Bianca’s Story
Some of us know that cats can talk – but what if they could tell us all their own stories? Well we decided we would give some of our resident cats their very own blog post, and first up in this new series is the lovely Bianca!
Be ready to suspend your disbelief and get an insight into daily life at Syros Cats and the work we do year round!
Hi, I’m Bianca!
Like many cats in Syros, I was born on the street. But my cat mum was good and although she was very tired, she looked after me and my two siblings until we were old enough to go with her to the kind lady who put food out for us every day. Life was a bit scary, being very small with little legs. There were lots of cars and other hazards like dogs and unfriendly people on the way; I had to walk a bit to get to the food and fresh water. I learned to keep a low profile and avoid malicious kicks. We had to go at the same time too, because there were lots of other cats being fed there and some of them were bullies, so I often felt hungry.
Aren’t I cute? And my pink ears have healed!
Let me tell you a bit about myself… I’m mainly white with some ginger, grey and black patches and a colourful tail. Luckily I’m not deaf like many white cats, nor do I have different coloured eyes – which many people here think is quite cute. But being pale in Syros is a problem, so although I was born in spring, it soon turned into summer – a very hot summer. There wasn’t much shade and my ears began to burn. They were very painful and I could not do a thing about it. I was proud of my perfect ears, they were a translucent pink, but suddenly they were red and raw and hurt all the time.
One day. When I went for food, I must have been about six months old and didn’t see my cat mum much any more as she was busy feeding yet more kittens, I was caught in a cage, covered with a blanket so I couldn’t see anything and bundled in a car…
I was very scared but don’t remember anything else until I woke up in a different, bigger cage with a scar on my tummy. My ears felt better though, like someone had put some soothing cream on them. I spent a long time in that cage. It was big and comfortable enough, but I missed my freedom. I had regular food, fresh water and clean kitty litter, so life wasn’t too bad and being inside and away from the sun, my ears began to heal, until the crispy edges had gone and I had beautiful pink ears again.
But I didn’t like the people. They opened my cage several times a day and tried to be friendly, but I was scared, you see, as the only other humans I had encountered had not been kind at all. So I was a bit of a problem child – and I could hear them discussing my fate.
‘She can’t stay in a cage all her life.’
‘But she’s not friendly enough to have a home.’
‘We’ll just have to put her back on the street.’
I sat quietly awaiting my fate. I didn’t mind going back on the street, I was used to it and had friends there, but my ears were going to burn again and maybe my nose too. I’ve seen cats with horribly disfigured noses and missing ears – the sun in Greece is very hot in summer. Even the scorching pavements burned my delicate paws.
It’s a big job keeping my white fur clean!
Then I heard someone mention Syros Cats. This was new, I hadn’t heard of them before. But one of the vet nurses was keen to take me. I was still scared, but resolved to work on my fear of people, if I met some kind ones.
Well, to cut a long story short, we all worked together and kind volunteers at Syros Cats were very gentle and patient with me. And I’m sad to say that I did bite, hiss and scratch a lot in those early days. I was living inside and could explore the room, but because of the sun, I couldn’t explore the great outdoors like some of the other cats.
Eventually I’ve got used to humans, but I still don’t like being picked up, given medication or having my claws clipped and do lash out occasionally. I’m living in a house at Syros Cats, with a fosterer, who is my own human mum. We like each other and I trust her enough to sit on her lap sometimes. But I always sleep on the end of her bed.
I can’t go outside because of my ears, but sometimes the temptation is too great and I slip out when someone is slow with the door. Actually it’s a big scary in that big world with lots of curious cats, different smells and lots of other people and I usually come back when I’m called and my mom is waiting for me with a nice treat.
At first I missed cat company and my carers tried to find me a friend. There’s this big cat called Gecko that they brought inside – he was terrifying, he bullied me. I didn’t like him at all and they soon took him away. Next they brought Hestia, a young white female. I liked her OK when I got used to her. She had the same problems as me with the sun, so had to stay indoors. But they were considerate. Hestia was full on active, whereas I’m not – I like my quiet times as well as chasing toys. So sometimes, she went into a cage at night, so we could all have a bit of peace. She got adopted quite quickly and then I made friends with a mad cat called Goonie. She taught me to explore all sorts of places I hadn’t been before, shelves, curtains – you name it! Together we did do quite a bit of damage, knocking things over and breaking them and spilling stuff. She taught me how to dig holes in rugs too. It’s amazing what a bit of persistence will do. Goonie never actually lived with us, but she’d bang on the window when she wanted to come in for a play date and I was always pleased to see her.
Eventually Goonie persuaded one of the volunteers to take her back to America with her, so now I only see photographs. But my main carer has been away and someone else has been looking after me. She introduced me to Lucy – I expect she will tell her story later. She’s not white but nearly all black. However, she’s blind, so also can’t be outside on her own.
My flat mate Lucy. She’s cute too, I guess…
I try to be patient with her as she bumps into things, but it’s amazing how well she manages now she’s used to the place and after a bit of jealousy on my part, we’ve become good friends, curling up together for lap and bed time.
Err, two’s company, three’s a crowd Serena. No you can’t come in!
I’m quite happy at Syros Cats, it’s a much better life than being on the streets or in a cage and I have cat and human friends. But I heard a rumour that one of the volunteers who looked after me in my earlier days, might adopt me. She comes from Sweden, so I’d be living in a cooler climate without too much sun to bother me. And I might be able to go outside more. But I’m philosophical and am content with life here. It would be good to go on my next adventure with Lucy, but I trust humans now and am sure they will do what’s best for both of us…
So that’s me! Hope you enjoyed my little tale. Thank you to all you lovely people who help Syros Cats so that cats like me have a good life. See ya!
Bianca (As told to Jacky Storey)
Want to help Cats like Bianca?
We care for about sixty-five cats. Many of these are long-term residents who are too old or sick to be rehomed others are rescued kittens awaiting adoption. They often need special care, regular medication or frequent veterinary treatment. We would welcome regular sponsorship of a small donation each month to help with their expenses.
