime, because they will arrive later on the last day. And in the worse case, I leave earlier on Sunday. I just checked the common cargo schedule, and their primal travel schedule is leaving Cairo at 4.30 in the morning to Frankfurt, where they will switch planes to Amsterdam. To arrive there most likely at 14.10... Or the next flight at 17.50. So... it will mean I have to miss a bit of Lorelei, depending on how I retrieve the cats. I heard from people that the handover can either be at the airport, or at the airport shelter at Lufthansa cargo where transit cats/dogs await their connecting flight, or at Hoofddorp where long term transitions stay, as well as pets waiting to travel.

They will most likely not arrive at 22.05 as I thought, because this is the humane connection via Munchen, and all living animals enter EU or Germany via Frankfurt at all time. Now they fly with an cargo only plane. And if I only never considered using KLM, they sure would have been here now, to spend 4 whole free days with me. But as I said, it must have a reason. I know within 4 weeks I have holidays, and I am gloriously happy UK is stopping its ridicilous quarantaine restrictions from january 1st, so whenever my kitties love to travel, they will be entering the magical world of Avalon with me next year! Now only find a place where they allow my cats, because at Tor Down I am quite sure they won't. 

At last, some living soul to look after come to my life again. After this 4 months of loneliness. I know they will make me happy. Though I do have this nasty feeling about Grey. I don't know why, but I have got the feeling that especially Tiger will come here with a mission.
In a dream I had this week, she was the joyfull kitty, walking by my side. While Grey was a almost white invisible cat in the background. As if he was an angelic cat. I really hope that doesn't mean he will die. I know this can be explained in many ways. I guess he is a little more the lazy relaxed cat of the two, and that little Tiger is just the clown of them. But it doesn't make me love Grey any less. They will both get all the attention I can give (not that they need, because I simply cannot be there for them 24/7. And I am really worried and curious to how they would handle this. For Egyptian Maus are cats that are extremely loyal and commited to the one they decided to be their human... I cannot force them to choose me, and I don't know if they can handle all this time they have to spend alone, as I cannot permit them to go out during the day. But only experience will tell the truth. I know my life is fully developing and the urge to fill my life different is very strong. They will not suffer :-)

Well... we wait another week or so, and then... finally after 17 weeks, they enter my life!

HAPPY!!

4 More days and still I get no confirmation

Julie called KLM a couple of times, but she did not yet manage to confirm Thursdays journey for the cats. It really is nervewrecking to get through this. I count on my sweeties to be here this week, but time is getting closer.
I hope tomorrow will be the day I hear it will all be ok. I really do hope so! It is just so silly, they only allow to book one week ahead, so we did on Thursday and only on Monday you get a possible confirmation. And, they have to call me to check if I am really the destined owner. I wish them luck to contact me while I am at work where I am not allowed to use my phone, but as well barely have any good connection. And I have to talk to a probably bad English speaking Egyptian... Ah well, as long as my sweets will arrive Thursday I honestly don't care.

I have to think now about an alternate date to fly in case there is no place for them. I doubt I will have bad luck, but you never know. And I am doubting, wether to have them Wednesday night, Saturday night or else have them over just after I was at Lorelei next week. In all cases they have to spend so much time all alone after their arrival. I begged the Gods and Goddesses to have them fly on Thursday. While I have 3 maybe 4 days off.

Yesterday I did a ritual for them with the Egyptian Cat Goddess Bastet. To have them blessed and protected during this upcoming week. Because I think they know something is going on.
I had a dream about them yesterday night. And it worried me that I only saw Tiger being active and lovely. Grey was more in the background, with an angelic look over him. I feared that he was dead, but in spirit traveled along with Tiger. I just hope it all is just a bad dream. And that I will hug Grey as well once he is here. I know he is a different type of cat than Tiger. More prone to weight gaining and being lazy. But, I have not seen pictures of them that are more recent than May 2010. Even the picture of Tiger was when she was just 3 weeks old. How big and beautifull will she be at this moment?
I feel like being on a blind date :-) Whatever cats arrive at the airport, I will believe it is Tiger & Grey ;-)

Their room is ready for use, only the foodbowl needs to be filled. Even the litterbox is ready, in case they have high need after arrival. But probably they have to get used at the pretty pink smelly litter. I really really hope they will accept it.

How I wish I got the confirmation....

The budgy that is not happy with the situation

To take cats is one thing... but when you have a bird, you need some preparations.

