This little cat family which we adopted in Turkey have featured in a previous post and for some reason I seem to be thinking of them frequently these days. The courageous and bedraggled mother cat used to pass me as I sat outside drinking my morning çay every day. She was understandably nervous as not everyone was as pleased to see her as I was and it’s a hard life for Turkish street animals. We became accustomed to each other and before long we were sharing breakfast with each other and on the mornings I was late, she used to sit at the patio door of the apartment and mew loudly until I took my place at the table. I followed her home one morning to discover her living under the steps of an apartment building with her little family.
Both myself and the Turkish baker who owned the adjoining shop adopted her and ensured that they were well fed every day. It was pure joy for me watching those beautiful kittens playing in the undergrowth and I was humbled that the mother cat trusted me enough to allow me to sit alongside her little family in companionable silence. It broke my heart when some callous individual poisoned this brave little soul and her adorable kittens who had all asked for so very little in their short lives. Despite this would I do it again? Absolutely in a heartbeat. You see the thing about rescue animals is that they rescue you right back.
Sometimes in rescuing animals you can lose your mind, but I guarantee you will find your soul
Meow. Once you get to know a cat or kitten, even for a few weeks, it can be heartbreaking to lose them. My kitten got run over right in front of my eyes in 2005, and just yesterday I thought about that and started to cry. Meow. – Kaye
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You must have been devastated, it’s never easy losing a much loved pet who’s become a member of your family. We had two and now have four, one was a stray who came and stayed and a neighbour didn’t want the other old fella with cataracts & one ear as she’d got a kitten. Someone once told me that you don’t choose cats they choose you and I firmly believe that
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As I am currently in Turkey I know exactly how you feel, I could take them all home with me if that was an option.
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You’d never have a house big enough! Street animals are a huge problem and the few shelters do sterling work but it’s never going to be enough. A little kindess to our four legged friends is never wasted
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I would save them all if I could.
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Me too!
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Once you meet them and know their need, you are done for.
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You will have seen far more cruelty than I but I guess that is balanced out by the people that you deal with at those amazing shelters
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Oh, how sad. 😦 … I rescued two kittens last year and they bring me absolute and total joy. … I’ve had cats die but nothing like your experience. … Whoever did it will get their reward. 😉 … Be well, Dorothy 🙂
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Firstly well done on being on Freshly Pressed! And secondly I obviously knew you were an animal lover and that’s what drew me to your blog in the first place. I think we are indeed blessed when we have animals in our lives
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This just makes me too sad.
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I still get upset when I look at all the pictures because whatever we did, it clearly, wasn’t enough in the end
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It never is. All we can do is our little bit. Makes me think of that movie line: Everything will be alright in the end; if it’s not alright, it’s not the end. Animal abuse, unfortunately, is not just in Turkey. I’ve seen it way too often, and it breaks my heart.
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It kills me that those beautiful, vibrant creatures were poisoned.
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This unfortunately, is a fairly common occurrence in many places in Turkey. Animal welfare is not high on the list of priorities and people need to be educated about neutering
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Hello, I am writing you from Serbia. It is the same here. My heart breaks for the animals on the streets here. I am happy to have made two street kittens my own here. I have changed their world and they have changed mine. All for the better. I wish everyone looked at them with kind eyes like yours. Great post.
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I loved what you said about changing your world because that’s exactly what they do; somehow they just creep in and all of a sudden it feels that they have part of your world forever. I think you were all lucky to have found each other and I wish you many happy years together
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All of the above. :-/. Bless your heart!
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You will be used to all of this and yet all the Turkish street animals still manage to break your heart don’t they?
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Sure do 😦 i think i had an animal orphanage in my garden. You feed one and they bring their friends lol. The dogs would visit at a different time to the cats as well. Cost me a fortune. The Turkish neighbours used to tell me off and i could understand why but my feelings for the poor animals outweighed the neighbours complaints. They thought i was crazy lol
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Abandoned animals seem to be a problem everywhere. I try to support the folks who attempt to catch and neuter the feral populations around here, but I’m afraid it’s a losing battle. I don’t understand how folks can simply abandon them, much less poison them.
