Here is a photo of Bella, whom we adopted last Friday from the Local Cats Protection Adoption Center. Saturday was the 1st day since Furry died on 23/7 that I haven't cried.
Bella is very loving & is sleeping on my tummy, just as Furry used to. But I think she is a lot older than the 12 years that they estimated her as. She had most of her teeth out in July, but still has a problem as she can only eat mashed up food. So we have to take her back to the center tomorrow to see the visiting vet, I do hope she won't think we are returning her to a cage there. I think she needs more teeth out, if she tries to eat solids she cries out in pain. She is so thin & it takes her ages to climb up the stairs to bed. I wanted her to be able to go into the garden today so I bought her a cat harness, but when I went inside to answer the phone she had nearly strangled herself trying to get back inside with me, so I must only use it when I am with her.
I hope she will be able to enjoy life with us for a few years, or months. The first night she was with me I'm sure that I had a sign from Furry that it was O.K. - Bella was sleeping on my tummy, but I could hear another cat eating food from the bowl - with the same wheezy breathing that Furry had.
Furry will always be my best beloved, but I am glad that we have given a home to such a lovely old lady.

Yes, Furry sent Bella to you and is looking in on you to see how you are doing. Even had a snack while checking in on you I know Furry is very proud of you for opening your home to a cat in need. Thanks to you Bella will have a good loving home now. She looks like such a sweetie

God Bless You for taking in such a beautiful, darling "older" girl ....

Bella = Beautiful, and she is just that

Let us know how she does with her dental issues...... I know just how scary that can be as our Ms. Lucy (our diabetic sweetie) & Mr. Yoster had dental surgery early this year, and Ms. Lucy needed a lot of extractions....
But, she is doing wonderfully eating, and I always make sure she has enough of the wet food

Please give your Bella a kiss from me!

Peace & Love,

Denise

Hi Denise & Simba's Daddy,
We took Bella back to the vet - she doesn't like vets! From being this frail old lady she turned into a hell cat, fighting & clawing at them. They had to wrap her up in a towel to get a look in her mouth. The few teeth looked O.K., but the gum around one was very red & sore so they gave her an anti-inflamatory injection - if it doesn't settle then it will be back to our local vet to have the tooth out. She is back to eating dried food as well as wet now, but she has to be encouraged to eat. I have to keep puttting the bowl under her nose, she'll take a bit, then give up until I coax her to have a bit more.
She weighs 3 Kg, so I don't think that's too bad a weight, do you?
I keep worrying about her breathing, as Furry's heart got worse her breathing was more & more laboured, so I think I'm imagining that Bella is starting to puff too. But a friend said it's that as she is thin you can see her breathing more obviously than in a fatter cat.
She only had her heart X-rayed the week before she came to us, & it was fine, so I really must try not to worry!
I would love to get a slightly younger cat to keep her company, but the staff at the shelter seem to think she'd be better on her own.
Judith

Oh how lucky Bella is?! Furry is looking on with pride. How wonderful of you to adopt an older cat that really needs a home...take each day as a gift.

I still feel a little guilty that I ended up with a young cat as I too intended to adopt an older one....

How wonderful, that you've adopted an older girl!
I'm thinking of doing the same, something is calling me to adopt an old homeless cat or two, never to replace my Buddy, but something good coming from the death of my best friend.
Congratulations, she is darling.

[quote]I'm thinking of doing the same, something is calling me to adopt an old homeless cat or two, never to replace my Buddy, but something good coming from the death of my best friend.