Meet PhiPhi my 8 year old terror piti. I bought her to have a tame budgy. And tame she was... for a few weeks. Until she started to become very mean, bity and bitchy. It was no fun at all to have her around. Since I didn't like her company, I bought another budgy to company her. The became very close friends. I was not needed anymore. And even though the new budgy called Schetterbek (Squeakers) wanted to bond with me, PhiPhi did not allow him or me to have contact.

Like a bomber plane she flew close over me, screaming, trying to attack me. And Schetters just followed but didn't really know what to think of it. Last year when I came back from England, one of my budgies had died. It was sweet Schetterbek... Why not PhiPhi? Why do the good ones always die early?

Don't get me wrong, I do care and love PhiPhi, but she will never be the tame sweet budgy I hoped her to become. She never attempted to come to me. But ever since I 'met' Tiger and Grey she suddenly seeks contact with me. Even sitting on my arm, head, lap. She tries to bite me, she still is not very friendly but I am so amazed... Ever since I arranged a new home for her, she is contacting me. And the day to leave her is coming closer.

So every day I see her hanging in her cage, trying to be close to me. She looks at me with those droopy eyes. Yesterday she even lowered her wings, like a young bird begging for food. I believe she knows about my plans, but it is so hard... It is so agains my feelings to let an animal go. All animals die here, only one budgy that I brought out to an aviary before, because he simply was dieing living caged, since he came from an aviary. I had no choice, and out of love I did this. Since he was just sitting in his cage, never coming out, never talks, never plays. Nothing at all. But PhiPhi is lively.

I know it is better for PhiPhi in the end, to bring her to this place where she will live in an aviary, together with other birds, a rabbit and a turtle.

But it is not easy. Right now I think about it to just see how it goes.... Maybe she just wants to tell me it will work. But I know she will not be able to fly... Tiger and Grey will catch her in no time. If Tiger is really Mau typical she will make huge leaps. PhiPhi will not be safe. I just don't know....

2 more weeks...

Time goes by... quite fast! I cannot believe I can almost say next week my kitties explore their new home!

It is quite a hassle to arrange it all. Thinking a little more about my crazy plan to pick them up myself, made me realise it has no more value than just being with them sooner. I mean we are not lucky with cheap airlines that allow 2 cats in cabin. So one of them has to be in cargo. My heart says none of the kitties stays alone during the journey. So they either go both in cargo or both in cabin.

Also, I forgot about the extra costs involving this rush flight to Cairo, a (new) passport which has to be ready in time anyway since it is possible that it takes 2 or more weeks to be processed. I cannot take this risk, since I do not want to pay extra to have a speedy processing of the passport.
So I decided to not go to Cairo myself. Instead, whenever I consider another kitty (you know, Noha still touches my heart, Magdi has allready been adopted (lucky cat ;-) ) and Anoosh is likely to be attached to Grey, I may go another time maybe with another EMRO fan. So I don't have to go alone. Because for sure my short period of hoping to go to Cairo, the search for information and planning really made me eager to see it all for myself. And it is just that little dream I always had. Like a vision from the past. No Arabian country I ever wish to visit, I always said. Except the ancient parts of Egypt. Because that history fascinates me, the piramids, Basted, the Gods and Goddesses. Programs on tv I love to see about the pharaos. And who knows after all this was all the path that lead me to those kitties. I think Egypt may behold more than I can think of.

So, it was decided Tiger and Grey will come 'alone'. And I choose KLM. They may be more expensive than Lufthansa. But they arrive at a more decent time than Lufthansa, it is a direct flight, and I know they have the name to be very good with animal transport, even have special trained pet stewards who at least guide the animals from the check in to the plane and back in land of destination. And sometimes they even fly with the animals, never leaving them unattended. I hope for this one.

Julie was so kind to do a little research and found out that KLM has no option for living cargo on this flight. Which means the cats travel in the cabin with the passengers. Since they only allow 2 or maybe 4 pets per flight, I have to wait and hope it is possible to have them fly on August 19th. Julie can only call on August 12th. And even after that moment, if a passenger with cats/dogs arrives, Tiger and Grey will be put on another flight, the next possible flight. So it is a little uncertain. But I trust on it that they will fly on August 19th. At this moment there is no reservation at all. Which is good news for us.

A lucky thing is that KLM is not charging the 200 dollar per cat, but 'only' 140 same price as Lufthansa.

Well... I just keep on begging and hoping they will arrive here on August 19th. Please let it be... Everything is ready for them, and I so can't wait to finally have something to care for again!