While Struggling with IVF Treatments, Couple is Adopted By Stray Kitten

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My wife and I were going through IVF treatment in Thessaloniki, Greece, in 2019 and the initial stages suggested the odds of success were against us. We attended a friend’s wedding in October on the island of Thassos where my wife is from, and on the Monday morning after the wedding, I planned to take her to the animal shelter on the island to find a dog to rescue. This was against my better judgement, as we had two cats at home already and a small house in England!

On the Sunday morning while eating breakfast in a local taverna, a 3-month-old kitten walked in and made a beeline for my wife, climbing up for a cuddle. My wife fell in love instantly and gave me a look that said, “She’s coming home with us!” It wasn’t a debate I had any chance of winning, and within an hour, the kitten had a medical, all of her jabs and a pet passport!

Trying to work out the way to get her home, the UK’s rules on pet transport meant that she had to come via a pet carrying company and that limited options, the cheapest of which was about £1200. We had to find another way.

Three weeks later, having had the kitten stay with my wife’s family, we drove from our house in Oxford, England, to Gatwick airport, and my wife flew to Thessaloniki to meet the kitten and her family. She stayed there overnight and I stayed near the port of Dover in England.

In the morning, my wife flew from Thessaloniki to Athens, then transferred and flew Athens to Paris. I took the ferry to France and then drove to Paris and picked them up. A quick food and toilet stop and we drove back to Calais, hopped on the ferry and were home by the evening.

Three planes, three ferries (including the one from Thassos to the mainland), 2400km flown and 1500km driven, and Kali was home!

Oh, and after COVID, we travelled back to Thessaloniki to finish the IVF and Kali got a younger brother to hang out with!

Story submitted by Doug Stephens.

This story was originally shared on The Animal Rescue Site. Share your very own rescue story here!