Bella

One of the big wrenches about our Life Part 2 is that we won't be able to take Bella with us on our nomadic travels.

Bella came into our life in 2014 by accident of course. One of Indy's friend's cats had had a litter and he was taking one (Chessie) and there was one left, the youngest and smallest called Misery. Between him and our other son Alistair/Dee Dee, they somehow managed to wangle it so that Misery moved in. We were at Marine Villa at the time and about to go away for a decent amount of time so that Misery would be left solely with Dee Dee.

One of the first things Dee Dee did was rename her Bella to reflect the Italian greeting where a man meets a beautiful lady … "Ciao Bella". Bella was a beautiful little bundle that spent the bulk of her time under the bed in the spare room to start with gradually moving out into the wider house over time. Viv and I never saw much of this being away but by the time we had returned Bella was grown and two of our leather chairs would never be the same. Somehow the scratching posts that we bought were of far less interest to her than the chair and sofa!

For some reason Bella doesn't care to chow down on her food, preferring to graze. This worked when she was alone with us for we'd set her food out and whenever she felt like it, in she'd come and have a nibble or two. As I spotted last week, her sister Chessie isn't like this at all. When she sees food, she goes at it until it is all gone. And I do mean all. That includes Bella's so if Bella doesn't immediately tie on the nose bag, she's lost her chance and has to rely on Chessie's relative disinterest in dry food for sustenance.

Bella has tucked in first...

… but has walked off...

… leaving the field clear for Chessie to clean up...

… first Bella's food and then her own...

… to the victor, the spoils!

In the past, Bella and Chessie would squabble but familiarity has dampened that down to the point where they aren't exactly buddies hanging out together all the time, they sort of ignore one another so that one does one thing whilst the other does something else. The only real consistent time they come together is food time.

Bella follows Viv around to the point where its almost stalking. Viv had never been a cat person but Bella found a way to her heart.

Fortunately Bella is joining her sister with Indy and Cat and will have a lovely home. We will see her of course and hope that somehow she remembers and doesn't blame us.