We are an animal household. Loro probably wasn't always as animal-loving as I was, but at least in the last few years he often told me that he couldn't imagine our home without animals. I knew from my early childhood that I loved all animals, essentially without distinction. Ok, I probably wouldn't wrap such an alligator in my arms... But with the beautiful comes the sad and difficult. And the loss of a beloved pet.

I normally have no idea what's going on. This blog was supposed to capture the beautiful moments of life, it helped me to focus more on the small positive everyday things that are easily overlooked in times of sadness and yet here is another sad post. That melancholy will probably never leave me. I would take a slightly happier time in my life...

Luna died. Unexpectedly, you might say, even though we've known for the last four days that she was very unwell after suffering a severe bout of (probably) the herpes virus. I say probably, because I was able to classify the disease only after consulting the symptoms with writer and cat-loving owner Saška Pavelková, who knows cats so well that she could hide it in any veterinarian's pocket. (If you haven't read her book Four Cat-musketeers yet, look it up, it's intended for children and all cat lovers, but especially for all people who would like to learn about cat care in a fun way. ) Unfortunately, I took her advice too late, I trusted the treatment that the vet gave us.

Our cats don't go out of the apartment freely, and for several months we didn't even have a stray cat in quarantine, but somehow the virus got to us. Peeves started to sneeze on Tuesday and slept for two days, but then he flew like he was out of his senses to catch up those two days without going crazy. Luna's "cat flu" broke out on Friday evening, and we didn't expect her to handle it harder than Peeves. But she has always been a very small and fragile cat. In a month, she would be only three years old. The virus overpowered her and the treatment was not helping at all. She was severely dehydrated and despite feeding her with a syringe, straw and dropper, giving her water, broth and vet drink, I was unable to save her and her condition was slowly deteriorating. We was at vet every two days. As Saška said, there could be something hidden in her state of health, some serious illness that we didn't know about.

She was playing a week ago and is no longer here. Just yesterday I was giving her water and medicine using a dropper, because she refused to eat and drink all week and today we were supposed to go to the vet again in the morning. She didn't live to see that. As if she was waiting for us, and when we were both next to her in the morning, stroking her, she breathed her last.

So what. I feel like cursing and screaming like I always do when something hurts so bad. I am completely heartbroken and overwhelmed by the huge void her little body has left in my life and I am so glad we were able to love her and have such an amazing best friend in our lives. We cuddled together every night and last night she spent peacefully on my chest…

But I would like to write a post about what Luna was like, what she liked and what I will miss a lot in our home now.

She was born on May 7, 2020 at a cottage in the Beskydy Mountains in an amazing animal household with lots of cats, a poodle and two Czechoslovakian wolfdogs, bunnies, parakeets and an amazing little girl who loves photography. She had several brothers and sisters who were tabby like her or black, and her mother's name was Mucinka, just like our Mucinka before, who wandered away from us that year and got lost.

We picked her up as a tiny ball in Žilina, and Wolf was very gentle with her from the beginning and never once bit her on the fur. We took her home by train, where we introduced her to Peeves, and to our surprise he didn't spit or growl at her at all, he fell in love with her immediately and the next day he was lovingly washing her, and she was sucking his belly for a while as if she was looking for milk from her mother .

She was an incredibly cuddly, adorable and sweet princess, my only little girl in our boy band. She has always been fearful, and it was enough to bang or rustle something, she bristled her squirrel tail and immediately ran to Wolf and hid between his paws, under his chin or under his tail. She preferred to fall asleep on my chest near my heart, so I had to tie her in a scarf while working on the computer to keep us both comfortable.

As she grew up, she loved to watch the birds through the window on the roof and looked out the window in a romantic way whenever there was a beautiful sunrise or sunset and what was the nicest thing about her, she loved music. When I played my playlist on Spotify, she immediately ran to wherever she was napping, climbed on the table, purred and rubbed against the speaker from which the melody was coming. She also did that to me when I sang or played a musical instrument. She climbed up to my mouth, rubbed against my chin and demanded kisses on the head while singing. She loved meringue. She often came to ask them herself. And she purred loudly as soon as you said her name or touched her. But her most favorite song was the composition by Vojta Dyk - Šumavský otčenáš, the first sounds of the wind were enough and she was immediately by my side and during the whole song she wiggled, rubbed, spun, caressed, twisted and wanted to be stroked. She also liked to stroke herself. She lay down, closed her eyes and stroked her head with her paw. It was her little cuteness that no other cat ever did.

She liked to prance with her head on the ground like a tiny otter, or with her paw extended forward. She liked to provoke a chase or a subtle battle with Peeves. She loved to beg for chicken meat and always knew exactly when we cut it and came running in the blink of an eye. She liked to nap on top of me with her paw spread over my arm while I was reading a book or watching TV and she often came over to me when I was working and laid on my left arm and I had to work with her in my arms.

She was very quiet, loving and welcomed everyone with joy, including all our visits. When she woke up somewhere after dark and didn't find at least Peeves with her, she started meowing (crying) heartbreakingly but gently, and I had to call her name and tell her where we were to come to us, sometimes even in the middle of the night.

As she was timid, she never wanted to climb out of the door, that's why Peeves is an adventurer and sometimes asks for a walk. We took them out on leashes a couple of times, but she squirmed after me and was shaking all over. She was not an adventurous type (even though Peeves would go with us around the world). Her biggest adventure was when she slipped out of the door and into the stairwell and halfway through she decided it was too scary to go on and started crying terribly.

She loved warm places and the sun. She liked to cuddle up to Peeves in any place, even if there was no place for her, so she lay down crosswise over him. When she heard me crumpling a piece of paper in my hand, she immediately ran over, I had to throw it to her and she would roll and chase it until it wandered under the couch and then every once in a while we would have to sweep a billion paper balls from under the couch.

I know she is no longer in pain, no longer suffering, but she is no longer here to make my day as only she could and did. Another piece of my heart is already over the rainbow bridge.

So Wolf and Peeves will be just two again.

We will miss you so much every day, princess. I already feel your absence so strongly. Wolf and Peeves lie down sadly. Thank you for being our cute soulmate in this world for a little while and we all loved you very much. Sleep sweetly, our adorable little girl.

Another piece of heart beyond the rainbow bridge

Where to put the dog on vacation?

Choice no. 1: Czechoslovakian wolfdog