Tala Monastery Cats...

After the clear-out of my shed yesterday we had earmarked a whole load of stuff to take down to Tala Monastery Cats as Mum had told us they were preparing a special unit for the blind and disabled cats they home there.  Normally I give June from Polis Animal Rescue anything I have for her local cat sanctuary but we like to 'spread the wealth' and so today Tala were going to be the recipients of a load of rugs and the old roller blinds which we recently replaced.

I have never actually been inside the Monastery Cats compound - often have driven up to the gates and wondered at all the cats which are living on the periphery but as I say not ventured inside.  There are hundreds of cats which are looked after and I mean hundreds which are cared for.  There is a constant battle against people simply dumping unwanted felines at the gates and not always felines sadly.  We were absolutely amazed that despite the massive number in the colony they all seemed to be calm and peaceful - each with a story to tell, each given a name, food, shelter and love.

A potted history of the Monastery Cats is as follows...

For many years, stray cats have lived around the Agios Neofytos Monastery in Tala, Paphos.By June 2011 this number grew to a steady colony of approximately 70 cats, all living at the Monastery Cafe. The colony was moved down the road to the existing site of the Cat Park where volunteers fed the cats twice per day. Cats were regularly dumped but the numbers always stayed the same, as some cats died through illness or infection and kittens sadly rarely survived.The Dawn of a New EraIn November 2011, Dawn Foote (cat park manager) and her husband Mark began feeding the cats once a week. This quickly turned into a seven day a week commitment when the existing group of feeders began to dwindle.By June 2012, Dawn and Mark had 59 cats and kittens at home with them for medical treatment. Food and vet bills began to escalate and it was realised that something had to change, such as getting donations to help pay the bills.
Tala Monastery Cats has gradually evolved into the Cat Park that you see today: In February 2013, after a huge effort from several amazing volunteers, €10,000 (ten thousand) euros was raised to install fencing and keep the cats safe from two major threats: The road and packs of hunting dogs who saw the cats as an easy food source.Since the Cat Park was fenced, hundreds of cats have been dumped or even thrown over the 12 foot fence or simply left in boxes by the roadside.Today, the Cat Park is home to hundreds of cats who are fed and cared for on a daily basis.Development of the Cat Park has continued on an ongoing basis. Many supporters and businesses have kindly donated equipment, furniture and supplies which have enabled the Park to give the cats a comfortable home including shelter, shade and some nice areas to eat, play and sleep.2014 saw the implementation of “cloister project” phase one – custom built enclosed sleeping areas for the cats, which replaced the various temporary gazebos and sheds. Each cloister is 8ft square with a 4ft walkway at the front. Their design is in keeping with the styling of the Neofytos Monastery and they can be attached together to make long blocks. Each cloister costs €500 and can be sponsored either individually or as part of a group. Sponsors can name their Cloister and have a plaque in their honor.Phase 1 consisted of 5 cloisters and in May-June 2015, a second phase of 5 cloisters was constructed.In July 2015, our first custom “kitten” cloister was built – based on the existing design but customised specifically for nursing kittens and their mothers.  

I know that money is vital to keep these sanctuaries functioning but I think it is brilliant if they are able to make use of something which otherwise would have been thrown away and gone into landfill so it was really good to know that the rugs and blinds would be used immediately and Dawn was so grateful that we had thought of them.

On our return to the village we called in to see if we had any post before the post office is closed for Easter.  In the house Phillipos and his family were holding a master class in Flaounes making and we were invited in to see what was going on -  A flaouna is a cheese-filled pastry which may include raisins and mint and which may be garnished with sesame seeds.  They are traditionally prepared for Easter by Orthodox Greeks and depending on the family recipe can be light and delicious or heavy and dry - always best eaten fresh in my opinion!

We took Lakis car out for a run and to fill in with fuel ready for John to go and pick him, Argy and Kia up from the airport on Monday - we will know that trip well as we will be doing it four times over the next week!  The island is looking really beautiful with all the wild flowers at the moment.  We love the poppies as they are so bright and cheerful.

On the subject of wild flowers I have found an interesting and exotic plant which has made its home in our garden - it is some form of orchid which looks to be Serapias Bergonii and I have no idea how it came to be there save for the fact that after they ploughed up the vineyard next door when we first arrived we rescued some bulbs which had been exposed so maybe it was amongst them or amongst the soil - no idea and no idea why it has taken all this time to show itself bu I am so glad it has - it is so delicate and beautiful and will be safe here - I found something similar that had been picked and thrown onto the road outside the other day.

It was another beautiful day although not so clear as the island is swathed in a Saharan dust storm.  It makes it warm and muggy but that is better than cold with hail.  Thank goodness that the weather forecast looks good for the foreseeable future as Kaye arrives tomorrow for a week and Aunty Joyce and Uncle David arrive next Thursday.

We have been doing a lot of clearing up and tidying and some small DIY jobs that can be ticked off the list - John doesn't want too much completed as he plans to do the major jobs whilst I am away because he can do so uninterrupted!!!

We finished the busy day with a nice meal and a little bit of gin-age!  We cracked open the beautifully spicy Peaky Blinders which is fabulous and mixed it with some pink lemonade, juniper berries and a sprig of rosemary.  Mmmmmmm Mmmmm that is a very nice tipple so thanks to my mixologist John for conjuring up that concoction.

A nice peaceful evening before our visitor season starts with a vengeance!!