AdoraBelle was a beautiful Bengal with stunning emerald green eyes, one of which had a copper spot. She was affectionate, funny, smart, curious and, in her youth, mischievous. And like all Bengals, she was talkative, often loud, and her coat glittered in the sunlight.
Belle blessed my life for over 22 years. I brought her home when she was 12 weeks old. She lived to be 22 years, 6 months and 7 days. We had an undeniable bond made of love. Here is the story of how I became the proud mom of an awesome cat.
I was thinking of getting a cat. One Saturday in 1998, I went to a cat show- just for fun. I was not going there to look for a pure bred of any breed. It was just a fun thing to do on a Saturday. I honestly thought I would get a shelter cat at some point in time. As I walked around at the show, I became intrigued by the Bengals, a breed I was unfamiliar with. Unlike most breeds one will see at cat shows, they were talkative and curious about the passers-by. Real attention seekers! One young man who was a breeder, offered to let me hold a kitten. Breeders do not normally let cat show visitors touch their cats. Needless to say, I loved holding the little Bengal fur ball and I listened attentively as the young man spoke about the breed. I took his business card and picked up the cards or info sheets of other Bengal breeders as I wandered through the aisles of beautiful pure bred cats and beautiful "house cats". A married couple who lives in a nearby town had a brochure about their cattery and I picked up one. I watched the judging of pure bred kittens, which included a kitten owned by the young man I had spoken to. His kitten was the only one who "talked" to the judge and watched his every move. It received a top three award (I think it was 2nd place). It was the only winning kitten who stuck its paw out to play with the award ribbon that the judge placed on the cage. Like I said, curious, smart, attention seekers!
Over the course of the next several weeks, I contemplated getting a cat and whether I should consider a Bengal. I decided to research the breed, on-line and via books I bought at pet stores. I also thoroughly researched each breeder whose information I had picked up at the show. I came to the conclusion that a Bengal would be a wonderful pet and getting one from the local breeder was the best option for many reasons. I contacted them and made a visit to their home/cattery. I made a second visit to sign paperwork.
My decision regarding which breeder would be the best option was the correct decision. Not only did I have a beautiful, smart, funny, curious and sweet cat, but AdoraBelle was also a cat of excellent breeding. Her breeders retired in 2020, after a 28 year career of breeding and showing Bengals. During those 28 years, they had over 50 Supreme Grand Champions! They are the only TICA (The international Cat Association) cattery in the world to have 9 consecutive generations of SGC's - of any breed! AdoraBelle's sire was one those Supreme Grand Champions.
In late April 1999, I got the call that kittens from several litters were available. A few days later I went to choose a kitten. The first room I was in had several litters. Per instructions, I sat on the floor and waited for kittens to come to me. No luck. They were too busy playing with each other and the many toys in the room. I was later taken to another room where there was a litter of three (two boys and a girl), plus their mother. They had gotten their first shots that day, so they needed to be away from the other cats. I again sat on the floor –yoga style. The boys tussled with one another while the girl stuck close to her mom. She eventually made her way to me, jumped onto my right leg and began chewing on my finger. After a short time, she went back to her feline mom. But not for long. She soon returned to my leg and to chewing on my finger. I said to her, "You're my AdoraBelle, aren't you?" Peggy came in and asked, "What do you think?" With the kitten still on my leg, I replied, "This little girl." Peggy responded, "She is the one I had in mind for you when I called. I knew you would be perfect for each other." On June 14, 1999, I brought AdoraBelle home and it was just the two of us from that night on.
Some of you will recognize the name I chose for her. I "borrowed" it from a doll that singer Marie Osmond designed for her collection of dolls sold on a shopping network. Over the years, she did a number of versions. In Nov. 1999, Ms Osmond put out the first vinyl version and I purchased it. That doll has always sat on the rocker my sister (Constance Louise Nittterhouse Jagow) and I sat on as little girls. One day, I placed the doll on the guest room daybed and placed my furry child next to the doll in order to take pictures of the two AdoraBelles. The furry one stuck out her tongue when I took one of the photos! Classic AdoraBelle!
