Wanted: ‘Cat whisperer’ to live for free on a Greek island with 55 cats

By Josh K. Elliott  National Online Journalist, International Global News

Greece needs a cat whisperer. The owner of a Greek cat sanctuary is on the hunt for a replacement kitty custodian, and she’s offering free accommodations on a picturesque island as part of the package. Joan Bowell, of God’s Little People Cat Rescue, says the ideal candidate will be someone over the age of 45 with “cat-whispering skills” and knowledge of feline psychology. That person will be expected to feed and care for 55 cats, including taking them to the vet when necessary, in exchange for free housing and a living wage.

“I am looking for someone who can take over the daily running of my Greek cat sanctuary in my absence,” Bowell wrote in a Facebook post on Aug. 5.

The job posting on Facebook has been shared more than 26,000 times in its first week, and Bowell says in a follow-up post that she’s received “a bazillion” emails about the position.

“This is genuine and NOT a joke,” Bowell adds in the posting.

The cat sanctuary is in a nature preserve on the island of Syros, a popular tourist destination on the Aegean Sea.

Several cats are shown at God’s Little People Cat Rescue in Syros, Greece.

Bowell says her replacement will live in a fully paid-for, semi-detached “modern tiny home” with a garden and a view of the Aegean Sea. She did not specify an exact salary, saying only that the role amounts to part-time work of four hours per day, and that compensation will be in line with that.

“Salary reflects the fact that you get the house for free (with everything paid),” she added.

Whoever moves in will be expected to live with cats in the home and spend a fair amount of time “in your own company,” Bowell says.

“You will at times be expected to trap or handle a feral or non-sociable cat,” she adds.

The job demands a minimum six-month commitment beginning in November, as well as two weeks of unpaid volunteer work to learn the ropes in October.

Bowell says she’s had thousands of applicants already, and that she’ll start conducting interviews at the end of August.

Application details are included in the Facebook post.