I believe every Athenian who has passed from Stadiou and Amerikis streets (corner)  in the heart of Athens busiest streets,  has noticed the abandoned, derelict, neoclassic building standing there at the junction of the 2 streets. For a number of years stray cats have been surviving in this building, been fed by caring people. Passing outside the building a few days ago, we noticed that it had been boarded up with some special plastic material leaving no space for the cats to get out if they wanted to, with dirty green plates for water and old dry food everywhere. Asking around, we were informed that the building had been taken over by Pireos Bank which will renovate it. What would  be the future of those unlucky cats then?

 

Monday evening of 11^th February a member of Nine Lives after having contacted Pireos bank personnel and who very obligingly offered to help, went with 2 cat traps in the chilly evening to trap them. A very helpful security guard unlocked the door and flashed the interior of the building. The spectacle was out of a horror movie. Dirt and rubbish everywhere, bare stony half down stairs and walls and 3 black and white cats that came running towards the door looking at us pleadingly. Our hearts just broke looking at them. There was no water, food or light coming from everywhere. Evgenia set up the trap with tin food in and a second later a black and white boy(named on the spot Sylvestro) was in. Another trap was set and the door was closed leaving two more miserable cats in the horror house.

Next day, Tuesday the 12^th, when we went back to the building another boy was in, this one in a terrible condition (called him Kefalas, means big head in Greek. Face covered in snot, body covered in dirt and soot with burn spots all over his body. The stench emitting from his poor body was intolerable. The vet cleaned him, said he is not more than 2 years old and he is under antibiotic treatment.

The Sylvestro boy was neutered Wednesday 13^th  February and we could see that he is very young, not more than 6 months old, with shiny coat and extremely friendly. There is a female white with some black left behind which hopefully will be trapped during the weekend. We are now desperately looking for homes for the two boys, Sylvestro and kefalas who  is under treatment. As our group has no shelter and as our houses are already full with cats their destiny is after their recovery to go to streets. If you think you can give a home to these poor cats please contact us through our email address: ninelivesgreece@gmail.com

News on the ongoing expedition:

16th-19th February: We have been setting traps almost every night, catching starving and sick cats each time. So far we have got 6 of them. Sylvestro, Kefalas, a sweet big boy tiger with white, 2 frustrated blacks and another black
and white. We are overwhelmed by their condition, all anaemic covered with countless flees, burnt spots, eye problems. Unfortunately, it seems that there are quite a lot more poor cats living in there and we hope all of them have survived the frost of the last days. We also need to feed them because it just seems there is no other visible source of food or water anywhere.