Meow here, meow there, meow-meow everywhere. The Heartland of Legends villages are filled with the sound of meowing. In every street and corner, you will definitely encounter these adorable felines, roaming freely at every turn. They are domestic cats known as “keramidogatoi” or rooftop cats.

They don’t belong to any particular race. They are mostly friendly, adore human companionship and crave cuddles and treats. You will see them basking in the sun, lounging under the shade of the trees, playing in gardens and with each other, or napping peacefully, adding a touch of whimsy to the slow life of the villages.

The cats we meet in Cyprus today are primarily domestic short- haired (DSH) animals with various patterns and markings on their bodies. These include ginger cats with copper eyes, black cats with green eyes, grey cats with hazel and amber eyes, white cats, and cats with mixed colours. Their breeding season takes place twice a year, between spring and winter, and they can give birth up to 4 times per year.

Archaeologists brought to light the bones of a cat buried with its human companion in a neolithic grave, dating back to approximately 8000 – 6500BC. The grave was discovered in 2001 in “Schillourokampos” area near Parekklisia village in the Lemesos district. This finding suggests early domestication of cats on the island.

But what do the legends tell us about how the cats actually ended up in Cyprus? When Saint Helena discovered the Holy Cross in Jerusalem, she made a stop in Cyprus on her way back to Constantinople.

At that time, the island, and especially the Akrotiri peninsula, was in a dreadful condition, suffering from long periods of drought which led to an increase in snakes. She decided that the only way to reduce the risk caused by the reptiles was to bring cats to the island. After the Saint’s departure, her son Constantine the Great sent Kalokairos to Cyprus as governor. A ship filled with cats accompanied him to address the area’s problem. Consequently, the peninsula was saved and is now known as Cape Gata (Cat).

The Nobelist Greek poet George Seferis wrote a poem about the cats at the Saint Nicholas monastery in Akrotiri. His poem describes a time when Cyprus was suffering from long periods of drought. The Monks at the Monastery, fearing the poisonous snakes, didn’t dare to take out their cattle to graze nor cultivate their land. The solution was given by the cats of the monastery. The ringing of the morning bell signaled the start of the battle for the cats, and the evening bell was marked the beginning of the night hunts. Week after week, month after month, the cats successfully won the battle.

Since then, proverbs with cats have earned their place in our everyday life. Some of them are the following: “Lipi i gata horevoun ta pontikia” (When the cat’s away, the mice are dancing), meaning that when the boss is absent, the employees are lazy. “Egennise i gata mou” is said when unexpected financial issues occur. We often say “Ine Eftapschichos” or “He/she has seven lives” to describe someone who continually escapes from difficult situations, accidents or illnesses. This expression is commonly used for cats to emphasize their ability to survive dangerous situations. Lastly, when someone sees a black cat early in the morning, it is considered as a bad omen, often associated with bad luck that day.