Dubrovnik, pearl of the Adriatic in Croatia, is torn over the fate of Anastasia, a 17-year-old street cat. She was recently ousted from one of the most beautiful palaces in the medieval city.
The tricolor feline appreciated by the many tourists who visit the ancient Ragusa had chosen to spend his time under the arches of the rector’s palace, an architectural marvel of the 14th century.
She settled first in a box, then in a wooden niche made at the end of March by Srdjan Kera, a resident of Dubrovnik, in the same half-Gothic, half-Renaissance style as the palace, equipped with a cushion of red velvet and stamped with a plaque in the name of the feline, “Anastasia”.
But the direction of the museums of Dubrovnik, which sits in the palace, did not appreciate and demanded the removal of the niche soon following, to the chagrin of animal rights defenders. No one is allowed to damage “the unique and historic ensemble” that is Dubrovnik, “in particular by building shelters or settlements”, she said in a statement.
The decision sparks fiery debates in the locality of 44,000 inhabitants. On social networks, calls to protect the animal, which had already been expelled last year from a makeshift shelter, are increasing. “Anastasia needs her house! Give her her house back! Apparently, cultural institutions are run by people without culture,” one user posted on Facebook.
Petition
In an online poll organized by a local newspaper, 90% of the 4,500 participants believed that the niche should remain under the arches of the palace. “It’s his house. It’s only one cat, there aren’t 70 of them,” exclaims Srdjan Kera.
But the mayor of Dubrovnik Mato Frankovic came to the rescue of the museums, noting that the city was home to a lot of stray cats and might be proud of the fact that they are all “well fed”, not “skinny”. “It shows how this city lives with animals. Why should we house them now?”.
In the meantime, the cat has her own Facebook page, “Kneginja Anastazija” (Princess Anastasia) and an online petition demanding the return of her house had collected nearly 12,000 signatures on Saturday.
ats, afp