My mother was not a fan of pets. She tolerated them for my sister and me. She thought I was crazy for getting a cat and for spending money on a pure bred. But, AdoraBelle won her over. As a teacher, I had the luxury of spending all of Christmas vacations in Chambersburg with my parents. I always took AdoraBelle with me. One afternoon, after watching "her soap", mom went to the kitchen to start dinner and I made a quick trip upstairs. When I later entered the kitchen, I saw mom peeling potatoes at the sink and Belle sitting on the counter watching attentively. That shocked me since a cat I owned many years before, while still living at home, was not allowed on anything but the floor!!!! So, I told AdoraBelle to get down (as if she would!). My mother looked at my kitten and calmly said, "It's okay, AdoraBelle. Nana said you could be there". She was clearly now smitten by my kitten! By the way, AdoraBelle had never jumped onto my kitchen counters until the day my mom said it was okay to be on hers! Thanks, mom.
If my parents and I had not seen each other on a Saturday, Mom would call me on Sunday at 10 am. Upon answering and saying "Hello", I would always get the response, "Hi. How is AdoraBelle? Your dad and I miss her. We love her so much. Oh, we love and miss you, too." Thanks again, mom! I did not get to visit my mom in the hospital the Friday night she passed away. She had been improving, there were talks of her being released in time for Christmas and I was going to go to Chambersburg the next morning to visit her. I had sent a Christmas card to her hospital room. It had a cat on the front that resembled Belle. For fun, I signed it "Love, AdoraBelle". Mom received it the day of her passing and according to my dad, happily showed it to all visitors, nurses, doctors and staff who entered her room, saying to them, "Look at the card from my grand-kitty". At the funeral, before the casket was closed, I placed the card in it, along with one from me which mom never got to see.
My sweet furry child was beloved by all. Even those who don't like cats would say they liked or loved her. I had a neighbor who was not fond of cats, but he truly loved AdoraBelle. He was one of several men who called her "little buddy". My dad and the UPS man were the others. One evening, upon arriving home right after getting the news he had a few weeks to live, my neighbor told his long- time lady that he wanted to stop at my house to see AdoraBelle and me one last time.
One of Belle's former vets, a native speaker of Spanish, would tell her in Spanish that she was his favorite patient. She always growled when she heard his voice, regardless of where he was in the office and regardless of which language he was speaking! Many a lady would melt if a gentleman whispered sweet things to her in Spanish, but not AdoraBelle! He sometimes called her "La Quejosa", Spanish for "The Complainer", becuase she would growl at him or meow loudly. He and my dad, often called her "DoorBelle" since she was so vocal and would announce when someone arrived. Belle would always meow at neighbors as they stood outside talking or simply walked by. She stopped meowing only if someone said, "Hi, Belle" or "Hi kitty". She obviously believed, and rightly so, that if you greet someone, they should also greet you!
And now one last story, to share how smart my beloved AdoraBelle was. She loved the UPS man who delivered in the townhouse development for the first few years of Belle's long life. She would hear his truck and run to the door or window. If he did not stop, she would look at me and meow disappointingly! In the summer, if he saw her at the door, but had no package for me, he would stop in the street and yell, "Hi, little buddy". If he had a package for me, I would pick her up (though an indoor cat, she was prone to run out the door if she had the chance) and he would pet her and make a fuss over her while I signed for the package. He seemed to love her as much as she loved him. One December evening while I was upstairs, I heard the doorbell ring and I heard Belle meowing. I headed downstairs. When I reached the part of the stairs where I could see her and the door, I observed this: AdoraBelle was hanging on the door knob with her left paw and had her back paws pressed on the door, just below the knob. With her right paw she was stroking the knob because she knew that her mama uses her right "paw" to open a door! Belle was determined to open the door for whomever was on the other side. A glance through the peep hole revealed to me that it was her beloved UPS man. He was delighted when I told him of her efforts and he stated, "My wife will never believe THIS!"
The night of her passing, as I drove her to the local emergency veterinary hospital, there was a huge, bright full moon and one of the songs that was played on the radio was a song from my college days, "Everlasting Love." Some of the song's lyrics do not fit our love story, but many of them do. At the hospital, while the doctor examined her in one room, I waited in another. Belle was eventually brought to me, to hold for the final 30 minutes of her life. I was looking at my furry child's sweet, beautiful little face as the vet administered the sedative. I don't know if she gave Belle the euthanasia dose, but out of the corner of my eye, I saw the doctor listening for AdoraBelle's heartbeat. I continued to look at Belle's face and when the vet said, "She is gone", I replied, "I know".
