From Caucasus to Poland – a bush cat, that meowed herself a chance for a home

Meow!

How should I introduce myself? Maybe let’s try from the beginning – I’m a young female (probably!) cat of „Georgian forest breed”. I’ve been wandering through the bushes along the intercity road with quite a big traffic, and meowing to encourage myself. Or maybe of hunger? I don’t remember.

A young man was walking the road – and he’s heard me meowing. He came back to check, what's going on, if I need some help maybe. I jumped on the road. At the beginning, he tried only to carry me on the another side of the road safely and leave me there, but I couldn’t leave him. I started rubbing myself against his legs. When he sat at the road wall, I climbed at his knees, still meowing and purring. And he – started to think, what to do with me? And you know what? He’s been sitting, thinking – and took me on his hands, and continued his walk. He’s been saying, the hotel is far away, some, what does it mean, kilometers – but he carried me all the time, even when I scratched him, hissed and snorted, trying to escape from the homeless dogs on the road. He’s been saying, he wouldn’t leave such a friendly cat in such a dangerous place.

And he carried me to the hotel, gave me a shelter for the night. And the next day – he took me further, to his friend living in the village. For a few days we stayed there, I got my own room,

they were feeding me.

Whenever I could, I followed my friends step by step.

I meowed to them, purred, encouraged them to play with me. But that was only for a few days, my human couldn't stay there for a long time. Next thing I remember was a long night in the bus - he took me to a big city. Took me to a veterinary, who should help with taking me abroad.

I got vaccines - against rabies and other diseases. And I was taken by an older woman, who should take care about me, when my human needs to come back to his country. This woman is friendly, takes care of me, I have a lot of cat and dog friends here,

so I feel good, but I already miss my own human...

I’d love to stay with the guy who’s found me, took from the dangerous road and saved from an accident – forever. But it won’t be easy. He’s not from here. He lives in other country far away. He sacrificed and sacrifices a lot of time to prepare all bureaucracy things, allowances, veterinary controls, to check if I’m healthy. And he had to leave already a month ago. I know, that he fights for me, provides me a good care for the whole requested time. But you know what? When I was coming to him, I didn’t know, that along with joy and happiness, I’ll bring him trouble too. Because this my travel, all the preparations – cost, and that will be a lot. And he – he couldn’t expect, that he finds me. Wasn’t prepared for that. Even if he is able to afford it, for sure it will be a burden to him. And… I would really like his good heart not to worry, at least not about that. If you decide to support him even a bit – I will be even more happy than I’m now.

With purrs and leg-rubbing I pass the voice to him,

Mary (probably)

What could I add to Mary’s words? Indeed – when I came for my holidays, I haven’t expected to meet here a cat, which will charm me not less, than once upon a time did Kniaź, my previous one. Even more, I haven’t planned to adopt a new cat earlier than late autumn or even winter. But it happened. Mary (it’s currently a temporary name, I’ve found her on August 15th, the nameday of my late granny) appeared out of the blue. What more is to say there – I couldn’t let her remain there, where I found her – at the roadside of the busy intercity road, far away from any houses, with a lot of homeless dogs around. All the more, at dusk. So I took her and carried to the hotel. And later I started worrying, what should I do next.

Unfortunately, the situation of cats in Georgia is not as good, as in Poland. As I was told, quite a few people keep them at home, more often they are free-wandering cats, or even wild stray cats. To find a reliable person, who could give the cat a good home is, of course, possible, but requests a time, which I didn’t have a lot. So I had to care about her myself. And the more I've been taking care of her, the more I didn’t want to separate with her. She is simply too cute, too charmful, too lovely.

Very brave and trusting humans – wherever I go, she accompanied me. When I was trying to lie down – after a moment she was already near to me, walking around, and in a moment curling up close to me. Or even simply sleeping on my knees (or hands).

She let me to pet and cuddle her, almost without any limits.

And as it has passed more than 6 months, since my beloved Kniaź passed away and I already have started to think about a new cat, the heart told me only one thing – to take Mary with me to Poland. The mind however pointed out all the difficulties of that idea: the cat has to be chipped, vaccinated for diseases (what is worse, after the vaccination it has to wait here at least 3-4 months, to see if it has been successful), it has to get a passport – it all took a lot of time. And I had to leave Georgia in more or less a week. Definitely not enough time to do everything myself. To find a reliable people, who would do it for me – also it’s a very small amount of time, to check them properly. But somehow I did it. Mary is currently under care of a friendly woman, who provides Mary with a place to live, feeds her, takes her to the vet, to do all the needed vaccines and checks. She can hold Mary for all the time requested by the laws, before the cat can travel to Poland - and I'm grateful for that very much.

The other question is a transport to Poland. I was offered the help by Pet Express Cargo, a company, which helps to organize the pet international travels. I trust them and I'm sure they will take care of Mary, when all the documents are ready, and will bring her directly to me, to Poland. If everything goes well - maybe already in the beginning of January...

The problem is however, that the cat import costs, and it costs quite a lot. For sure the number will be of four digits (in PLN), and I don’t know yet, what digit will be the first. While doing the cost analysis of the holidays trip – it hasn’t been included, and my budget hardly will afford it - although I will do my best to do it. Of course – I could leave Mary there, but in that case most probably she would remain a stray cat, living much much shorter, than she should. Should I put her against such a risk? And anyway – would You really like to leave such a wonderful cat, when already started getting used to her? Exactly…

So, if you decide that Mary deserves your attention and help with going to Poland, to the safe roof over her head, if you decide I deserve your help with importing a new cat friend, instead of leaving her forever – we will be very, very grateful. For every donation, even the smallest one. For even sharing the link. For every single good word.

And now the most important - the costs. Only provisional and approximate, as some of them still may change. But anyway, the main parts of the total expense are:

1) Cat transport to Poland - the distance is over 2000 km, and the borders on the way are numerous, so the only sensible decision is to use plane - no one would like to force the cat to spend some 3 days in a car. So, the plane transport, with all the assistance of the spedition company, will cost approximately 1800 PLN (roughly - 450 USD, 410 EUR, 360 GBP).

2) Paying the caring woman for the care, food and litter - she takes 10 GEL per day, which makes 300 GEL per month. The needed period is not less than from September to January (4 months per 300 GEL), which makes the total expense 1200 GEL. Which converts to ca. 1609 PLN / 370 EUR / 400 USD / 320 GBP.

3) Veterinary - the biggest expense is the titration test, confirming if the cat got immunity against rabies. It costs ca. 400 GEL, as the blood has to be sent to a certified lab in Germany. The other, already covered, expenses (including animal passport, health documentation, health certificate, rabies vaccine and so on) - 307 GEL. In total for veterinary - 700 GEL, converted to: 938 PLN / 215 EUR / 235 USD / 185 GBP.

Total amount is 4347 PLN / 1086 USD / 990 EUR / 870 GBP. In case, if Mary pass the immunity test. If not - it will rise for another month and another titration test, but we definitely aren't thinking about it right now.

I will try to provide also the receipts for everything, but as I'm over 2000 km from Mary now, it might be a little problem to control, if the caring lady take them, and send me photos somehow (she has no internet at home)...