KK Admin shared this special memory of Gregi
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in honor of Gregi
A November 8th, 2019 post on Kotor Kitties’ Facebook page sought help for “a large male orange cat with an extremely sore mouth (blood and pus)” found near the Maritime Museum Square. Local feeders tried, but couldn’t find him the cat.
When extraordinary volunteers Caren and Kenric returned to Kotor on November 22nd, it was raining as they hurried to their Airbnb. Kenric suddenly pointed and said, “There’s a cat there!” It was odd that the cat was just sitting next to the big flower pot, getting rained on. “It’s that cat! The one on Kotor Kitties.” The poor boy had black stains around his mouth. His paws, legs and tail looked like they had crude oil stuck on them. His meows were meek; they didn’t fit with his big head.
Caren posted:
“At home, I searched for the Facebook post to confirm we had indeed picked up the specific cat from the post. The photo was gone, only the text remained. I requested the photo, but was told there never was one. I swore I knew this cat’s face by heart.
At Vet Port that evening, he was given antibiotics and vitamins. He was neutered the next day, and stayed another night because of his illness. We wanted to feed him in the apartment before releasing him. He licked all the sauce from 3 cans of wet food but left the chunks. Then he fell asleep. It was raining, and despite Kenric’s allergies I didn’t have the heart to put him back out.
Kotor Kitties connected me with the tour guide who initially reported him. I told her we had to wait ten days to see if the antibiotics worked. She had donated to Kotor Kitties to help this cat, and would send more money if necessary. She was very concerned about him. Her name is Ana, but we refer to her as his “Godmother”.
By the next morning, the crust around his mouth was back. It looked like dried-up saliva, but black. He was pitiful. He did not like the bath I gave him, but he liked the hairdryer. We gave him a dose of Advocat which treats fleas, worms and ear mites. He was more beautiful than I imagined. We named him Gregi (Greggy), a semi-anagram of ginger. AGAIN I didn’t have the heart to put him outside. It was drizzling. Since he was bathed, we had about 24 hours before Kenric’s allergies would flare up.
That second night, he was not happy. Reasoning with him only made it worse. He meowed on and off. I fell asleep. The next morning, we released him where we found him, which was quite far from his reported spot in Maritime Museum Square. Although we saw him again many times over the next few months, we never again saw him where we found him that night. That’s why I think he was waiting for us in the rain that day.
We brought him to the vet four times, but nothing worked. Blood tests showed he has Feline Immunodeficiency Virus. An FIV-positive cat’s immune system is severely weakened, leaving the cat unable to fight off illnesses. Boarding him at the vet’s, hoping the indoor warmth would help him recuperate, only stressed him out. He lasted three nights.
Gregi drooled uncontrollably and on bad days he could hardly eat—probably because it was painful to swallow. The black crust on his nose and around his mouth were horrifying and he couldn’t clean himself. We felt truly sorry for him. Euthanasia was discussed but there was no consensus, and we didn’t feel like it was our place to push for it.
Gregi had his good moments too. If his Godmother saw him while guiding at the Maritime Museum Square, she would message and report on his condition. Gregi was her little assistant. While she talked, he stood majestically next to her capturing hearts and posing for photos. His reward was salmon pate. In his Godmother’s eyes, he is always handsome.
We brought him food every evening we were in Kotor (about 70 nights), unless it was raining nonstop. Very quickly, he recognized the clicks of my tongue, but we never knew from which direction he would appear. As it rained less, he would run out to greet us just by hearing our approaching footsteps. “Gregi! How are you, Boy?!”
Gregi usually guarded his square from the cannons outside the Maritime Museum. He entertained tourists on his good days and depressed some of them on his bad. They surround him for photos, but never touched him. Parents warned their children to stay away once they realized his condition. He never played. Sometimes, cats from other squares would come over, but didn’t dare approach the food even if Gregi and I were a distance away.
Each evening I tried to give Gregi a massage session. I bought two towels to wrap him in. He usually fussed when I wiped his drool after dinner. One night I sat down with my back against the closed museum door. Immediately, he climbed onto my lap and got comfortable. People must have loved his affection when he was young, cute and healthy.
He started purring once he was wrapped up. Gregi loved his 45-minute scalp-neck-and-shoulder massage. He wagged his tail the entire time. “Relax, Gregi Boy.”
