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Stray cats rule Kefalonia. They prowl the streets between the outdoor cafes and tavernas, waiting for cat-loving holiday makers to share tasty morsels with them. They hole-up for the night in the old, deserted pre-earthquake buildings that are slowly sliding into picturesque ruin around the island. They lounge in the sun, climb vines in futile attempts to capture collared doves, and occasionally scrap with their rivals for territory.
Here are some of the cat characters we met on our recent holiday...
This is Groucho. You may be familiar with the Cats That Look Like Hitler website wherein people post pictures of... erm... cats that look like the Führer - or Kitlers, as they're more affectionately known. Well, Groucho didn't resemble Hitler. He was one of many cats in Assos who looked exactly like Groucho Marx. Miaowcho!
Here's Groucho again, lounging in his favourite spot - beneath a giant statue of a cigar erected in his honour in the town square.
At least, I think that's what it was.
The best thing about Groucho was that he wouldn't join any club that would have someone like him as a member.
The cat above was known as the Sun King. Unlike the majority of his peers, the Sun King didn't need to go scrounging round the restaurants of Assos for his meals... people brought his meals to him. He spent his days snoozing in the sun on this roadside bend just above the beach, waiting for his loyal subjects to bring him food. So much food... he didn't know what to do with it. But no other cats came to steal his stash. Because he was the Sun King, worshipped by all.
Finally, this is Ginger. Ginger was the raggedy-old, scraggedy-old bagpuss patriarch of the Kefalonian cats. Like a retired prizefighter he prowled the streets, scrapping occasionally with young upstarts who thought they might make a name for themselves by taking him down, then turning on his weather-beaten charm to impress the dining humans. He sprayed his scent to mark his territory wherever he went... rumour had it that one night he climbed up onto the awning above one of the tavernas and let his mighty wee rain down on everyone. A sight to behold, to be sure... we were almost sorry to have missed it. Almost...
