International Cat Ladies...The Story of Zoe

How does a multi-lingual half-German, half-Italian Cat Lady jewelry artist from Torino, Italy wind up with a Greek calico cat? Read on...

Anna tells us: "I grew up bilingual and I guess that's where my passion for languages comes from! I graduated in Foreign Languages and Literature from Torino University and I have been teaching German and English ever since, but my greatest passion has always been art and creativity! And, I've always loved cats."

Anna fell in love with the the Greek Islands of the Aegean back in 1997, during a trip to the island of Rhodes. She has returned many times since and that's where the story of Zoe begins.

"The gorgeous light and color of the Aegean are one of my main inspirations in my work. I have lots of friends on Rhodes, both human and feline. One of my favorite places is a beautiful old Turkish cemetery that is one of my favorite spots on Rhodes. It's a peaceful ancient place with old beautiful engraved tombstones under the shade of old magnificent eucalyptus trees...A beautiful little mosque from ancient times and a graceful white minaret make it a really dreamy place full of poetry. Many lovely cats have chosen it as their home, and I love just sitting there and cuddling them... and of course bringing them some goodies!

"My friend Sirpa and other lovely people help the homeless cats living there...In the summer of 2003 Sirpa and I rescued seven kittens from the cemetery, as they were too small to be on their own. One of them was a sweet calico kitten. We took them to the local Animal Welfare society so that people could adopt them. But I had already fallen in love with Zoe... she was so sweet and I just couldn't leave without her!

"Sirpa arranged everything for me: the papers, a cat box, and she took Zoe home for a night before my departure. Everything was perfect, we drove to the airport and I was allowed to keep my kitten next to me in her box: she had her own seat and everybody was in love with her! I still remember that a steward asked me if I needed water for my kitten (before departure - as they do for human babies!), and at landing the captain asked me if it was 'a boy or a girl' and then he said 'Auguri' (best wishes).

"Zoe was an angel... she never cried, she purred when I talked to her and when I put my hand into the box to pet her. Thank God it was a direct charter flight to Milan. Since then we've been happily sharing our home in Torino, in the North West corner of Italy and very close to the Alps.

"Zoe's name is Greek (Zωή), it means 'Life'. A friend of mine suggested this name, as she said I was "giving her a life". Zoe is a sweet, lovely girl who brings a lot of joy into my life, each and every single day! We live in an apartment and we have a nice balcony with plants, where she loves to spend hours in the summer dozing and daydreaming... it's her little garden. She is very sweet but she also has a strong personality: she's a real Greek girl!"

Read more about Anna, her art, and her travels and Zoe at her blog Annuk Creations.
Then be sure to check out her beautiful Greek-Isle-inspired jewelry creations in her Etsy Shop!