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 in 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.”
By 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 really wild male cats in the neighborhood, and they started circling around 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 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
I live in a nice residence in Austria, and I will be in Türkiye for another three years, with access to a garden. But when I return to Vienna, I will be living in a small city apartment with no access to the outdoors, and she will be left alone there. Also, I travel a lot; I go to many places in Türkiye, and she is like a small child who needs care and attention. I found an Austrian colleague of mine who is a cat dad; he has an older cat, and we will try moving Lily to his home this weekend. We hope the 11-year-old senior cat will like the little girl, and hopefully, it will work out. Otherwise, she will come back to me, and we will find a good home for her. I promised her, and I know it will be hard for me. It was already difficult to leave her at the pet hospital during my vacations; I missed her a lot.
I AM LIKE HER MOTHER
We can see there’s a bond between you two. Won’t it be difficult to part ways?
I think I am her mother because I bottle-fed her, and she was always with me. When you have a kitten this small, you are everything to them. She had no digestion; you have to show them how to digest food and how to clean themselves. So, when she was a baby, after every feeding, I would take a towel with warm water and rub her, basically imitating a mother cat licking her. That’s how small cats learn how to clean themselves. It’s quite remarkable that she follows me when I call her, and when I go to other rooms, she looks for me. In the mornings, when I come down from the office upstairs, I say, “Lily, let’s go,” and she follows me. So right now, she’s a bit like a puppy, and she talks to me as well. She knows how to express what she wants. I know it will be very hard to leave her. I can only give her to very good hands.
SHOWS HOW MUCH PEOPLE LOVE STRAY ANIMALS
What are your thoughts on the controversial “Stray Animals Law”?
Actually, 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 very strong community. There is a strong civil society advocating for animal rights. We don’t have street cats, but we do have a problem with cats that are abandoned. 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 in Türkiye.
