Hi everyone, I’m Rua. It’s a bit of a silly name for a cat, but I just got stuck with it and now I’ve got my passport and everything – Rua it will stay!

I don’t remember much about my early life. But I couldn’t see like my siblings and one day I wandered off and got lost. I think I was a bit of a nuisance to my cat mum and so she didn’t look for me too hard. I was trying to find some food by a garbage bin, but there wasn’t any and the noise from cars was really scary, so I hid under the bin. I don’t remember how long I was there, but I was very hungry and started crying for my mom. She didn’t come, but some kind tourists from Italy heard me and took me to Syros Cats. I was very scared, especially as everyone was looking in my eyes, but they kept flickering and I really felt quite sick.

I had a few trips to the vet and some nice food.  After a while my eyes got a bit better.  I don’t see well, but I can manage.  I had eyedrops every day for weeks and nasty tablets that I always tried to resist, even though they kept tempting me with pieces of chicken or meaty sticks. But I soon got used to their tricks and made sure I checked everything carefully, before I ate it.

Life went on well and I got bigger and stronger. Because I’m ginger, at first everyone thought I was a boy cat, most gingers are, but I’m most definitely a little girl – although I’m not so little now. I made some friends of about my own age and got used to the people around.  They were all very kind and gave me lots of cuddles.

Soon I heard I was going to my forever home and got very excited, but my new family decided at the last minute that they didn’t want me. I was disappointed, but happy to stay for a bit longer to play with friends at Syros Cats.  Eventually, another home was offered to me, in Italy. I would have several new friends there and all of them were rescue cats.

And the best thing of all… My new human family are the couple who rescued me when I was lost, lonely and hungry and trying to survive on the street. Now I’m living in Italy, after a long journey with a boat, plane and car. Of course, it was all a bit scary and strange at first, but my family – humans and cats – are very kind.  It’s nice to be settled at last, in my very own home!