Greek Cats: An Orphaned Greek Kitten and the Legacy of

Tabitha
A Greek cat’s life is an extremely tough one, and the local cats are as
strong, intelligent and unyielding as the famous Spartan warriors of old.
These mountains are hard and uncaring, and the Greek cat lives
constantly on the edge, battling against the elements and wild adversity.
Existence is a constant struggle to find food, and avoid the many
predators and poisonous creatures.

In the Taygetos Mountains, there are no good or bad decisions, no right

or wrong, just the ceaseless cycle of life and death. The hot and dry
summers, and the bitter mountain winter, allow only the fittest, the
strongest, and the quickest to survive. Observing Greek cats is like
watching Darwinism in action and, like the Ancient Spartan society,
nature rejects those who are weak.

Tabitha – The Story of a Greek Cat

We met Tabitha a few months ago, a pregnant feral cat who discovered
that some humans provided food and security. Slowly and inevitably, she
came to trust us, and realized that we bore no malice towards her. This
beautiful Greek cat understood that we were not going to hurt her, and
graciously allowed us to share a small part of her life. From the little cat
that hid behind the plant-pots, waiting until all was quiet before striking
to bolt food from the cat bowls, she became bolder and more confident.
Tabitha had the intelligence to exploit the situation and use it to her
advantage.

Soon, she started coming into the house, where she would wait patiently,
until one of us noticed her presence and opened the cupboard. Well
practiced, she would then leap onto her chair and wait for her food,
building up her strength for her forthcoming litter. She was still wild, and
she would not allow us to stroke or handle her; a quick rub against the
fingers was the only privilege that she would allow.

As the bleak and bitter winter moved into colourful spring, and the
mountain awoke from its long hibernation, Tabitha gave birth. We never
saw the kittens, but we knew that she had them safely hidden up in the
precipitous mountain slopes. Every day, morning and evening, she would
trot up to the house and wait for her meal, before returning to her litter.
We tried to follow her, but Tabitha was too smart for that and led us away
from her brood. She trusted us, but only so far.
The Greek Tragedy, The Frantic Search and the Loss of all
Hope
A week ago, our friend visited and brought us ill tidings; the news that we
had always feared. She had seen Tabitha lying dead on the road, one of
the many Greek cats that falls victim to cars. We picked up her broken
body and buried her under an ancient olive tree. Somehow, we hoped
that her spirit would linger and that she would nourish the tree, part of
the inevitable cycle of life and death that is all too apparent in the
Taygetos Mountains. We did not linger for too long, because we knew that
we had a date with the living, her orphaned kittens that were only a few
weeks old.

In vain, we searched for her litter, listening and hoping that we would
stumble across them and find them safe and warm. The days dragged on,
but we had no success and our despair grew deeper. Both of us feared
that the kittens had starved, or been taken by fox or Kunavi (Polecat).
With no sign, we gave up the quest, believing that small kittens could not
possibly survive for this long in the unforgiving mountains.

Tabitha's Legacy – The Orphaned Greek Kitten

A few days ago, we were out in the garden when we heard a small, weak
mewling from across the road. This was no cat, but a kitten, and long
extinguished hope flared again. We spent the rest of the afternoon in a
frantic search, trying to navigate the thorny plants that tore our clothes
and skin to shreds. Eventually, we saw it, a small brown bundle of fur
huddled amongst the grass, so well camouflaged that we almost
overlooked it.

We tried everything to capture the kitten, from tempting it with food to

laying elaborate ambushes as I tried to drive it towards the waiting
Denny. This proved to be fruitless and we despaired, wondering if we
could devise some sort of trap or scheme. Inspired by the Fates, Denny
tried making mewling noises, in a last vain attempt to lure the little mite.
Against all hope, the ploy worked, and the kitten ran hopefully towards
her, straight into the ambush. I pounced and gathered it into my arms
and, at the end of its strength, the kitten went limp. Exhausted, it had
given up and succumbed to the inevitable, another casualty of hard
Taygetos.

Of course, this particular kitten, although it did not realize it, was
fortunate. This little Greek cat had made its own luck, a winner in the
eternal battle for survival. It was one of Tabitha’s brood and, somehow,
this indomitable Spartan cat had followed her trail. Desperation overcame
fear, and through spirit and force of will, this special Greek kitten defied
the odds. Its intelligence, courage and indomitability had helped it cling to
life; perhaps the Greek Fates, never to be taken lightly, had decided that
this Spartan warrior had earned the right to live.

The Spartan Cat and the Fates

For the first night, understandably, the little creature was terrified,
although it gratefully accepted the meat and goat’s milk. Fortunately, he
was weaned, because we had no way to bottle-feed a small kitten. After a
while, its fear dissipated and it began to understand that it was safe,
happily nestling into the crook of my arm. We shut him in the porch for
the first night, away from the other cats, placing him in a basket with soft
blankets and fleeces. In the morning, we could not find him, until we
looked amongst the coats hanging from the hooks. There, sprawled
across the top, was the kitten. We figured that he had probably climbed
trees for safety in his time alone, lying in the branches, resting away from
the dangers.

We are now in the fourth day, and the little kitten now rules the house,
demanding and playful, yet bringing joy and life. From a timid bundle of
fluff, he now attacks my feet or my hair, before falling into an exhausted
heap in my lap. He is a veritable bundle of concentrated chaos, always
demanding to be the centre of attention. At the moment, we have decided
upon the name ‘Kaos,’ although this may change as his personality
develops.

It is early days yet, and we are reluctant to tempt the fates living at the
top of Taygetos. However, Kaos is strong, healthy and quick to learn, the
last legacy of Tabitha. He showed enough intelligence and bravery to
cheat the odds and become one of the winners in the great game.

Already, this tiny Greek kitten is developing a unique personality, and we

hope to have the honour of his friendship for many years. Losing Tabitha
was hard, but this beautiful kitten shows that some good can arise from
adversity, that the Greek Gods can sometimes be benevolent.