DINA and her babies AMBER and CHARLIE

One day, I took a walk along the back streets. Unbeknown to me at the time, I was in the wrong place at the right time. By the large metal bins, I heard a horrendous piercing sound. Approaching closer, there was a plastic bag. Inside this bag, were two tiny newborn kittens, only a couple of hours old if that? Oh the bloody Greeks! Who would do this? It was a common occurrence and one that still is. I had a friend that lived close by. I knocked at her door and explained what had happened and she agreed that they could stay with her until I got something prepared for them.  

A few days later, I was having some cats neutered. Most caught or trapped are always very wild in their cages. However one cat seemed to be behaving in a very different way. She was human friendly and wasn’t scared at all. She was sat upright in her cage and seemed to be looking round. Looking for what, I didn’t know at the time. But I had learnt that in the area where I found the two tiny babies, some Greeks had a cat that had given birth to two kittens. These Greeks were religious old sisters, who attended church regularly. One sister said that their cat went away to have her kittens; the other sister said that the kittens had died. I wondered if these two kittens I found wrapped in a plastic bag were actually the kittens that belonged to the cat that was sat upright in the cage waiting to be neutered? 

I followed my instincts. I went to collect the kittens and even though, my friend had them for a few of days, they were failing. It was just something about this cat in the cage that didn’t add up. It must have been her babies. I didn’t know what to expect either. Outside the cage of the mummy, I put the tiny kittens down and waited for them to cry, as I wanted to see the reaction of the older cat. It would have been a risk putting them together, but I had to try. I carefully opened the cage door and gently put the kittens inside.  

Mummy growled and hissed, but then she started to lick the tiny babies. She washed them and then turned over onto her back to allow the little ones to suckle. Even though they had been apart for five days, she had milk and gave them a good chance. This cat could not be neutered. She had a duty to perform and would be neutered at a much later date. The bond between these three was absolutely amazing. I had to put them all in a huge cage, with a litter tray at the end, so that the mummy cat could at least go to the toilet. I called the mummy DINA and her babies AMBER and CHARLIE.  

A few days later, I went to see the 2 Greek old sisters and was shocked.  They were very religious, went to church every Sunday, but still found it a normal practice to bin 2 tiny live helpless souls, by putting them in a plastic bag and throwing them into the bin to die!!!!  They knew exactly who I was and were very shocked.  All they could say was 'simoni, simoni meaning sorry.  Being sorry was not good enough.  Going to church and praying, yet doing what they did was unforgiveable.  I gave the babies a chance.  They grew and became the three of the became a beautiful family.  The little ones were lucky, because they crossed the waters to wonderful adoptive parents in Holland.  

Today Dina is still in the open field and as gentle as anything.