“I have been an animal lover since I was a child. When I moved out on my own, I adopted my first rescue at a shelter in Dickinson, ND. Since then, I have rescued three cats. Each one has been immensely spoiled with love. Some have even gone on hikes with me in the Black Hills of SD.

“Just over a year ago, my baby girl, Princess Cici crossed the Rainbow Bridge due to lymphoma and a broken hip. I started volunteering at Furry Friends to spoil others and get some kitty therapy. Six months later, I started wanting to adopt another cat. I was looking for a hugger and one who didn’t mind being brushed or loved on. Then Bella (formerly Walnut), arrived at the Halfway House. My sister had played with her when she volunteered one evening and said I needed to meet her. I was volunteering the next day, met Bella and fell in love. A few weeks later, I adopted her.

“Bella brought spunk and new joy to my life that had been missing since the loss of Princess Cici. She followed me around everywhere for a few days and then found her favorite spots to hang out and sleep in the sun. She loves being around others and hugging them, snuggling under the blankets, and playing catch with my toes. She loves being held and giving kisses. She loves having lunch with my sister who visits her each day. She loves lying in the hammock of her cat pole, looking at people in the pool and talking to those walking by the window.

“She loves helping me water the plants on my balcony. She loves playing with string and her stuffed, crinkly carrot. She loves walking me to the bathroom and usually jumps into her litter box at the same time. She loves sitting by the kitchen counter and waiting for me when she hears my keys in the door lock. She loves supervising my work when I am at the computer. She even enjoys getting dressed up for photos. She loves sleeping under the Christmas tree. She loves when grandma, Pat, visits from northern Washington. They sit on the couch and she gets all of grandma’s attention for hours. She loves sleeping in boxes. She will take her toys and drag them into a box and go to sleep with them.

“Bella doesn’t just walk up to a spot and lie down. She does a forward somersault, rolls onto her back, and is spread eagled waiting for a belly rub. When she lies next to me, she reaches out a paw and rolls her paw around a finger, literally holding onto it. I can raise my hand and she will still hold onto it. She falls asleep holding my hand. She is a lover! She gets sudden bursts of energy and runs down the cat tree, through each room of my apartment and then back up the cat tree. She goes from zero to 30 in just a second.

“She’s truly the Bella of the ball (she loves playing with noisy balls) and I love watching her play while I smile, smile, smile. I’m delighted that this “purr bear” claimed me and not only gives me snuggles during the day but hugs me good night every night.”

____________________

Furry Friends Fur-Ever Stories are compiled and written by Nomi Berger who is the bestselling author of seven novels, one work of non-fiction, two volumes of poetry, and hundreds of articles. She is a volunteer writer for Furry Friends in Vancouver, WA and also volunteers her writing skills to animal rescue groups in Canada and the USA.