I will forever hold these and many more memories of AdoraBelle in my heart. I know she is waiting with my parents (Kenneth Lewis Nitterhouse and Janet Louise Sites Nitterhouse) for me and they will greet me when it is my turn to enter Heaven. The end of her life was filled with medical issues, but my little "golden girl " (I refused to call her old or geriatric) remained affectionate to the end and was a constant blessing, beginning that April 1999 evening at the breeders' home when she chose me.
REST IN PEACE, MY SWEET ADROABELLE!
----
To findagrave.com contributors: Please feel free to leave a flower on this memorial. I ask that if you believe in getting a pet only from a shelter or taking in a stray, please keep those thoughts to yourself to respectfully honor my informed decision, the bond between AdoraBelle & me and the joy she brought to me, my parents & others who encountered her.
Belle blessed my life for over 22 years. I brought her home when she was 12 weeks old. She lived to be 22 years, 6 months and 7 days. We had an undeniable bond made of love. Here is the story of how I became the proud mom of an awesome cat.
I was thinking of getting a cat. One Saturday in 1998, I went to a cat show- just for fun. I was not going there to look for a pure bred of any breed. It was just a fun thing to do on a Saturday. I honestly thought I would get a shelter cat at some point in time. As I walked around at the show, I became intrigued by the Bengals, a breed I was unfamiliar with. Unlike most breeds one will see at cat shows, they were talkative and curious about the passers-by. Real attention seekers! One young man who was a breeder, offered to let me hold a kitten. Breeders do not normally let cat show visitors touch their cats. Needless to say, I loved holding the little Bengal fur ball and I listened attentively as the young man spoke about the breed. I took his business card and picked up the cards or info sheets of other Bengal breeders as I wandered through the aisles of beautiful pure bred cats and beautiful "house cats". A married couple who lives in a nearby town had a brochure about their cattery and I picked up one. I watched the judging of pure bred kittens, which included a kitten owned by the young man I had spoken to. His kitten was the only one who "talked" to the judge and watched his every move. It received a top three award (I think it was 2nd place). It was the only winning kitten who stuck its paw out to play with the award ribbon that the judge placed on the cage. Like I said, curious, smart, attention seekers!
Over the course of the next several weeks, I contemplated getting a cat and whether I should consider a Bengal. I decided to research the breed, on-line and via books I bought at pet stores. I also thoroughly researched each breeder whose information I had picked up at the show. I came to the conclusion that a Bengal would be a wonderful pet and getting one from the local breeder was the best option for many reasons. I contacted them and made a visit to their home/cattery. I made a second visit to sign paperwork.
My decision regarding which breeder would be the best option was the correct decision. Not only did I have a beautiful, smart, funny, curious and sweet cat, but AdoraBelle was also a cat of excellent breeding. Her breeders retired in 2020, after a 28 year career of breeding and showing Bengals. During those 28 years, they had over 50 Supreme Grand Champions! They are the only TICA (The international Cat Association) cattery in the world to have 9 consecutive generations of SGC's - of any breed! AdoraBelle's sire was one those Supreme Grand Champions.
In late April 1999, I got the call that kittens from several litters were available. A few days later I went to choose a kitten. The first room I was in had several litters. Per instructions, I sat on the floor and waited for kittens to come to me. No luck. They were too busy playing with each other and the many toys in the room. I was later taken to another room where there was a litter of three (two boys and a girl), plus their mother. They had gotten their first shots that day, so they needed to be away from the other cats. I again sat on the floor –yoga style. The boys tussled with one another while the girl stuck close to her mom. She eventually made her way to me, jumped onto my right leg and began chewing on my finger. After a short time, she went back to her feline mom. But not for long. She soon returned to my leg and to chewing on my finger. I said to her, "You're my AdoraBelle, aren't you?" Peggy came in and asked, "What do you think?" With the kitten still on my leg, I replied, "This little girl." Peggy responded, "She is the one I had in mind for you when I called. I knew you would be perfect for each other." On June 14, 1999, I brought AdoraBelle home and it was just the two of us from that night on.
