After 21 trips around the sun and 7719 sunrises, Bella peacefully passed on March 9, 2024 and reunited with her brother Gianluca at that great tuna factory in heaven. She was brave and loving during her final days with us, spending time resting in our laps and purring softly.
Bella joined our family in 2003 as part of a two-for-one deal. We had planned to take Gianluca, but Bella was already bonded to her brother. The two of them had the exact same color and classic tabby markings, instead of the Ocicat spots, which meant they were half price! All it took was the breeder putting tiny little Bella in Laudan’s lap. Bella melted Laudan’s heart immediately, and the deal was sealed. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a cuter kitten.
Bella and Gianluca were sweet, beautiful, and graceful. They were two of the most gentle and affectionate cats I had ever been around. They taught our two-legged twins the responsibility of taking care of others and the magic of unconditional love from animals. This is how Ocicats are built, we learned, and we have added others to our family because of them.
Bella’s superpower was her special way of charming everyone she met. She had a fan club with many ardent and vocal supporters. She had an Instagram channel where she chronicled her adventures. Her sister Soraya always said, “you cannot resist her!” Truer words were never spoken. With a simple pose and a patient gaze, she could get Daddy to do exactly what she wanted, almost without fail. When Luciano and Leo joined our family in 2021, Bella quickly recruited them to her small army of servants.
After Gianluca passed in 2019, Bella became a centering force of love in our home, particularly during the pandemic’s months of isolation. The thousands of pictures we took during that time included a lot with Bella, not because we took cat pictures out of boredom, but because Bella was often at the middle of our happiest moments in those challenging times.
For more than two decades, Bella was a caregiver, a care recipient, a teacher of patience and love, a kind boss, a love multiplier and a smile creator. She was an exceptional mouser, and she loved spending time at her vacation home in Aptos, California where she could venture outdoors in the beauty of Santa Cruz County.
Her absence leaves a rather big hole in our lives, but our memories of her will warm our hearts eternally.
-Tony, Laudan, Rowley, Soraya, Luciano and Leonardo