Bruna (36) lived in Brazil until recently with Lucca and Sofia – two cats she rescued from the streets. Now she lives in Baarn with her husband Jan (38) and cat Nyna (1). Lucca and Sofia were also supposed to move with her, but unfortunately things turned out differently.
That sounds like an impressive story, can you tell us a bit about Lucca and Sofia?
Yes, it was not easy. I was living in São Paulo when I adopted Lucca and Sofia. They were both cats rescued from the streets. First Lucca came to live with me and then Sofia – she was just a month old.
I felt very good to have saved another life. And everything went very well. Until I found out that Sofia had the Feline Leukaemia Virus (FeLV). This is a contagious virus that can cause serious illness in cats. And it cannot be cured.
Terrible, of course. But I decided to keep her and give her the best life I could. Because she deserved it – Sofia was such a gentle and sweet cat. She always showed me that she felt safe with me and that she was very grateful. We really had a great time together, but less than a year later I had to make a difficult decision. She became very ill and I had to let my little angel go.
Gee, that must have been really though for you.
Yes, it was very difficult to say goodbye to her. I had wanted so much to take her with me to my new life in Holland. But that was no longer possible.
I also had to say goodbye to Lucca, but in a good way. She stayed behind in Brazil. I still lived with my family and Lucca was very attached to my youngest sister and the life there. So it was better for Lucca to stay there. And I am happy to see her every time I go to see my family in Brazil.
Then you went to live together in the Netherlands with your great love Jan?
Yes. In April 2021 I married Jan. I didn’t want a new cat because I felt guilty towards Sofia – it seemed like I would replace her. But that is not the case, of course. She is irreplaceable and will always have a place in my heart. Therefore I decided to look for a litter of Ragdolls.
Sofia will always have a place in my heart.
And that is where you met Nyna?
I had just lived in the Netherlands for two days when Nyna’s litter was born. When I went to see the kittens, I immediately knew that Nyna belonged to me – she looked at me and came straight to me. We immediately had a click with each other. It is really special to see how much Nyna has in common with Sofia. She is just as gentle and very affectionate.
Zelfs de manier waarop ze speelt, hoe nieuwsgierig ze is en hoe ze me aankijkt doet me in alles denken aan Sofia. Ze maakt me ook vaak aan het lachen. Ze kan tegelijkertijd heel schattig en grappig zijn, vooral als ze aan het spelen is. Ik ben echt ontzettend blij met Nyna in mijn leven.
You must be very caring with her!
Yes, I am sure. When Jan and I go on holiday, she goes to my parents-in-law. She is safe there, well looked after and they are very fond of her. I don’t like to let her go outside, I think it’s too dangerous. She is only allowed to go for a walk in my parents-in-law’s garden once in a while under supervision. Otherwise, she stays inside with us.
And how does Nyna enjoy herself in the house?
Oh, she always enjoys herself! I usually work from home, so she is hardly ever alone. During the day she is very active. She runs around the house, plays with her cat toys and scratches and climbs in her scratching tree.
What are her favourite places in the house?
She likes to lie on the window sill or on our indoor balcony in the sunshine. She loves that. And if she is not there, she lies in her scratching post. She sleeps in one of the two hammocks or lies in the lounge basket at the very top. There she is in her element, being a real princess.
She also likes to lie in our bed. She sleeps with us every night and as soon as Jan wakes up at 06:00 she goes out of bed with him. She then gets something to eat and follows him everywhere. But as soon as Jan has gone to work, she looks for me again. She can also lie on my lap for hours and cuddle with me.
The last question again: What do you love about cats?
Cats are very sensitive. They can sense how you are feeling and let you know that they love you. And Nyna is of course extra special. She is a real chatterbox, loves to cuddle, is incredibly sweet and very gentle.
Bruna was looking for a scratching post for her Ragdoll Nyna. She chose our Catherina 160 because it is high enough, Nyna can play, climb, sleep and of course scratch on it. Bruna also likes the good quality and the colours: they match her interior perfectly.