Bella’s Long Road Home

Right from the git-go everyone pitched in to save beautiful Bella. I mean, c’mon—just look at that face. You can actually see the sweetness in this cat’s eyes and Mona Lisa smile. We all knew there was just something special about this pretty calico cat. She has an ideal personality-gets along with everyone—kids, other cats, even dogs. Bella is very quick to fill any available lap for love and snuggles.

She was surrendered to us by an owner that realized he had too many cats in July of 2015. One look at her face when she arrived and we knew, right away, something was wrong. Her jaw looked painfully sore with an obvious lesion. Fortunately, it turned out to be nothing more than the kitty equivalent of a cold sore. First problem solved.

But then, our animal care staff quickly noticed that Bella was using her litter box way more often than the average cat. We tested her for Diabetes. The results came back positive. In fact, her test values were scary high. We worked with a local veterinarian to come up with a treatment plan for her.

Some cats stabilize their glucose levels easily. Others take more work. Most cats with Diabetes do best with an insulin injection administered twice daily in 12-hour intervals. This was true for Bella as well. Once learned, it’s actually quite easy to administer insulin shots to a cat. However, Cascades Humane Society could not effectively meet Bella’s ideal insulin schedule as we were not open to give them 12 hours apart.

We didn’t want Bella to suffer a minute longer. Left untreated, Diabetes can cause lethargy, weakness, skin and coat problems, and a shortened lifespan. Her medical needs of the insulin injections, as well as the cost of insulin, made Bella a challenging placement. So we knew she needed to be in a foster home in order for her to get her shots when she needs them and while we waited for her forever family to come forward.

Then, something wonderful happened. A generous donor offered to provided the needed insulin for Bella for a year—maybe more. Now the hunt was on for just the right foster family. And, after considerable searching, we found it! We had a secure, loving environment for Bella while we continued the search for a permanent home.

But then bad luck struck again.

Bella’s foster parents lost their home and were forced to return Bella to CHS once more. Karen Glaser, a staff member, took Bella home while we looked again for a home for Bella. When Karen went on vacation, a longtime kitten foster mom for CHS took Bella in until Karen returned. Ultimately, Karen cared for Bella for just about 6 weeks.

Cats often get attached to the places in which they live as much as they do to their owners. This poor baby had been bounced around quite a lot. She always adapted well, though, and welcomed each new home and foster parent with love and affection. We were amazed at her ability to adjust and be so resilient. Maybe she knew we were trying to find her the right match while keeping her on her life saving medication.

We posted Bella on Facebook and on our website. We put the word out to everyone we knew. Karen, made flyers and put them out wherever she could. Since Bella was once again living with Karen we knew we would have to make appointments for interested adopters to meet Bella at CHS. To make matters worse, having Bella in foster and not at CHS cut down on her exposure to potential adopters. We would have to make appointments for any interested adopters to meet Bella out at CHS, and Karen would have to go home each time just to get her. We knew it would be worth all that trouble someday!

At this point Bella had been in our care for more than 9 months! Staff was still resolute on finding her a forever home!

At last, a couple spotted our pleas for help with Bella. Jeff and Catherine Burtch agreed to meet with her. Luckily, the day the Burtches wanted to meet with Bella was the same day she was due to come into Cascades Humane Society to have her insulin levels checked. Well–it was love at first sight. Clearly cat lovers, this couple already had four cats of their own and felt they could handle her medical issues. Bella snuggled down into their laps as if she had known them all her life.

Bella was home for good.

Every animal placed in a loving home brings joy to everyone here at CHS. It is incredibly satisfying when we find that perfect home for our animals. It’s why we do what we do every day–and the rewards are great to everyone here at CH. To all of our supporters, donors and adopters—we thank you from the bottom of our hearts.