The months-long struggle of the people of Dubrovnik to get the cat Anastasia, an 18-year-old favorite of the city on the Croatian coast of the Adriatic Sea, to get a home ended successfully, but not in the way they expected.
Although more than 10.000 people signed a petition asking that the cat be provided with a house in front of the Duke's Palace, the headquarters of the Dubrovnik Museums, the city government and the heads of the museums did not accept that idea, so it was important to find another solution.
The famous cat was taken to "a well-deserved nursing home under the care of a veterinarian from Dubrovnik, who has been monitoring and taking care of Anastasia's health," activist Srđan Kera announced on his Facebook page. Princess Anastasia.
This solution "is not the most ideal, but at the moment it is the only one," Kera told the BBC in Serbian.
"She would not have lived much longer, and now she has gone into the right hands, with a woman who cares about animals and I believe she will do the best for her.
"Ultimately, this kitty, even if she dies, will do so in a warm home," explained the man from Dubrovnik.
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How did the fight of the people of Dubrovnik go for Anastasia's home?
For a long time, the citizens of Dubrovnik set up improvised houses for Anastasia in front of the Duke's Palace, the place the cat chose for her home.
Rector's Palace it was the seat of the government and prince, the highest political office, of the Republic of Dubrovnik, which was established in the 13th century, in the south of today's Croatia.
At the beginning of April this year, however, the administration of the Dubrovnik Museums, the institution that takes care of the Duke's Palace, removed the houses and prohibited the installation of new ones, referring to the city authorities' decision on abandoned animals and the fact that the building is under UNESCO protection.
"No one is allowed to intervene in the cultural-historical whole, especially not by building shelters and habitats," the Dubrovnik Museums said in a statement at the time.
UNESCO brings together 193 countries - all the world's countries recognized by the UN.
It stands for access to education for every child, the protection and promotion of cultural heritage and the strengthening of ties between peoples, according to the official website.
Ivona Mihl, manager of Dubrovnik museums, added that shelters for animals are not allowed in the city center.
"Well, if we are legalists, then we should respect the laws. Nothing happened to the cats, they are still there. The only problem is those houses that someone decided to put there," she says.
One of Anastasia's last houses in that place was made of wood and her mother's name was written on it.
It was placed in front of the court by Srđan Kera from Dubrovnik.
Since it was also removed by Museum workers, activists launched a petition signed by more than 10.200 people from Dubrovnik and other parts of Croatia.
How did the "princess" leave the Duke's palace?
Cat Anastasia recently turned 18, and her health is getting worse, Srđan Kera said in a post on the Facebook social network.
"According to the expert opinion of the veterinarian, Anastasia would not survive another winter outdoors, in the rain, wind and wet, without a house.
"Anastasia also had symptoms of osteoarthritis, as a result of which it is difficult to move and her joints hurt. He spends most of his time sleeping. That's why she needed a house," he explained.
Since the activists did not manage to take the home to Anastasia, they decided to take her to the home.
She was transferred "very carefully, with love and attention, in the least stressful way" to the house of an unnamed veterinarian, who took care of her while she lived near the Duke's Palace, Kere claims in a post on the page. Princess Anastasia, dedicated to the famous Dubrovnik cat.
"Anastasia thanks everyone, especially those who truly cared for her, showed loyalty and compassion, and those who followed and supported her from afar.
"She fondly remembers the old voices and the team under the porch, but she doesn't miss uncertainty, loneliness when everyone leaves and the coldness of the street," he said.
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