Some of you will recognize the name I chose for her. I "borrowed" it from a doll that singer Marie Osmond designed for her collection of dolls sold on a shopping network. Over the years, she did a number of versions. In Nov. 1999, Ms Osmond put out the first vinyl version and I purchased it. That doll has always sat on the rocker my sister (Constance Louise Nittterhouse Jagow) and I sat on as little girls. One day, I placed the doll on the guest room daybed and placed my furry child next to the doll in order to take pictures of the two AdoraBelles. The furry one stuck out her tongue when I took one of the photos! Classic AdoraBelle!
My mother was not a fan of pets. She tolerated them for my sister and me. She thought I was crazy for getting a cat and for spending money on a pure bred. But, AdoraBelle won her over. As a teacher, I had the luxury of spending all of Christmas vacations in Chambersburg with my parents. I always took AdoraBelle with me. One afternoon, after watching "her soap", mom went to the kitchen to start dinner and I made a quick trip upstairs. When I later entered the kitchen, I saw mom peeling potatoes at the sink and Belle sitting on the counter watching attentively. That shocked me since a cat I owned many years before, while still living at home, was not allowed on anything but the floor!!!! So, I told AdoraBelle to get down (as if she would!). My mother looked at my kitten and calmly said, "It's okay, AdoraBelle. Nana said you could be there". She was clearly now smitten by my kitten! By the way, AdoraBelle had never jumped onto my kitchen counters until the day my mom said it was okay to be on hers! Thanks, mom.
If my parents and I had not seen each other on a Saturday, Mom would call me on Sunday at 10 am. Upon answering and saying "Hello", I would always get the response, "Hi. How is AdoraBelle? Your dad and I miss her. We love her so much. Oh, we love and miss you, too." Thanks again, mom! I did not get to visit my mom in the hospital the Friday night she passed away. She had been improving, there were talks of her being released in time for Christmas and I was going to go to Chambersburg the next morning to visit her. I had sent a Christmas card to her hospital room. It had a cat on the front that resembled Belle. For fun, I signed it "Love, AdoraBelle". Mom received it the day of her passing and according to my dad, happily showed it to all visitors, nurses, doctors and staff who entered her room, saying to them, "Look at the card from my grand-kitty". At the funeral, before the casket was closed, I placed the card in it, along with one from me which mom never got to see.
My sweet furry child was beloved by all. Even those who don't like cats would say they liked or loved her. I had a neighbor who was not fond of cats, but he truly loved AdoraBelle. He was one of several men who called her "little buddy". My dad and the UPS man were the others. One evening, upon arriving home right after getting the news he had a few weeks to live, my neighbor told his long- time lady that he wanted to stop at my house to see AdoraBelle and me one last time.
One of Belle's former vets, a native speaker of Spanish, would tell her in Spanish that she was his favorite patient. She always growled when she heard his voice, regardless of where he was in the office and regardless of which language he was speaking! Many a lady would melt if a gentleman whispered sweet things to her in Spanish, but not AdoraBelle! He sometimes called her "La Quejosa", Spanish for "The Complainer", becuase she would growl at him or meow loudly. He and my dad, often called her "DoorBelle" since she was so vocal and would announce when someone arrived. Belle would always meow at neighbors as they stood outside talking or simply walked by. She stopped meowing only if someone said, "Hi, Belle" or "Hi kitty". She obviously believed, and rightly so, that if you greet someone, they should also greet you!
And now one last story, to share how smart my beloved AdoraBelle was. She loved the UPS man who delivered in the townhouse development for the first few years of Belle's long life. She would hear his truck and run to the door or window. If he did not stop, she would look at me and meow disappointingly! In the summer, if he saw her at the door, but had no package for me, he would stop in the street and yell, "Hi, little buddy". If he had a package for me, I would pick her up (though an indoor cat, she was prone to run out the door if she had the chance) and he would pet her and make a fuss over her while I signed for the package. He seemed to love her as much as she loved him. One December evening while I was upstairs, I heard the doorbell ring and I heard Belle meowing. I headed downstairs. When I reached the part of the stairs where I could see her and the door, I observed this: AdoraBelle was hanging on the door knob with her left paw and had her back paws pressed on the door, just below the knob. With her right paw she was stroking the knob because she knew that her mama uses her right "paw" to open a door! Belle was determined to open the door for whomever was on the other side. A glance through the peep hole revealed to me that it was her beloved UPS man. He was delighted when I told him of her efforts and he stated, "My wife will never believe THIS!"
