Bohumil Hrabal Burns when he was one or two years old

In this post I am taking a break from describing castles, chateaus and towns. Instead, I have written about one of my passions that has nothing to do with traveling – cats. When I was a small child, I wanted a cat so badly, but, because my mother is afraid of animals, I was only allowed to have Sparky the goldfish, who had to be flushed down the toilet soon after I got him. During my youth I enjoyed the company of the neighbors’ cats – Phydo, the grey female cat and Pink, the black tomcat. After getting to know Pink, I fell in love with black cats. It is such a shame that so many people consider them to be bad luck and that they are least likely to be adopted. My dream is to have my own villa or townhouse full of black cats – at least ten of them.

Bohumil in the bed I bought him in Dublin

I got my first cat in 1999. He was a feisty and often naughty black tomcat who stole my heart when I first saw him at the age of two months. His name was Bohumil Hrabal Burns, after the Czech writer who used to pour his Pilsner Urquell on my fried steak at the pub because he claimed it tasted better that way. Hrabal was a master of black humor. I found the grotesque anecdotes in his writings to be hilarious.

Bohumil on his couch

The first thing Bohumil did when I took him out of the carrier at my efficiency apartment was to urinate on the Czech flag, which served as my bedspread. On the last day of his life, he also urinated on my bed. We experienced life together, all the trials and tribulations as well as good times filled with joy and happiness. He died in late May of 2014, several weeks shy of his 15^th birthday.

Bohumil Hrabal Burns playing

I will never forget having to take Bohumil to the doctor to be put asleep on May 29, 2014. He wanted to die on his favorite spot of my bed, directly in front of my pillow. I looked into his blue eyes and said, “Okay, it’s time to go now.” For the first time he did not put up any resistance when I picked him up to go to the doctor’s – the tumor on his mouth had made him very weak. I’ll never forget kissing him on the head as he lay dead on the doctor’s steel table, as I sobbed.

Šarlota Garrigue Masaryková Burnsová

I wanted another black cat as soon as possible. A friend of mine recommended that I contact the Lucky Cat Shelter in Černiv, a village about an hour from Prague. The owner of the shelter, Jana Zárubová, found the perfect cat for me, and I strongly admire her for the sacrifices she makes to help her cats. She has been operating the shelter for more than 20 years. Even before that, when her now adult children were young, she was always taking care of the abandoned kittens they brought home. I have never met someone so dedicated to her work, which involves so much dedication and perseverance.

Šarlota as my writing muse

The new cat was four-year old black female Šarlota Garrigue Masaryková Burnsová. I named her after the wife of first Czechoslovak president Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk. In her younger years, children had abused her. She did not get along with the other cat in the household when she was brought to the shelter and was covered in fleas when she first came there. The last person interested in adopting her had decided not to take her because she did not like Šarlota’s eyes. In my opinion, she has the most beautiful eyes I have ever seen. When I entered the room where she was staying at the shelter, she walked right up to me, asking to be petted. Even though she had had a rough life, she did not hate people.

Šarlota after a hearty breakfast

Šarlota is the perfect cat for me. She does not wake me up if I sleep late. Rather, she sleeps alongside me. She is patient with me if I feed her dinner later than usual because I am involved so intensely in my writing. She loves to be petted, to cuddle and to read with me on the couch. She often waits patiently on the bed in the study for me to take a break from my writing or proofreading. While I eat breakfast, she jumps up on my lap, purring ecstatically. The only thing she does not like is going to the doctor. I think she had some scary experiences at the vet’s in her past life.

Šarlota on her castle tower

I visited the cat shelter again in 2017 to spend time with the cats there and with Mrs. Zárubová. In this post I am including some photos of the cats and dogs that were residing there at the time. I got my picture taken with a grey cat who jumped into my arms. Unfortunately, I couldn’t take him home because I do not think my princess would approve of not getting my full attention all the time.

Making a new friend at Lucky Cat Shelter

When I was at the shelter, I just wanted to adopt all the cats. I wish I could afford a villa, so I could have cats everywhere! For me, traveling to Lucky Cat Shelter in Černiv was an unforgettable day trip that reminded me of the importance to be compassionate, to sacrifice for others who are more needy. I love traveling, writing and reading, but I love cats – especially black ones – most of all.

Tracy A. Burns is a writer, proofreader and editor in Prague.

Cats at the Lucky Cat Shelter, August 2017

Cats at the shelter from May 2018 visit:

Bertik, my good friend during my visit

Bertík enjoying the good weather

Kittens born about a half hour before returning to the shelter from the doctor

And a few dogs from the shelter in August of 2017

Some dogs at the shelter during May of 2018

During May of 2018 there were four turtles at the shelter, too.

August 2019 Visit

During this visit I fell in love with two black kittens who reminded me of Bohumil when he was a few months old, but, unfortunately, I was not able to adopt them. The Bertík white-and-ginger cat in photos above died this year, but another cat of the same color had been given the same name. The newest Bertík gave me a kiss while I was holding him. I was immediately smitten with him as well. Here are some photos of the many cats and dogs that stole my heart during that beautiful summer day.

The newest Bertík who gave me a kiss

The two black kittens stole my heart.

Both of the black kittens helped themselves to my ham.

And those adorable dogs:

During a 2022 visit, I saw many adorable cats and dogs. One cat even posed for me. I petted a very friendly black cat.

This time I took a picture of Jana Zárubová, the owner of the cat shelter who does phenomenal work helping these cats and dogs get well and finding them new homes so they can start their lives anew. I greatly admire her dedication and determination to make a difference and to give cats a chance to experience happiness and well-being. I adopted my Olinka from her last year.