Tribute to Bella

A few summers ago, my husband found this little stray kitten in our neighborhood.  Normally not being fond of cats, I was surprised when he asked if we should take her in.  Of course once my boys laid eyes on her the decision was made... Bella became ours.

She was covered in fleas, yet too young for flea meds.  The first few weeks were very interesting trying to keep a kitten isolated to the kitchen (she was a great climber) and brushing fleas out of her fur multiple times a day.  But we managed and Bella was soon given freedom to explore her new home.

As she grew, it became clear that Bella was not a lap cat.  She liked to be in the room, but usually stayed at a distance.  The main exception was with our oldest son, Jacob.  She would sleep in his room and every morning would jump on his chest and purr when he pet her.  She also liked to lick our legs when we got out of the shower (weird, I know).

Bella's favorite toys were the plastic rings that come off of milk jugs.  She would bat those around until they got lost under a door or under our appliances. (I'm sure there is quite the collection under our stove!) She would chase balls like a dog in the backyard, but of course could never return them.  When our boys would lay on the ground and make "snow angels" on the carpet, she would pounce on their arms and legs, making them squeal with delight (and sometimes pain!)

Christmas was Bella's favorite season.  That first year she liked to pretend she was an ornament on the tree.  The next year she just decided to see how many ornaments she could knock off!

Our time with Bella was cut short due to her swallowing a string and having complications.  She did not live long after the surgery, which was what we had been told to expect.


Yesterday I had to tell my boys that their kitty was not coming home. That to me is the worst part of losing a pet...watching my boys grieve.  I had put together a slideshow of the pictures we had with Bella, and we watched home videos and talked about the good memories we had made. 

In many ways I am glad not to have a cat anymore.  No more litter box, scratched up doorposts, or fur to clean up.  Yet she was a part of our family, and her presence will be missed.

 

(And yes, I know that the formatting is off, but Blogger has frustrated me enough for the day...I give up trying to fix it!)