The night of her passing, as I drove her to the local emergency veterinary hospital, there was a huge, bright full moon and one of the songs that was played on the radio was a song from my college days, "Everlasting Love." Some of the song's lyrics do not fit our love story, but many of them do. At the hospital, while the doctor examined her in one room, I waited in another. Belle was eventually brought to me, to hold for the final 30 minutes of her life. I was looking at my furry child's sweet, beautiful little face as the vet administered the sedative. I don't know if she gave Belle the euthanasia dose, but out of the corner of my eye, I saw the doctor listening for AdoraBelle's heartbeat. I continued to look at Belle's face and when the vet said, "She is gone", I replied, "I know".
I will forever hold these and many more memories of AdoraBelle in my heart. I know she is waiting with my parents (Kenneth Lewis Nitterhouse and Janet Louise Sites Nitterhouse) for me and they will greet me when it is my turn to enter Heaven. The end of her life was filled with medical issues, but my little "golden girl " (I refused to call her old or geriatric) remained affectionate to the end and was a constant blessing, beginning that April 1999 evening at the breeders' home when she chose me.
REST IN PEACE, MY SWEET ADROABELLE!
----
To findagrave.com contributors: Please feel free to leave a flower on this memorial. I ask that if you believe in getting a pet only from a shelter or taking in a stray, please keep those thoughts to yourself to respectfully honor my informed decision, the bond between AdoraBelle & me and the joy she brought to me, my parents & others who encountered her.
AdoraBelle was a beautiful Bengal with stunning emerald green eyes, one of which had a copper spot. She was affectionate, funny, smart, curious and, in her youth, mischievous. And like all Bengals, she was talkative, often loud, and her coat glittered in the sunlight.
Belle blessed my life for over 22 years. I brought her home when she was 12 weeks old. She lived to be 22 years, 6 months and 7 days. We had an undeniable bond made of love. Here is the story of how I became the proud mom of an awesome cat.
I was thinking of getting a cat. One Saturday in 1998, I went to a cat show- just for fun. I was not going there to look for a pure bred of any breed. It was just a fun thing to do on a Saturday. I honestly thought I would get a shelter cat at some point in time. As I walked around at the show, I became intrigued by the Bengals, a breed I was unfamiliar with. Unlike most breeds one will see at cat shows, they were talkative and curious about the passers-by. Real attention seekers! One young man who was a breeder, offered to let me hold a kitten. Breeders do not normally let cat show visitors touch their cats. Needless to say, I loved holding the little Bengal fur ball and I listened attentively as the young man spoke about the breed. I took his business card and picked up the cards or info sheets of other Bengal breeders as I wandered through the aisles of beautiful pure bred cats and beautiful "house cats". A married couple who lives in a nearby town had a brochure about their cattery and I picked up one. I watched the judging of pure bred kittens, which included a kitten owned by the young man I had spoken to. His kitten was the only one who "talked" to the judge and watched his every move. It received a top three award (I think it was 2nd place). It was the only winning kitten who stuck its paw out to play with the award ribbon that the judge placed on the cage. Like I said, curious, smart, attention seekers!
Over the course of the next several weeks, I contemplated getting a cat and whether I should consider a Bengal. I decided to research the breed, on-line and via books I bought at pet stores. I also thoroughly researched each breeder whose information I had picked up at the show. I came to the conclusion that a Bengal would be a wonderful pet and getting one from the local breeder was the best option for many reasons. I contacted them and made a visit to their home/cattery. I made a second visit to sign paperwork.
My decision regarding which breeder would be the best option was the correct decision. Not only did I have a beautiful, smart, funny, curious and sweet cat, but AdoraBelle was also a cat of excellent breeding. Her breeders retired in 2020, after a 28 year career of breeding and showing Bengals. During those 28 years, they had over 50 Supreme Grand Champions! They are the only TICA (The international Cat Association) cattery in the world to have 9 consecutive generations of SGC's - of any breed! AdoraBelle's sire was one those Supreme Grand Champions.
