Cat's Life

Second only to dogs, the most common pet in Cyprus is the cat - most often the common moggy. The Greek Cypriots get their pet cats from all sorts of places: some people choose their cats from pet shops or friends. Others prefer to adopt feral cats or strays.

It seems that something in the flowers caught Michel's attention.

Life for the domestic cat is usually very pleasant - regular food, a warm place to sleep, pet humans and freedom provided by the catflap. It's a pity that there is no such expression as "it's a cat's life", meaning a life of luxury! However, this is only one side of the story.. The petshop kitten takes pot luck when it is bought and taken from the pet shop. The incidence of discarded kittens and puppies is rising, These abandoned animals are often found in rubbish dumps, on the side of motorways or on  waste ground. They are usually put there by the caring humans who bought them in the first place. But having realised the true cost and effort of day-to-day pet care, they suddenly lose interest in the new pet and find it less appealing.

Michel posing for a photo in his favourite basket

A few years ago, I adopted a kitten whose mother had abandoned him when he was only 5-6 days old. I took him home, cleaned him and gave him some milk using a syringe until he was old enough to eat kitten food. Michel soon grew into a beautiful cat that was well taken care of. He'd often sit with us at the table, patiently waiting for his meal. His basket was his favourite place to lie in on sunny days while his catflap, equipped with a soft pillow and a blanket, kept him warm in winter. But one day, Alkis dared him with his toy ball and, playful Michel scratched him badly. The doctor said Alkis was very lucky not to get an infection because Michel had already been given his yearly vaccination jabs. Since that day, Alkis and Michel had begun to dislike each other so much that we eventually decided to give Michel away. Of course we didn't abandon him but gave him to a friend who lived on a farm in the countryside and took care of other cats as well.

Michel - patiently waiting for his breakfast

What's the most common pet in your country? Do you have one? How do you take care of it?