Austrian Ambassador to Türkiye, Gabriele Juen, is currently occupied with a very different agenda apart from the intense diplomacy and political schedule. About two months ago, Juen adopted a kitten abandoned on the embassy premises by her mother. Juen, who spends almost all her free time with this little kitten she named “Tiger Lily,” has made sure the kitten receives all the necessary care. Now, she is searching for a new home and owner where Lily can live in the same comfort for the rest of her life. Gabriele Juen spoke to Demarche about her story with Tiger Lily, why she wants to find her a new home, and her views on the controversial “Stray animals law.”
Haşim KILIÇ / M. Ferhat Yüksel
When did you first meet Tiger Lily? Can you tell us about the process so far?
She seems to have been born on July 4th, and she had a young mother. This little girl appeared to be the smallest and weakest of the litter. One evening, we were hosting a reception in the garden, and her mother brought her in her mouth and left her on the terrace before disappearing. Lily was only 130 grams and still had her umbilical cord. We didn’t know what to do. We have wild male cats in the neighborhood, and they started circling the baby. We had to do something. We hoped her mother would return if she started crying, but she didn’t. The evening turned into night; it was almost 11 p.m. We wrapped her in a soft blanket. Then, we contacted a pet hospital. Fortunately, there are many pet hospitals and caring veterinarians in Ankara. They helped me and showed me what I needed to do. I started bottle-feeding her every two hours. All her vaccinations and check-ups were done. She is now 11 weeks old. They have started her deworming treatment, done all the tests, confirmed she doesn’t have cat AIDS or any other dangerous diseases for other cats, and we’ve completed the first round of vaccines. Now my goal is to prepare her for adoption.
SHE DESERVES A LOVING HOME
So, why do you want to find her a new home?
You know, I am a nomad. Diplomats are nomads. We move to different countries every few years. Even though it is often said that pets and cats are not particularly attached to their owners, they still require a long-term commitment. Cats can live for 10 to 15 years. So, having an animal in your life and taking on that responsibility is a conscious decision. And this animal deserves a loving home for those 10 or 15 years.
I MADE A PROMISE TO HER
Living in a charming residence in Ankara, I have the luxury of a spacious garden, a sanctuary for my beloved cat, Lily. However, the future brings new challenges. In just a few years, I will return to Vienna, where I’ll be residing in a small city apartment with no outdoor space, leaving Lily to adapt to the confines of an indoor life. As someone who travels frequently across Türkiye, I worry about her well-being—she is like a child, requiring constant care and attention.
To ensure Lily is well taken care of, I’ve arranged for her to live with a fellow cat enthusiast and colleague, an Austrian who already has an older feline companion. This weekend, we will attempt the transition. The hope is that the 11-year-old senior cat will welcome the young girl into his home. If it doesn’t work out, Lily will return to me, and we’ll find a loving home for her.
I’ve promised Lily I’ll always be there for her, and though it will be tough, I know I must make sure she is happy and cared for. It was already heart-wrenching to leave her at the pet hospital during my vacations—I missed her deeply.
I AM LIKE HER MOTHER
We can see there’s a bond between you two. Won’t it be difficult to part ways?
I often think of myself as Lily’s mother. From the moment she was a tiny kitten, bottle-fed and completely reliant on me, I was everything to her. When you raise a kitten so small, you become their world. She couldn’t digest on her own at first, so I had to teach her, showing her how to clean herself and guiding her through the basics of survival. After every feeding, I’d take a warm towel and rub her down, mimicking the way a mother cat licks her young. This is how kittens learn to groom themselves.
It’s truly remarkable that, even now, Lily follows me when I call her. If I move to another room, she’s always looking for me. In the mornings, when I come down from my office upstairs, I say, “Lily, let’s go,” and without fail, she follows me. At this point, she’s a bit like a puppy, and she communicates with me—she knows exactly how to express what she needs.
Leaving her will be incredibly difficult. I can only trust her into the hands of people who will love and care for her as much as I do.
SHOWS HOW MUCH PEOPLE LOVE STRAY ANIMALS
What are your thoughts on the controversial “Stray Animals Law”?
I don’t want to comment on the law itself. But the debate it has sparked shows how much people in this country love animals. I think this is a fact that many people abroad are unaware of. The cats of Istanbul are famous worldwide. But when you come to Türkiye and see people going out into the streets, feeding and caring for stray dogs and animals, loving them, and seeing how many of these animals feel comfortable and valued, you realize this is something unique to Türkiye. So, I understand why people feel so emotional about it. At the same time, there is a problem with dogs in some cities because they have turned into large groups, so they need to be cared for. But it’s still unclear how this will be resolved.
ADMIRABLE CARE IN HATAY
You know about the cats of Istanbul. But when you go to a place like Hatay, devastated by the earthquake where tens of thousands of people lost everything, you see how people still care for stray animals. I knew Hatay before the earthquake. When I visited in February this year, I went to the historic center. Amid the ruins of the old buildings, people who had lost everything were going out in the evenings and feeding the cats there. Even as they struggle to rebuild their lives, it shows how attached they are to the living beings around them. It’s a great show of humanity and compassion. Truly admirable.
What practices are there regarding stray animals in Austria?
There aren’t many stray animals in Austria. I can’t give you exact numbers on cats and dogs, but many people have pets, and animal lovers are a strong community. There is a strong civil society advocating for animal rights. We don’t have stray cats, but we do have a problem with abandoned cats.. Groups of naturalists argue that this is a big risk for bird populations, especially in urban areas. But you can’t compare the situation in Austria or Austrian cities with the situation in Türkiye. There aren’t large groups of cats and dogs in the streets like there are in Türkiye.
