Today we feature the story of Janneke, a Bulgarian-born cat living in the Netherlands, who is the face of Anoeska’s Superjanneke blog for her vegan recipes. Anoeska is not only the owner of the blog but also Janneke’s adoptive cat mom.
Animal Lover Anoeska
Cat pawrent Anoeska, 48 years old, is married to Aries. They live in a small town between Rotterdam and Dordrecht, close to the famous windmills of Kinderdijk, where she grew up.
For as long as she can remember, Anoeska was surrounded by animals. First of all, when she was a toddler, her family looked after guinea pigs. Later, when she met her husband, she helped him take care of his two adorable hamsters. When they eventually started living together the couple accommodated both the hamsters and the guinea pigs in their new home.
After about ten years, Anoeska and Aries decided to adopt their first cat: Sofie. Sofie was two years old at the time. Back then, her pawrents were emigrating and did not want to put her through such a long journey. Therefore, they had to leave Sofie behind in the hands of Anoeska and Aries. Sofie is a very sweet and gentle cat.
Bringing Janneke Home from the Animal Shelter
After a few years, Anoeska and Aries wanted a second cat. They felt sorry that Sofie had to play alone, so they really wanted to find a friend for her. Naturally, they also wanted to help an animal in need, so they decided to opt for adoption. Anoeska had a lot of connections in various animal shelters around the Netherlands, so it was easy for her to get more information on adoption procedures.
In her research, she discovered that black cats are often left in shelters the longest [For more information on black cat adoption check one of our previous cat stories]. Willing to challenge the stereotypes surrounding black cats, Anoeska and Aries decided to settle for a black cat. Most people Anoeska knew in the field of animal adoption worked with black cats from Spain, so she was convinced that their second cat would also come from there.
However, on the website of one of the foundations they were browsing, they saw Janneke, a white spotted kitten from Bulgaria. She had been abused as a kitten, had undergone surgery, and was terribly afraid of people.
Their caregivers in Bulgaria were looking for a home for Janneke, one in which there was already a stable cat. They thought Sofie would be a great fit for Janneke’s needs as Sofie is a lovable cat.
With little hesitation, Anoeska and Aries filled in the adoption documents and they officially welcomed Janneke into their house on June 15, 2018. This is the first photo they took with her.
Rescue Cat Befriends Guinea Pigs
As soon as Janneke moved in, she became interested in Aries and Anoeska’s guinea pigs. In turn, the guinea pigs are also interested in Janneke. The cat loves to sit by their cage as the guinea pigs watch Janneke full of curiosity. Furthermore, if one of the guinea pigs is sick, Janneke does not leave its side. In fact, Janneke even goes as far as to crawl into the cage with them!
At first, Aries and Anoeska were cautious to have Janneke play with the guinea pigs, because cats are predators. Luckily, Janneke is very gentle with the guinea pigs. Still, Aries and Anoeska never leave Janneke unattended with the guinea pigs. When they get together, everyone enjoys it.
The picture above was taken at the vet. Aries and Anoeska happened to have a vet appointment for one of the guinea pigs and Janneke.
Vegan Recipe Site Intruded by a Carnivore Cat
Aries and Anoeska love animals a lot and that is why they are vegan. Colleagues of Anoeska were often curious about what they eat.Hence, years ago, Anoeska started a page on Facebook, on which she shared what they would cook and eat. Anoeska wanted to show that eating plant-based food does not have to be difficult or expensive.
Meanwhile, Janneke started living with Aries and Anoeska. Since Janneke likes to be everywhere, she appeared in more and more pictures of Anoeska’s dishes.
Unlike her sister, Sofie, who is more shy, Janneke loves to pose for pictures. Anoeska’s followers were increasingly curious about Janneke.
Thus, Anoeska started writing about Janneke's background as well to satisfy the curiosity of her fans. Some of the topics she wrote about include: Janneke’s life on the streets, her rescue story, and what people can do to help stray cats. Of course, all these stories did not match her previous content so she had to start all over again with her blog.
Since March 18, 2019, Anoeska has been writing under the name Superjanneke. Anoeska still shares vegan recipes, but she also writes about her cat Janneke. For example Anoeska has recently told the story of the cat lover who saved Janneke in Bulgaria: Liliya. If you are curious you can check Liliya’s Facebook and Instagram.
Superjanneke as a Pawsitive Blog
With her blog, Superjanneke, cat mom Anoeska hopes to show how one can help animals in need with the simplest of gestures. Simply sharing a message about a cat that was rescued from the street can already be a huge step in helping cats.
Fortunately other people feel the same. Anoeska’s blog has helped her connect with people from all over the world who share their views. In turn, Anoeska is very grateful to get to know them and share with them Janneke's stories.
If you want to follow Anoeska’s blog too, you can check it out here. Do not forget that you can also follow Janneke’s story on Instagram.
