# Dutch cat person in Turkey



## 10catsinTurkey (Feb 6, 2015)

Good evening all, I am living together with 10 cats , I didn't plan this  it just happened. But the last months I am struggling a bit with the fact I have gathered so many cats around me. It keeps me from what I want to do, and I have a lot of sleepless nights. One thing is very clear for me: I don't want to give up my cats!


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## Marmoset (Feb 18, 2014)

Welcome to the forum! We'd love to hear more about your kitties and we can help if there are problems so you can get some sleep.


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## 10catsinTurkey (Feb 6, 2015)

Hi Marmoset, thank you for your reply. Unfortunately there is not much what you can do for me except reading my msgs. It helps me to tell my story to ppl, who understand me. The fact is that I lived in Turkey for the last 8 years, and I've had enough of it, I would love to go back to my homecountry. Living here is not a joy or a gift anymore, like it has been for me. But I cannot leave my catfriends behind. Having them is a joy but also a burden :-(


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## 10cats2dogs (Jun 16, 2013)

Hi 10catsinTurkey!
As you can see...we have some things in common! 
At any given time, I'll have three to five cats sharing my bed with me, and one Border collie!
As soon as my hubby is up, is when I get the furbabies joining me, to snuggle and share purrs!
Isn't there a way you could take your furbabies with you, if you left??
I know what you mean...I would never want to leave any of mine behind either...
Would love to see some pictures! 
Sharon


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## Marcia (Dec 26, 2010)

Welcome to the forum! Although interested in the cat predicament; after all, NO ONE here has 10 cats  , I for one am very interested in how a Dutch person came to live in Turkey. Background please (if you don't mind sharing).


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## 10catsinTurkey (Feb 6, 2015)

Hello Marcia en Sharon and everyone who is reading,

I wil post pics as soon as I figured out how it works I have loads of them so I hope you won't get bored.

No Sharon, at the moment I am not in the position to bring my cats from Turkey to Holland, just because of the fact that I don't have the money for it. I have a job, and a few beside jobs, and I can take good care of us, but there is no way that I can save up money. So, I am stuck unless I appear to have a very far family member who leaves me loads of money . Finding a bag with money would also be an option, but until now no bag found, although I have been searching.

How I ended up living in Turkey is very simple, I became ill, I was diagnosed with breast cancer, and during my recovery my sister suggested to have a "sister only" break in Turkey. I felt "home" the minute I arrived here and came back for a holiday as often as I could. I changed after my illness, lived day by day and became more impulsive. The feeling that I wanted to live here became stronger and stronger and so I just did it. I have been very happy here, but I also was disappointed a lot whilst living here, things have changed and I don't like the changes. They started to bother me more and more and the last months the feeling of not wanting to be here anymore grew very strong. 

Re-homing my cats is not an option, not in Turkey, no way! So I am stuck and have to make the best of it.


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## Greenport ferals (Oct 30, 2010)

There is so much unrest in that area, and Turkey is involved. It's understandable that you want to leave. 
You have a great deal of integrity to put your cats' needs first, and to not even consider leaving them. It's a tough situation, to be sure.


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## 10catsinTurkey (Feb 6, 2015)

Yes it's a very tough situation, and I cannot stop thinking about leaving. I try to come up with solutions but Idodn't find one yet. I have to go on and hope one day I can move with all my cat friends


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## Marcia (Dec 26, 2010)

I don't envy you your circumstances there. The changes in that part of the world are worrisome to be sure. It's hard to say what Turkey will do in the long run. I hope you have a good support network of friends and your sister there. You've been through enough to not have to worry about day to day existence. Thank you for considering your furbabies in all this decision turmoil.


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## Jenny bf (Jul 13, 2013)

Hi,have you thought about setting up a fund raiser online too try and get donations to help towards the costs. One of the shelters I support here had a huge mountain dog who was offered a home in Canada but the costs to get her there were really high, so they set up a fund raiser online asking for donations however small to help get her to her new homeland and in quite a short time had raised the half they had wanted to do so it was a go. In fact they got the whole cost but they put the other half towards the shelter. It's got to be worth considering. Also maybe finding out if a charity could help with connections to get reduced costs or support. You would be surprised what you can find and how generous people can be. I admire you for putting your cat family needs so high and not leaving them


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## 10catsinTurkey (Feb 6, 2015)

My network here is getting smaller each day to be honest. It seems I am to easy to fool, and ppl who I thought were my friends just wanted something from me. Also my sister doesn't live here, she only introduced me to this country. This is also one of the things that makes me so sick living here, I have seen so many examples of ppl who didn't think twice to betray their own family if something good would come out for themselves. I also got betrayed, and lied to, and I lost a lot of money, because I am to naive, I believe ppl and if I can I always will help. Now I need help myself and everyone I once helped disappeared. But I guess it's my own fault. Nowadays I don't trust anybody anymore, and that makes my world also very small.

I have thought about fund raising, yes, but I cannot get myself asking ppl for money, because I brought myself in this situation. Maybe it's stupid, but all my life I have been supporting myself, without any help, and I am still searching for a solution myself. I took my cats in my house and I have to take care of them. If I wouldn't have them, I would not be here anymore, that's for sure. 

Also the fact that it's nearly impossible to find a cat sitter is a big problem, I cannot even go visit my family. The last years I have been lucky, but now the ppl who did this for me, all moved away. 

Sometimes it's realy depressing me, but then I look at my cats and I know why I have to keep up the spirit.


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## Jenny bf (Jul 13, 2013)

Oh this is so difficult for you. I know how easy it is to be betrayed by so called friends who are wonderful when helping you but disappear when the tide turns. Using one of the fundraiser sites and explaining why you took in the cats and why they cannot be left but your need to get out of Turkey, then asking for small donations to support the flights should work. Perhaps doing this through a local animal rescue group ( there are a few) could be useful and give you extra kudos. There are also charities that work with airlines to get reduced costs. I know it's hard to ask but this is for the sake of your beloved cats so try to overcome your feelings you got yourself into this. Animals especially strays and ferals don't get a great deal in many countries and Turkey is one of those


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## 10catsinTurkey (Feb 6, 2015)

Thanks for your support and thinking with me Jenny. It helps me that there are ppl I can discuss this with who understand what I am talking about. I will give it a thought. I am not even thinking about flights tot take my cats, I have read about transport by road, and then it would be possible to bring all my cats over in one time. But first they need a passport. Thanks again


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## Jenny bf (Jul 13, 2013)

Your most welcome. We live in Dubai and it is not great here with a constant expat migration leaving pets behind which I hate so I really meant it when I said putting them first was to be admired. Actually road transport is a good idea. To get their vaccinations etc up to date and ready for passport definitely speak to a local rescue as they can probably get you reduced rates. I assume you have a list of what's needed to get them into your home country?


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## 10catsinTurkey (Feb 6, 2015)

Yes I know what I need to get them to my country, but the rates are very high in here. And there are no local rescues here who can help me with that. They are struggling with the same problems I have and pay everything by themselves. Oh I hate it so much when ppl take a pet and after a while, when they don't think it's cute anymore or they are moving somewhere, they just leave it behind. I had a case like that two months ago. I took care of 2 cats for someone for nearly one year. At the end of the year he told me he would move and he would not take the cats. When I came to his flat, it was totally empty, except for one cat, he just abandoned him. Can you believe that? Luckily I found him a very nice forever home.


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