In late April 1999, I got the call that kittens from several litters were available. A few days later I went to choose a kitten. The first room I was in had several litters. Per instructions, I sat on the floor and waited for kittens to come to me. No luck. They were too busy playing with each other and the many toys in the room. I was later taken to another room where there was a litter of three (two boys and a girl), plus their mother. They had gotten their first shots that day, so they needed to be away from the other cats. I again sat on the floor –yoga style. The boys tussled with one another while the girl stuck close to her mom. She eventually made her way to me, jumped onto my right leg and began chewing on my finger. After a short time, she went back to her feline mom. But not for long. She soon returned to my leg and to chewing on my finger. I said to her, "You're my AdoraBelle, aren't you?" Peggy came in and asked, "What do you think?" With the kitten still on my leg, I replied, "This little girl." Peggy responded, "She is the one I had in mind for you when I called. I knew you would be perfect for each other." On June 14, 1999, I brought AdoraBelle home and it was just the two of us from that night on.
Some of you will recognize the name I chose for her. I "borrowed" it from a doll that singer Marie Osmond designed for her collection of dolls sold on a shopping network. Over the years, she did a number of versions. In Nov. 1999, Ms Osmond put out the first vinyl version and I purchased it. That doll has always sat on the rocker my sister (Constance Louise Nittterhouse Jagow) and I sat on as little girls. One day, I placed the doll on the guest room daybed and placed my furry child next to the doll in order to take pictures of the two AdoraBelles. The furry one stuck out her tongue when I took one of the photos! Classic AdoraBelle!
My mother was not a fan of pets. She tolerated them for my sister and me. She thought I was crazy for getting a cat and for spending money on a pure bred. But, AdoraBelle won her over. As a teacher, I had the luxury of spending all of Christmas vacations in Chambersburg with my parents. I always took AdoraBelle with me. One afternoon, after watching "her soap", mom went to the kitchen to start dinner and I made a quick trip upstairs. When I later entered the kitchen, I saw mom peeling potatoes at the sink and Belle sitting on the counter watching attentively. That shocked me since a cat I owned many years before, while still living at home, was not allowed on anything but the floor!!!! So, I told AdoraBelle to get down (as if she would!). My mother looked at my kitten and calmly said, "It's okay, AdoraBelle. Nana said you could be there". She was clearly now smitten by my kitten! By the way, AdoraBelle had never jumped onto my kitchen counters until the day my mom said it was okay to be on hers! Thanks, mom.
If my parents and I had not seen each other on a Saturday, Mom would call me on Sunday at 10 am. Upon answering and saying "Hello", I would always get the response, "Hi. How is AdoraBelle? Your dad and I miss her. We love her so much. Oh, we love and miss you, too." Thanks again, mom! I did not get to visit my mom in the hospital the Friday night she passed away. She had been improving, there were talks of her being released in time for Christmas and I was going to go to Chambersburg the next morning to visit her. I had sent a Christmas card to her hospital room. It had a cat on the front that resembled Belle. For fun, I signed it "Love, AdoraBelle". Mom received it the day of her passing and according to my dad, happily showed it to all visitors, nurses, doctors and staff who entered her room, saying to them, "Look at the card from my grand-kitty". At the funeral, before the casket was closed, I placed the card in it, along with one from me which mom never got to see.
My sweet furry child was beloved by all. Even those who don't like cats would say they liked or loved her. I had a neighbor who was not fond of cats, but he truly loved AdoraBelle. He was one of several men who called her "little buddy". My dad and the UPS man were the others. One evening, upon arriving home right after getting the news he had a few weeks to live, my neighbor told his long- time lady that he wanted to stop at my house to see AdoraBelle and me one last time.
One of Belle's former vets, a native speaker of Spanish, would tell her in Spanish that she was his favorite patient. She always growled when she heard his voice, regardless of where he was in the office and regardless of which language he was speaking! Many a lady would melt if a gentleman whispered sweet things to her in Spanish, but not AdoraBelle! He sometimes called her "La Quejosa", Spanish for "The Complainer", becuase she would growl at him or meow loudly. He and my dad, often called her "DoorBelle" since she was so vocal and would announce when someone arrived. Belle would always meow at neighbors as they stood outside talking or simply walked by. She stopped meowing only if someone said, "Hi, Belle" or "Hi kitty". She obviously believed, and rightly so, that if you greet someone, they should also greet you!
