How I became the cat lady and other fun stories...

12 years ago, in the midst of a rather odd time in my life, my best friend Casey and myself were living together.  One day we went to PetSmart and looked at their cats.  There was this one in the front in this rather larger cage.  Her name was Lacy and she was about 6 months old.  I was drawn to her immediately and knew she was my cat. I was so thrilled to have gotten the news that we were approved to get her.  She was such a fun, sweet, naughty cat and she was mine.  She wasn't spayed yet and we had a certificate to bring in for a "free" spay.  She was going to spend the night and I remember dropping her off and telling them that she liked to be called Lacy Lu and if she gets scared to call her that and to put my sweatshirt in with her and call me the second she is out of surgery.  I cried on my way out. She was fine.  Shortly after that, Casey went to PetSmart with another roommate and they applied to get Sammy.  He was apparently Lacy's litter mate.  I didn't want him.  He was Casey's cat.  A few years had passed and we decided not to live together anymore.  I refused to split Sam and Lacy up, so I got custody of them.   Fast forward a bit to December 26, 2008.  I woke up to Sammy meowing for his food, like usual, and sleepily walked over and fed them both.  I was going to go lay back down when I noticed Lacy sitting on my sweatshirt and she was breathing funny. I scooped her up and put her on the couch.  My heart was racing.  I put a blanket in the carrier and put her and my sweatshirt in it.  I got in my car and sped to the ER vet clinic.  She was taken back and I was left to sit and wait.  and wait. I called Casey and he met me there right away.  My friend Nate worked at the vet clinic and he came in too.  The doctor came out and told me she was on oxygen and given a little bit of pain medicine.  They could do blood work to find out what they already knew (that her heart was failing) or I could put her to sleep.  We walked into this room where she was and I told her she was the best girl in the world and I was so lucky that she was mine.  I pet her head and talked to her and then there was this beam of sunlight that came into the room and I knew she was gone.  It's been 4 years since my sweet Lacy went to the 'rainbow bridge'.  I think about her often and miss her so much.  The next few weeks were really hard, not only for me, but for Sammy.  He became fast friends with my shoe.  This went on well into January and I knew it was time to get him a friend.  He was sad and lonely and his friend was a shoe.  I checked a few different rescues in the area.  I was hoping to find a little lacy.  I went to this one rescue and it was so weird. I was put in the 'cat room' with a lot of cats and none of them was what I wanted, so I left.  I felt bad for them more than anything.  I found another rescue.  They were much nicer and listened to my story and that's how I was introduced to Baby Annabelle.  She was tiny kitten with a big attitude.  She was cute and I kinda liked her so I applied to get her and did.  Baby Annabelle would come home with me later. Sammy and the new kitten, later named Bella, became fast friends.  It was a good feeling to know that in the midst of the sadness, there was this tiny little spitfire that reminded me that life does go on.  I love that girl and I am glad she is a part of my life.  Annabelle Louise aka Bella Lou.   She loves to snuggle.  She adores treats and the laser light.  She loves her brothers and I can't imagine my life without my baby Bella.