Meet Bella. A Nibelung cat with a personality that I have never seen before in any cat in my life. A little about her origin, I was doing a late afternoon walk with my brother and mother to the end of the neighborhood to get a nice view of the ocean. The exit and entrance of the neighborhood sits on a small hill which over looks an entire bay perfectly. This area is known to have a colony of feral cats. When we got there, we immediately took in the majestic view of the ocean as the sun disappeared behind the mountains. It wasn’t long after that until I felt a brush on my legs. It surprised me, and made me step back to find that it was Bella. She made herself known to the three of us with infinite love as we all immediately knew that there was no way she’s a feral cat. We smothered her with attention and love, and went about our way back home as she watched us leave.
The next day, Bella was all we could think about. We wondered what the hell she was doing there. It was amazing how such a presence in so little time left a mark on us. It was then decided that we were going to go back and take her home. My mother and brother set out to find her. When they got there, she was found spread out under a tree. They thought the worse until they approached her, and her head popped up in surprise, her personality shined once more, and this began the amazing life of Bella the beach cat.
Bella started to live with us along with her new siblings, and the household immediately changed. Her personality was a akin to a dog. Lots of energy, confident, benign, loving, and absolutely full of fearless curiosity. We wondered if we could take her for walks, or even take her to the beach. So we gave it a shot. We bought a cat harness with a leash, and took her to the beach. She claimed it as not only her new favorite spot, but as her new litter box. She sat with us for hours as she chased the little crabs, and took naps in the shade. We never thought it would be possible to have a cat on a leash, let alone take her to the beach. Bella proved us wrong.
Taking Bella to the beach started to become a routine. In fact, it was a daily thing. It got the point where she no longer needed the leash. She would walk beside me with a mission to her favorite spot in the world. She would sit with me for hours, watching the waves, greet other beach goers, dig her paws in the sand. The whole block knew who she was, and she was deeply adored, but of course, no more than we did.
As we all know life changes in very unexpected ways. We spent our whole lives in this place until life decided that it needed to change. Bella had one last look at the beach, and we moved off to a new state. Unfortunately before we said our goodbyes Bella was diagnosed with cancer. It was a rough trip for her, but despite the pain, she was still herself. Her curiosity still gave her drive, and she still begged for her favorite temptation cat snacks.
Bella died two years ago on the month of October. It struck us deep, and never was ever the same since. I’ve experienced many deaths in my life, each teaching lessons that no classroom could ever explain. Life is a truly beautiful experience as long as you choose to spend your energy where it really matters. Take hold of every second, live in the moments, and forget the things you can’t control. Bella knew that, even as a cat, she carried herself like she knew exactly how to live. We should all do the same.
