So, today at the zoo, I’m going to be getting a little bit more personal. And I’m going to be talking about two of my favorite things in the world: my cats Belle and Simon. Belle and Simon have helped me through alot over the past year and have helped make this place we call home a safe haven for all of us.
First I’ll let everyone meet Belle:
Belle is 15 years old. I adopted her from my local SPCA in February 2019 when she was 13 years old. She had been an owner drop off and is declawed in the front. At the time I adopted Belle, I had another cat named Goldie and my original intent was that Belle was going to be a companion for Goldie while I was pulling long hours at work. Little did I know at the time that Belle would wind up being a companion for me.
Unfortunately, about a month after I got Belle, Goldie was diagnosed with feline lymphoma and passed away in April 2019. Losing her was hard for me as she had been a part of my life for about 10 years at that point. However, having Belle around to comfort me was a nice relief, and it wasn’t long before I wasn’t sure if I had adopted her or if she had fully adopted me.
Belle is a personality cat. There are times when I call her the “honey badger” because as the saying goes “the honey badger gives no shit” and neither does Belle. She can be super affectionate if she wants to but, she will also lick your face and then bite your cheek in the same second. She’s not very active due to her age but, she loves cat nip. Oh, and don’t mess with her food schedule either. She will come wake you up if you are not there to feed her in the morning when she believes that it is time.
A few months after Goldie passed, I realized that I was now in the same boat with Belle as I been before. I was spending alot of time at work which was leaving her home alone by herself. So, I decided to go visit the SPCA again to see if any of the cats there captured my attention. And sure enough one of them did.
Everyone meet Simon. Simon is an 11 year old male. Or at least that is what the SPCA told me. At the time I adopted him he was 10 years old but had been brought the SPCA after being found on the streets almost emaciated and near death. Due to the trauma that he has been through and the fact that almost all of his teeth were missing, it was hard to determine an actual age on him. So, like I said, they think that he was about 10 years old at the time but, to me he has the energy of a 6 or 7 year old.
Simon is a relatively healthy bundle of energy who will want to play with you one minute and attack your hand or feet the next. He loves playing kitty soccer with golf balls or other small toys and if you give him a cardboard box, he is set for like a week. At first he and Belle did not always get along very well but, they do play together more often now. Unfortunately, Belle is getting older and she doesn’t always have time to put up with his “kitten like” non-sense and will put him into place as the leader of the house.
When I say Belle is the leader of the house, I mean Belle is the leader of the house. And during our time together, she and Simon have helped create a safe haven for me to flock to when I’m home. They both enjoy cuddling, loud purring, and begging for food. They will indulge in the selective human food if you let them (Belle more than Simon – she loves potato chips). They have been known to run from one end of the apartment to the other for no apparent reason what so ever and then just curl up in a ball going to sleep as if nothing ever happened.
Throughout all this though I am forever grateful to have them in my home. They keep my zoo lively and offer me comfort and protection. In the end, I may have adopted them but I truly believe in my heart that they were chosen for me. And as the “crazy cat lady” once said, all you need is love and a cat (or two).
welcome to the zoo! 
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