I felt horrible leaving him in the cold at night, but Julia, the waitress from Giardino, told us there was a lady who took care of Gregi. He went to her apartment to sleep after everything closed. I was very glad to know Gregi didn’t have to sleep outside.
We learned a bit more of his history from staff at the souvenir shops in the square. One said Gregi has been in that condition for a long time. A year or two earlier, Gregi’s stomach got really, big. A tourist brought him to the vet, and a tumor was removed. He was OK for a while, but then, the current illness started.
This is the kind of tortured existence Kenric and I want to prevent by helping with Kotor Kitties’ spay-and-neuter program. Spaying and neutering is the most effective and humane solution to the cat overpopulation problem. How often do we get to make a permanent change where the positive impact extends beyond the cats into their caretaker’s emotional and financial lives, and into the community?
After spending Christmas holidays in Zagreb and Belgrade, we returned to Kotor on January 11th.” Gregi ran to greet us the moment he heard me clicking my tongue. He looked horrible, but no matter how sick he was, his spirits and his welcome always made us feel validated.”
When Caren and Kenric were offered a chance to meet Gregi’s caretaker they immediately seized it. A friend led the way, and Gregi pranced up the stairs. He was excited too. His box was outside the apartment door. Their friend translated an introduction to Milka, and they learned that Gregi slept outside because of his condition and because the caretaker already has too many cats inside. Meanwhile, Gregi had been tilting his head left and right following the conversation. Milka told them none of the medicine Gregi received over the years could fully treat him.
Caren, Kenric, and Gregi’s Godmother Ana were all very happy and relieved to know he had a dedicated caretaker.
A family emergency meant Caren and Kenric had to leave Kotor in a hurry on February 19th, 2020 and fly back to California.
Caren continues the story:
“Danijela assured us she would not let Gregi go hungry. Expecting the tourist season to start soon, I knew he would see his Godmother more often, and get more attention. When we saw Ljiljana feeding him, even though he’s not in one of her colonies, we felt even better. We took him to Vet Port for a last recheck, and Dr. Cetkovic gave us extra antibiotics to pass to Milka.
A week after we arrived in San Jose, California, I saw Gregi’s photo on Kotor Kitties’ page. Someone had reported him again. He was extremely sick. Based on the photo and my comments, Sandra, a Kotor Kitties Administrator, recognized his symptoms and suggested bringing him to a vet in Podgorica who had success treating another FIV cat. There was no saying what Gregi’s chances were, even with very expensive treatment.
Euthanasia was briefly discussed as probably the most humane option for any cat in that situation. We took responsibility for Gregi’s medical bills at that point. Knowing that Gregi was loved and mattered to people, we felt we needed to at least trying this other route. Most of all, we love him very much. He’s Kitizen Number One.
I messaged Danijela. Danijela called Milka. Danijela called Rade, our taxi-driving friend. If Rade thought the day he let Kenric and me into his taxi with 9 screaming cats was the craziest cat-related thing he had ever done, he was in for a surprise the next morning.
On February 28th, 2020, Little Gregi went on a big adventure, taking the taxi all by himself to the capital city 90 minutes away. I wonder what Rade and Gregi talked about during those 90 minutes? Gregi checked into Royal Vet for his hospital stay. I don’t even know what the little boy had packed.”
Gregi was put on an aggressive treatment plan. When he was healthy enough, all his teeth were extracted to prevent future inflammation caused by stomatitis. His health improved; he got along with the other cats and he had a good appetite (even though he’s a bit of a picky eater.) By the time he passed his 60-day mark in Podgorica he was already running the clinic… at least after hours, when the vet let him run around the clinic.
Hoping to find an adoptive home, Caren posted:
“Gregi’s a handsome, adorable, dapper, five-year-old go-getter who loves massages, works well independently, and now also in teams. He’s conquered many challenges, and just through Kenric and me, he has saved three cats. We hope somebody saves him. #Gregi #Kotor #Montenegro “
Update from Caren: May 2021
“”Every day I dream of visiting Gregi at the clinic in Podgorica, Montenegro. Every day I imagine the most handsome and dapper orange cat I have ever met running to me when he hears the clicking of my tongue. I have no doubt he will remember that sound even after 15 months apart.