And now one last story, to share how smart my beloved AdoraBelle was. She loved the UPS man who delivered in the townhouse development for the first few years of Belle's long life. She would hear his truck and run to the door or window. If he did not stop, she would look at me and meow disappointingly! In the summer, if he saw her at the door, but had no package for me, he would stop in the street and yell, "Hi, little buddy". If he had a package for me, I would pick her up (though an indoor cat, she was prone to run out the door if she had the chance) and he would pet her and make a fuss over her while I signed for the package. He seemed to love her as much as she loved him. One December evening while I was upstairs, I heard the doorbell ring and I heard Belle meowing. I headed downstairs. When I reached the part of the stairs where I could see her and the door, I observed this: AdoraBelle was hanging on the door knob with her left paw and had her back paws pressed on the door, just below the knob. With her right paw she was stroking the knob because she knew that her mama uses her right "paw" to open a door! Belle was determined to open the door for whomever was on the other side. A glance through the peep hole revealed to me that it was her beloved UPS man. He was delighted when I told him of her efforts and he stated, "My wife will never believe THIS!"
The night of her passing, as I drove her to the local emergency veterinary hospital, there was a huge, bright full moon and one of the songs that was played on the radio was a song from my college days, "Everlasting Love." Some of the song's lyrics do not fit our love story, but many of them do. At the hospital, while the doctor examined her in one room, I waited in another. Belle was eventually brought to me, to hold for the final 30 minutes of her life. I was looking at my furry child's sweet, beautiful little face as the vet administered the sedative. I don't know if she gave Belle the euthanasia dose, but out of the corner of my eye, I saw the doctor listening for AdoraBelle's heartbeat. I continued to look at Belle's face and when the vet said, "She is gone", I replied, "I know".
I will forever hold these and many more memories of AdoraBelle in my heart. I know she is waiting with my parents (Kenneth Lewis Nitterhouse and Janet Louise Sites Nitterhouse) for me and they will greet me when it is my turn to enter Heaven. The end of her life was filled with medical issues, but my little "golden girl " (I refused to call her old or geriatric) remained affectionate to the end and was a constant blessing, beginning that April 1999 evening at the breeders' home when she chose me.
REST IN PEACE, MY SWEET ADROABELLE!
----
To findagrave.com contributors: Please feel free to leave a flower on this memorial. I ask that if you believe in getting a pet only from a shelter or taking in a stray, please keep those thoughts to yourself to respectfully honor my informed decision, the bond between AdoraBelle & me and the joy she brought to me, my parents & others who encountered her.
Belle blessed my life for over 22 years. I brought her home when she was 12 weeks old. She lived to be 22 years, 6 months and 7 days. We had an undeniable bond made of love. Here is the story of how I became the proud mom of an awesome cat.
I was thinking of getting a cat. One Saturday in 1998, I went to a cat show- just for fun. I was not going there to look for a pure bred of any breed. It was just a fun thing to do on a Saturday. I honestly thought I would get a shelter cat at some point in time. As I walked around at the show, I became intrigued by the Bengals, a breed I was unfamiliar with. Unlike most breeds one will see at cat shows, they were talkative and curious about the passers-by. Real attention seekers! One young man who was a breeder, offered to let me hold a kitten. Breeders do not normally let cat show visitors touch their cats. Needless to say, I loved holding the little Bengal fur ball and I listened attentively as the young man spoke about the breed. I took his business card and picked up the cards or info sheets of other Bengal breeders as I wandered through the aisles of beautiful pure bred cats and beautiful "house cats". A married couple who lives in a nearby town had a brochure about their cattery and I picked up one. I watched the judging of pure bred kittens, which included a kitten owned by the young man I had spoken to. His kitten was the only one who "talked" to the judge and watched his every move. It received a top three award (I think it was 2nd place). It was the only winning kitten who stuck its paw out to play with the award ribbon that the judge placed on the cage. