My husband and I visited our friend, Tina who shared some homegrown veggies with us. She knew I didn’t grow any veggies this year. I had to shut down Mrs. Saigon Farms because of our family’s circumstances.
As we approached the porch, I spotted a tiny bundle of fur hiding behind a five gallon white container. A darted back-and-forth pair of eyes peeked out from the container and hid again.
One look at those eyes, and my heart bursted open.
Tina suggested taking the stray kitty home because there are too many to count. Some of my neighbors put out food and water for those stray cats. And if they could get their hands on one of those feral, they paid to have those cats spayed. Working in the garden for years, I had seen cats snapped squirrels, rabbits, and cardinals’ neck. They are like wildcats in the Savannah and is best to keep in distance; or so I thought.
But this is not about you, I told myself. It’s about LIFE. I have been sharing ducks’ eggs for our regulars guests such as snakes, racoons, and possums. Not only that, I even donate blood to mosquitos too. So why not helping a cat? I have compassionate friends who are cat foster parents. They are Stephanie Claypool, Carla Damron, Hadley Legget, and Evelyn Nelson.
Also, Vic is a cat-person. He grew up with cats eating scraps instead cat-food. Hence, I thought a new family member would brighten my hubby’s mood beside Pablo, our Border Collie. I turned to him asking “Would you like to take her in?”
“You are a nurturer. You decide,” he replied. We thanked Tina, took Bella, who only wrapped in skin and bones, with us home.
At home, Pablo sniffed his new mate with excitement. My friend, Evelyn who foster failed Kittilandia dropped by with book, cat-toys and cat-food. But Bella escaped us to the oak canopy until darkness set in. Evelyn calmed us by saying, “She’ll come when she is hungry.” Setting out food and water, texting our neighbors with a photo of Bella, in case she shows up in their yard. I was hopeful because we have helpful neighbors here.
For the next days, my husband’s PTSD kicked in. Again. His modus operandi Never let a comrade down, caused him to think the worst could happen to Bella.
Relieved came on the fifth days. My next-door neighbor texted me he heard cat’s meows under underside of his truck but couldn’t locate her. Vic ran up behind me with a box with food and water for Bella. Flattened on my back I inched under the truck to scan for Bella’s presence. I couldn’t see her anywhere between spaces of the Powertrain. I meowed to get a response and, to my surprise a meow response came. I followed the sound and snapped pictures to locate her.
Over thirty minutes later of coaxing, and coated with sud, I hold tight on even skinnier now Bella.
A schedule opened, we took Bella Donna to the vet immediately. We didn’t do that with Pablo. We learned the hard way after a week taking in stray Pablo. He was on the brink of death because of the Pavo disease. Again, the illness of Pablo triggered my husband PTSD thousand-fold. Hence, Vic paid $2300,- doctor’s fee without knowing whether Pablo would make it. He made it.
Besides mites, fleas, and worms, Bella has two incisor teeth, which showed she could be 12-14 weeks old. My hubby and I turned heads, when we heard the doctor asked her assistant to confirm the testicles on Bella. Vic and I looked at each other, holding our breaths. The “Yup” voice broke our silence, and we cracked in laughter. We changed Bella Donna to Bello Donna on the way out. But it didn’t stop Vic from singing “Bella is a Man” on our drive home.
It’s been two months since Bello moved in, and he turns out to be my companion. Who would have thought. I am surprised with myself because I find him more and more cute the more he hangs out with me. My phone stores a majority of Bello images than anyone in my family. He is like my shadow, a meow shadow. Also, he hangs out in the kitchen when I cook like when Charlie was still alive. Both has sweet tooth and tries out new food. A foodie-cat. Sometimes I ask myself if Charlie is reincarnated as Bello.
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