The Yard Cats Photo Album

21 years have passed since my military service, part of which I spent in Santorini. I arrived on Christmas Eve (a crazy windy night) and left in early July. It was a popular destination even then but certainly had nothing to do with the extravagant today. When I left in early July, the tourist season was just starting. Walking in the alleys with the fantastic view was the norm on every outing, and I saw up close all the island preparations given the summer.

I remember stopping by the colourful souvenir shops and always intrigued by the cat calendar. I even dared to flip through it. It is hard to forget the thought, 'But she is sick.' This thought concerned photos of cats in the Cycladic landscape where, in some cases, I could recognize some animal health issues (very unlikely). I wondered if the photographer recognized the same problems with animals as I did or if he was just interested in making an album to 'sell.' I also wondered if cats, as models, were entitled to something from this trade.

So we arrive at 2022, and I have the photo album The Yard Cats in my hands.

Stelios' photos are not just pictures of cats. It is their life in the yard. Their communication with each other, their relationship with the moon, the air, the rainbow, the waves. For some, contact with them is limited to throwing leftovers at them for 1 minute a day; for others, it is an observation of relaxation and inspiration for artistic creation. A journey into their world that has everything. Hunting, hiding, doing stunts, sleeping, and relaxing. The cat is the only feline in Greece, and we at We Live Together try to brighten its life with various actions and products available for our purposes.

The photo album, on the one hand, captures their lives; on the other hand, it enables us to earn income to continue doing what we do every day: rescues, cleanings, and adoptions. Establishment and maintenance of Cat Cafes. Educational programs in schools. Intensive sterilizations in homeless cat populations. Edition of original fairy tales from the series "Cat Pirates of the Aegean" that talk to young and old about the life of animals.

Our models, 21 years later, will be paid for their work.

Enjoy!

Manolis Vorrisis