Pupsia and Lucy Lana Nizhehorodova   © Copyright 2023 by Lana Nizhehorodova

Photo by the author.

Photo by the author.

“Like a cat and a dog” — this saying is used in my language about two people who do not really get along. I guess that’s because cats and dogs usually don't like each other. Well, that is definitely not the case with our Pupsia and Lucy, about whom this story is written.

We took both of them from the street, at different times, but with one intention: to get a bit of warmth in our lives and share ours with someone in need. Pupsia is a semi-purebred chihuahua, but when she was three months old, she was still looking for a family in a dog shelter. Lucy was a stray cat when we — me and my sister — found her near the market we used to go to.   

Pupsia was the first one adopted by us. It was five years ago, on a sunny summer day. I remember how we drove to the nearby dog shelter, and my sister Liuba picked the puppy she felt was meant to be ours. Pupsia was a birthday present for my sister — a dog she had always wanted. It was also she who gave Pupsia her funny yet cute name — a name that literally means “baby doll”. No matter what, it suits Pupsia.
 
As soon as Pupsia appeared in our lives, she immediately became the main member of our family and a regular companion on our trips and family outings. We would take her with us almost anywhere; she did not mind. The only two places Pupsia did not like going were the veterinary clinic not far from our home, where we used to go to vaccinate her, and the sea. Especially the sea. As soon as she heard the sound of the waves or understood that the beach was near, she tucked in her tail and started running in the opposite direction. Well, I guess we all have our small weaknesses, don’t we?
 
After Pupsia came into our family life, it changed. There was more joy and fun, more love and care in our home. We were also happy that our deed inspired a couple of our friends to adopt a dog from a shelter as well. So tiny — just one kilogram at that time — Pupsia changed our world so much, and it was totally fine with us.
 
Seeing how fun it was to have a pet, I realized that my wish to have a cat needed to be fulfilled. We did not want to buy a kitten, knowing there were hundreds of homeless cats in our city. So, before long, Lucy got adopted, and Pupsia had to start sharing the earlier indivisible attention.
 
Their first meeting was on an autumn day when we brought Lucy home, and she, still dirty and scared, came up to her soon-to-be best friend. At that time, she did not know yet that Pupsia was going to bark at her only on the first day and that the apartment she was brought to was about to become her home. Pupsia, in turn, did not understand who this strange creature was, as she had never seen cats in her life before, and she was apparently very surprised her home was suddenly invaded by one.
 
The acquaintance went pretty stiffly, and they occupied different corners of the room, still wary of each other. Looking at each other carefully, Pupsia and Lucy were, I suppose, just trying to comprehend who the other one was and why she was there. Little did we know that when we would come back home a couple hours later, we would find them licking each other’s fur while lying on the sofa.
 
And from that day on, it was always like that. Pupsia and Lucy never seemed to be bored when in each other’s company, always happy to have a friend. When Pupsia was coming back from her walk, the first thing she did was run up to Lucy, and when Lucy was cleaning her fur, she would always clean Pupsia too.
 
We, the family, were happy too. We found it very fun that they got along, and we were amazed at how fast, being a cat and a dog, Pupsia and Lucy proved all the popular sayings about cats and dogs to be wrong.
 
Moreover, for us, these two small babies very soon became an inalienable part of our every day. We did not realize how Pupsia and Lucy, these tiny lumps of fur, occupied a huge space in our hearts and became something we couldn’t imagine our life without.
 
Later, when I had depression, my Mom would take Pupsia and Lucy and bring them to my room to cheer me up. She would hold them in her arms, and they would look like two toys, and it would always put a smile on my face.
 
When I was studying in Europe and my Mom lived alone, she said that Pupsia and Lucy were always someone to lift her mood, despite the troubles and problems of everyday life. She had someone to go home to when both of her children were away.
 
Now that my sister lives in Europe, I share pictures of Pupsia and Lucy with her almost every day, and as I opened our common picture gallery once, I realized that I could as well call it "Pupsia and Lucy friendship".
 
For the last five years, whenever we came back home, Pupsia and Lucy have been there, filling our home with warmth and coziness. And now, if Pupsia is on a walk with my Mom and Lucy is hiding somewhere in the apartment, our home seems to be empty, and I always get the urge to say, “Pupsia, Lucy, where are you? Come here, babies!”
 
During the past few years, these two cute little creatures have done a lot for us. They united and brought together our family, and they became our family themselves. They gave us love when we needed it, and I would like to believe that we, in return, have changed their lives too, and now they are happy they have not only us but each other.