Mond & Stern

Mond & Stern – Two Little Souls Who Met Us Under the Moon and Stars... (This is Olga's story—in her own words. She met Mond and Stern while on holiday in Turkey and became the person who changed their lives forever.)

There are stories in Turkey that happen again and again.

Two tiny kittens, barely eight weeks old. Born in a hotel full of tourists. Growing up between sunbeds, restaurant tables and swimming pools. In many holiday resorts, kittens become "toys" for children—picked up, carried around, chased and hugged too tightly.

My daughter played with them too, but we have always taught her that if a kitten wants to walk away, you let it go. Even at eight years old, we stayed close, helping her recognize when the kittens had had enough. Knowing the rule and recognizing the moment are two different things.

We first met them in the restaurant, where a kind waiter hid them during the busiest hours to protect them from children. That's when we noticed how unusually calm and gentle they were.

In the evenings they wandered around the pool, searching for food beneath the sunbeds. Too small to reach the bins like the older cats. Their mother was nowhere to be seen.

We walked around the entire hotel. There were plenty of cats—some even wearing collars—but no cat houses, no water bowls, no safe places to hide.

Most of the cats were friendly but cautious. If frightened, they would hiss or swipe. Mond and Stern never did. They were simply gentle.

Every evening my daughter and I looked for them around the pool. Those walks became our quiet ritual beneath the moon and stars, which is why she named them **Mond** and **Stern** (Moon & Star). After playing, they would often fall asleep in her arms—something that felt almost unbelievable for kittens growing up in such a busy, unpredictable place.

Then one evening my daughter suddenly screamed, "Mom! It will drown! Someone threw the kitten into the water!"

I don't know whether Stern fell into the pool or was thrown in. I only know that if we hadn't been there at that exact moment, she might not have survived.

That night we both cried.

My husband said what many people would: "You can't just take them home. They have no passports. No vaccinations. They're too young."

So we returned home without them.

But I couldn't stop thinking about them. About the colder nights ahead. About two tiny kittens without their mother. About whether they would survive.

Thankfully, **Paws of Hope** found them and brought them to safety. I will always be grateful.

Today Mond and Stern are healthy, playful, curious and as gentle as ever.

Now they need what every kitten deserves:

A home where survival is no longer their daily task.

Where curiosity replaces hunger.

Where they are not part of someone's holiday memory—but part of a family.

If you can give Mond and Stern a loving forever home, please reach out.

Let their story continue under a sky full of safety—not uncertainty.