Three and a Half Months of Love TherapyIchel is no longer with us…. Sad words to say. Our Polka Dot girl went over the rainbow. We are devastated with loss, and we are grateful for every minute we had her in our lives. Where to begin? Sasha is a big dreamer. And his big dream was to have a cheetah, a beautiful cat, that potentially could become a playmate for our lovely Messi. We didn’t plan anything in advance, all pieces came together one day in late December, and Ichel simply appeared in our house. The stars aligned.Scared little girl, not knowing what to expect. And a long but short road to healing has begun. We wanted her to be happy, simply be. We surrounded her with love and attention, we were patient, we didn’t insist on anything. We were waiting for her to come to us. You all were our witnesses. Those three months and a half were filled with love, growing trust, and unconditional dedication. The Ichel’s heart started to melt, she was letting us love her. On her conditions, of course. She was a wild animal, after all. Day after day we were becoming closer and closer. How happy we were after first touch, after first feeding time together. Her short stay with us was a miracle. Our wonderful Polka Dot girl, our Ichy, first time in her life learned what the real love was all about. She taught us a lot, and the hardest lesson, though expected, came suddenly.Love is a powerful remedy. And it goes both ways. We will never be the same, her memory will always remain with us. Thank you for being a part of this love story.Yours—Sasha, Masha, Messi, and Kira.