Bella

My beloved Bella was gone by 2014, just after St. Patrick’s Day. I only had her for a few short years before she left. I think about her almost every day. She was the sweetest cat I’ve ever known. We had our own little rhythm. She would wake at 3am and ask to go outside to explore the brush behind my house, quietly stalking leaves and little critters. I kept a motion alarm by the door so I would know when she was ready to come back in.

We would take slow walks around the neighborhood together. She stayed close, always glancing back to make sure I was near. Every morning I would sit down to check my emails, and she would curl up on the floor, looking up at me, patiently waiting for her belly rub. Most cats dislike that, but Bella trusted me. She allowed it for a minute or two, then gave a tiny playful nip to say “that’s enough,” before climbing her cat tree to watch the world from the window.

After she was gone, the only thing left was her fur still clinging to the cat tree, and her toys. She had a small stuffed bear she loved to cuddle and a rubber snake she chased with such determination. Once she carried a mouse inside and it darted everywhere while she proudly watched. I learned to check before letting her in because she liked to bring her trophies home. There were more than a few discoveries by the front door.

One afternoon she perched on the air conditioning unit to watch the cars pass, like she always did. I stepped out and came back to find she had rolled into something unpleasant left by a dog. Bath time followed. She cried dramatically as I washed her, though once she felt the warm water, she calmed down. She never liked getting in, but she tolerated it for me.

I often think of our walks and those quiet morning belly rubs. At night she would snuggle beside me, and just as I drifted toward sleep, she would hop onto the dresser to settle there instead. Perhaps she knew I might roll over. She always sensed the moment to move. Some nights, she stayed close until morning.

I bought her a soft floor bed she never used. She preferred her tall cat tree, leaping gracefully to the very top. She was a big girl, surprisingly strong and agile. I still wonder how she jumped so high. One neighbor was intimidated by her size. Another nearly adopted her by mistake, thinking she was a stray because she explored outside from 3am to 10am each day. I had to gently explain that Bella already had a home.