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How sad that these defenseless animals just trying to survive were poisoned!! I’m such an animal person, and this just breaks my heart – good on you and the baker for providing for them while you could.
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Life is touch in Turkey for people too; they work long hours for little money and many have been brought up ignorant of animal welfare. But there are heroes out there and my shopkeeper was one of those; we just need a few more!
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Absolutely. I remember all the cars around the Colosseum in Rome, and herds of stray dogs in the small mountain towns of Puerto Rico. Fact of life, but you can’t help but to want to help. 😊
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What a sad ending to your story, how can people be so cruel
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I had hoped that it was different and that I could have saved them all but alas not to be but whilst I couldn’t help them in the end it won’t stop me from trying with the next rescue animal I come across
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You have such a big generous heart Dallas, any animal that comes in contact with you is a lucky creature.
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I don’t know what made me do it, but I clicked on your link on your comment over at Our Adventures in Croatia, providence, I guess.
Two weeks ago this Saturday, I got the news that my Lixo was poisoned along with a neighbour’s dog. I had had Lixo for two years, as a kitten he followed me home… you can read the story on my blog.
But you are so right, there are some mean people in this world.
All my cats have been rescued from the street.
I love the photo in the text, there is nothing more satisfying than a mother feeding her kittens; that look of pure bliss. My Hello Kitty (some cats back) used to have the same look on her face.
Sad subject, but a lovely post.
AV
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Nothing unites people more than stories about children and animals. Cruelty is rife wherever you live but street animals have it really tough and it saddens me that someone sometime had loved them and just discarded them as if they were rubbish. A little kindness is never wasted so putting water and food out is such a small thing to do but will make a huge difference in their lives.
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You have a good heart, Dallas. And people should be ashamed for hurting animals 😦
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You too Maggie – I often think about the chapter in your book when you had to make the decision to put your doggy to sleep – never an easy choice and I know you would have sobbed buckets
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So sad about these poor wonderful little animals. I want to protect and care for every one but of course it’s not possible. We just try our best to do our part in our little corner of the world here.
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And that’s all you can do but even that is going to make a difference
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Alas, people stink. We have Evil Neighbors; several years ago, they left a dog (mean one, too — she nearly killed the dog we had the time) and her pups to fend for themselves.
Let me just say that it ended badly, and I’ve never seen my husband cry so hard before or since.
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Cruelty is never acceptable to us and yet we still see and hear the most abhorrent things
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You can’t save them all, but saving just one changed their whole world. Whether that’s animals or anything else…even one good deed is worth it.
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All our happy clan are rescues. We live in such a disposable world Thank God for shelters
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A moving and thoughtful post… thank you.
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It’s hard when whatever you do never seems to be enough in the end
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Ah….you never know who you have inspired or encouraged. Every time we stand up for good things, bad things cannot flourish.
“All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.” J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring
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I remember when you told this story originally, it just broke my heart. You are so right, saving even one changes our hearts.
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Circumstances provided us with our four legged family but I know we wouldn’t be without them and I know that there will always be more room at the inn, if needed
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Such a moving post.
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Thank you, Grace
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There are so many stray cats here, it is heart-breaking. A lot of my friends here take it upon themselves to get the female cats neutered which helps greatly. If I didn’t have my two over-sized beasts with me I’d no doubt adopt hundreds of them. Unfortunately, the poisoning is a big problem – it isn’t often deliberate but poison is put down by the bins to stop rats etc but of course that is where the cats also get their food. At least you know that the short lives your kitties lived were happy one’s thanks to you and the baker x
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The problem is a huge one in Turkey and I know it’s just not possible to take them all home but I always carry a bowl, bottle of water and dog/cat biscuits in the car when I go out
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Lovely,but sad, and one we sadly see to much here in Turkey. We have four dogs now and three are from horror stories here. We have a cat that has CP who like your little family started off life on the streets, then to my garden, and then to my heart and my home full time. My Turkish neighbours hate animals, so hate us but who care! these animals offer us lessons about life, offer us life skills and offer true love and balance.