Gregi is one of the 89 cats Kenric and I neutered through Kotor Kitties when we were in Kotor between November 2019 and February 2020, but he’s extremely special to me. Gregi and I have a special bond; he likes Kenric too, but I’m his “friend friend”.
Every night, and many afternoons when we were in town, we fed him, scratched him, took him to the vet, etc. Soon, he ran out to greet us just by hearing our footsteps; whether Kenric and I went together or individually. I love Gregi. Those who read my earlier story about Gregi may have an idea of how much I love him.
Due to his stomatitis, which was made worse by his Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV), Gregi usually had a long string of saliva hanging from his black-crusted mouth. We don’t think he was able to clean himself and when he tried, his saliva left black stains on his fur. Most days, the poor boy was a truly sorry sight. But he was so full of love that those who knew him loved him back.
Danijela and Ljiljana fed him, so did the people at Giardino’s restaurant. Milka had a box for him outside her apartment. Ana, his tour-guide Godmother, loved on him every time she brought a group to the Maritime Museum Square where Gregi ruled, which I renamed Gregi Square.
There is no cure for FIV, only management. Dr. Marija worked fast. With some good medicine, and full detal extractions she immediately stopped his condition from worsening. Then, he got better. A potential adoption fell through probably because he was already about five years old and FIV+. A potential flight to an FIV+ cat sanctuary in the US also fell through; Dr. Marija didn’t think Gregi was ready for a long, challenging journey.
Gregi stayed at RoyalVet and flourished into a 6.2 kg (13.6 lbs) purr ball. I gawked at his transformation – clean, VERY well-fed, loved, comfortable, and cared for. I was especially happy that he got to sleep on a clean couch. On his bad days, Dr. Marija would lock him up so that he could get his antibiotics. During one such episode, he was lucky to avoid the mass poisoning of the colony cats outside the clinic.
Sandra, who is very fond of Gregi, keeps us updated. Photos and videos of him fill my heart with love. It was amusing to read that he particularly liked hanging out with the old people around the clinic and getting scratches from them. I hang on to every bit of news, but I also relay the information, photos and videos to Danijela and Ana in Kotor.
Everyone was happy that Gregi was living his best life. His condition improved even more after receiving two doses of a very effective antibiotic. They are not locally available but were donated by a foreign diplomat for the homeless cats in RoyalVet’s care.
As the world slowly reopens for travel, I got more obsessed about seeing Gregi again. Many of the cats we met in Meteora (Greece) were ginger cats, but none was as dapper, as handsome or as grumpy as Gregi. They made me miss Gregi so much more.
During the train ride back to Athens from Meteora last Monday, I was already itching for another destination. Podgorica in September with Gregi seemed highly probable!
A message came in:
“Hi guys, I have some super sad news. Our Gregi was attacked by some dog and Marija and Tatjana found him dead in the park across from the ambulance… … …”
I read it many times before showing it to Kenric. Never in a million years did I expect his borrowed time to be cut short by something not FIV-related. He had responded so well to the new antibiotics too. The train passenger across from us looked at me even more warily. During these times of COVID, nobody wants to be near a sniffling Asian. I stopped it immediately. For a few days, I couldn’t shed another tear.
Gregi was a great teacher: he taught us not to be embarrassed to help others. Kenric and I received many weird looks from people for interacting with such a sickly and dirty cat. Gregi was our friend and people could think what they want to think.
This past Friday, we baked a chicken in honor of Gregi for the cats we were on duty to feed in Athens. Chef Gregi helped. The Athenian kitties loved it very much; one even jumped over another to snatch some chicken from my hand. But no one loves chicken as much as Gregi.
We made a donation on Gregi’s behalf to RoyalVet to help pay for the secondhand X-ray machine they had just bought on installment. Gregi, Kenric and I will never be able to thank Sandra, Dr. Marija and the team at RoyalVet enough for the care and love they gave Gregi and the many stray animals. We are very sorry for their loss too.
As with the very few partner vets of Kotor Kitties, their willingness to spay and neuter homeless animals at a deep discount is immensely helpful and greatly appreciated. Every month, when I notified them that we’ve sent money for Gregi, we were assured that even if we didn’t send any money they would still give Gregi the best care they could. We know they would because that’s what true animal lovers, good doctors and good community members do.
My heart is so broken because I will never see Gregi again; so broken because he will never know that I still love him very much; that we didn’t just abandon him when we left Kotor.
