 Bella passed away on Oct. 28th, 2005. She would have been 14 years old in July of 2006. She was a wonderful companion and I miss her very much. -Dave
Bella is a brown, striped Manx cat who lives near downtown Chicago, Illinois with Dave, her human companion (and graphic artist). Dave found Bella at the West Suburban Humane Society in Downers Grove in 1993. Bella, at the time named Bobbi, was alone in a cage, albeit a very nice cage, in a room filled with other cages and other hopeful cats. She'd been there off-an-on (staying with a foster parent for awhile) about six months. Bella was, and still is, very shy, and often skittish around strangers. She has a quiet, passive and timid disposition, claws front and back, a roundish face and, of course, no tail, the main characteristic of the Manx breed of cat. Bella enjoys sleeping - above all else - with perhaps the exception of a late night dinner of Fancy Feast Chopped Grill cat food. However, her main menu consists of Science Diet Sensitive Skin, Nature's Choice or Iams, and Purina Cat Chow. Another favorite time of the day is "soccer practice". Her soccer "ball" is a small, fluffy ball toy that is rolled into the "soccer net" (a cardboard box with two openings cut-in). Bella will do her best to block the shot. If she misses, she will fish-out the ball, sometimes tossing it right back to her "opponent" (Dave). Bella's competitive nature was evident during the 2000 election campaign, when she made an unprecedented "run" for the Presidency of the United States. Douglas, Bella's longtime friend and fellow Chicago cat, was her vice-presidential running mate. Despite strong support from the Manx community, the feline duo's bid was unsuccessful. They declined many offers to be on the Manx Party ticket in 2004. In early 2005, Bella's high blood pressure caused a rupturing and temporary blackening in one of Bella's eyes. With some help from the vet, Bella recovered fully. Bella's Scratching Post Web site debuted several years ago. It showcases such features as Bella-Log, Help a Manx, FeLines Literary Box, and This Day in History, along with special events like Bella's Survivor: Isle of Man and The Amanxing Race. Bella celebrated her 13th birthday in July, 2005. |
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