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I loved what you said about animals educating us and I agree that would be a lot less cruelty and abandoned pets if people were educated more in animal welfare
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Spain is much the same when it comes to abandoned animals. It is very depressing.
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I admire shelter volunteers throughout the world who must experience a huge sense of hopelessness some days but are still able to get up the next day and do what they can
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She’s a beauty Dallas! When we lived in Khartoum, Sudan we adopted a little street cat (well, actually she adopted us!) and we named her “Sa a’ tic” (“Your Highness” in Arabic). She enriched our lives everyday. So sorry your kitty had such a sad ending, but you provided light and love in her life. ~Terri
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Whatever I did was not enough in the end and I love your little cat’s name, how appropriate for a cat!
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While we got my dog at a breeder, I hope to one day get a dog from an animal shelter, preferably a bichon frise rescue (the kind of dog I have now). (I’m like how the Queen is with her corgis–I’m all about bichon frises).
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Yes but will you have as many Bichon Frises as the Queen has corgis?
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hahaha no! I would not be able to keep up with their energy! I draw a line at 2.
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How sad – you had me in tears … my mom always said that she loved animals more than people and when read your story there … I must say I do too.
I just love your last sentence- You see the thing about rescue animals is that they rescue you right back. – Dallas so true!! I wish you a pleasant weekend.
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There are indeed days when I love animals much more than people and they love you whether you’re rich or poor
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Dallas, I think we people are truly so cruel at times to everything around us … how can we act evil against animals and children.
I couldn’t agree more with you .. what you are saying here about that animals they just love.
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I love your sentiment that when you rescue an animal, they will rescue you right back. Well said.
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Whenever an animal creeps into your life they bring lightness, hope and happiness with them
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How can anyone be so heartless???
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I really don’t know what darkness drives people to acts of cruelty
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Heartbreaking. Good for you for trying to help them.
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It was a shame it wasn’t enough in the end though
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Mean, cruel people can suck it. And I couldn’t agree with you more. Ted was rescued from a one bedroom apartment with 30 cats living in it. When I went to the shelter, it was love at first meow and he’s been my constant companion ever since. Like you said, they rescue you right back.
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The unexplainable cruelty of some human beings is certainly a heartbreak. I can imagine what you felt at such an incident, and admire your courage to keep on going. What you say is so true, and despite the terrible things we might witness in our lifetimes, I agree with you whole heartedly, that as long as we live, we have to make the most of those chances we have to recognize the beauty and the precious nature of life, for humans and other living creatures. The pictures moved me too. Beautiful post.
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How very sad that there are such cruel people in this world. These cats are such sweet little creatures. I can just imagine your heartbreak.
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So true about the reward of adopting rescued pets. Urgh, people are horrible. I know we saw soooo many street cats in Istanbul, on every corner. Some truly teeny tiny little kittens. I just wanted to take them all home!
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That is really sad. But at least you improved their lives for a little while – a bit of a good time is better than no good time at all.
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that is so, so sad. how can anyone be so cruel. 😦 i hope they didnt suffer too much.
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Sadly, they had already passed away when they were discovered so one can only hope
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This is lovely, sad and sweet Dallas – even if my old eyes had a very hard time reading the tiny type and grey-on-black lettering. I don’t recall this being your blog theme before – is it new, or just something I’m encountering because of #ArchiveDay?
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You’re not the first person to say that; I wanted a change after 3 years but whilst amending themes I disovered there was a glitch on my dashboard which hasn’t yet been fixed so I will be changing again but I didn’t want to tempt more gremlins by changing it over midway
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Much easier to read now Dallas, and does your writing better justice – me and my presbyopia thank you!
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Caring and kindness are so important. I was able to feed, then spay and re-home a stray and her seven kittens last February with another’s help. One lucky cat and her kittens. Every little bit helps.
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Completely agree; as much as we would all like to save every needy child & animal in the world we simply can’t but by doing out bit where we can will make such a lot of difference. That is one lucky cat and you should be very proud
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