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Serra, a Turkish name that means
"crown", has been through a great deal in her life and that has left its
marks.....
From what can be reconstructed and
is known it is clear that she was taken from Turkey as a kitten. Probably
together with another female kitten (sister??). Anyway far too young
to cope without mother and brothers and sisters. Maybe a well intended
action of tourists, maybe "kidnapped" by someone with intentions that were
not so good.
The kittens were somehow illegally
brought into Canada. Only Serra can tell what has happened afterwards...
She and that other female kitten
ended up in the hands of a cat-dealer who had inherited a house just over
the US border. That house was used as a kitten factory and also for storage
of cats. Animals that were no longer of use were secretly dumped during
the night in the "mailbox" of a nearby shelter.
People of a local animal welfare
society discovered what was going on and took action. Which is not that
easy in the US. The catmill was cleared and Serra and her "sister" had
a label that said "Anatolian Cat" on their cage. The president of that
society is also a Turkish Van breeder and she noticed immediately that
the two girls had to be Turkish Cats. But they were shorthaired....
After the raid the cats were confiscated
and temporary housed in a shelter. But as soon as they would no longer
be needed as evidence in court the gas chamber would be waiting for them.
Both Turkish cats were then taken
in by someone, and kept in a bedroom to separate them from the other cats.
American Turkish Van breeders then searched the Internet for information
on those shorthaired cats and found me. I could not afford to let both
of them come to Holland so I choose the cat that was named "Sarah Bernhardt"
because she had, and still has, a terribly sad look in her eyes. Her sister
remained with the lady that rescued her.
Sarah/Serra had the most luxurious
carrier you can imagine. The night before their departure the girls had
a little farewell party and destroyed the facilities of the carrier.
But..... Serra got lost!!! She was
on a flight with a transfer, and I knew on which flight she should arrive
in Amsterdam. In an earlier case when I had 2 cats coming over from Canada
I was called by KLM to check if the cats were expected and to give me the
details even before they went into the plane. This time nothing..... I
called KLM cargo and the airport animal hotel. I was worried sick
("well it happens all the time that 'something' is not on the cargo list").
Half an hour after the arrival of the flight that should have Serra on
board I made another call to the animal hotel: "I think you have a cat
with you that has my name on her carrier". Serra had arrived!! A sad but
healthy bundle of cat.
Serra checked out the house and
decided to live in the bedroom (she now uses all rooms upstairs). It looked
the most like the only safe place she had ever known in her life. One of
my other female cats was very aggressive towards the estimated 2-year old
newcomer, but Rojin, another shorthaired Turkish female cat, corrected
her.
Serra did very well even though
Guness, the "four legged boss"- a very dominant neutered Turkish Van -
terrified her, and she got in heat. Rifat, my shorthaired Turkish sire
was able and allowed to mate, and I thought it would be good for Serra
to have a litter. Finally something that would be completely hers!
But that also almost turned into
a nightmare. Serra got the worst kind of pyometra you can imagine and had
to be spayed right away. Later on she helped Rojin to deliver her babies
(another sad story, all kittens were stillborn).
Guness started to harass Serra more
and more. She lost control over bladder and bowel at just the sight of
him. Even when I was holding her in my arms. An Invisible Fence collar
kept Guness out of Serra's rooms for a while and she started to feel more
confident.
The little princess is doing fine
now although the sad look in her eyes that she still has every now and
then is not likely to disappear....
Dirk |
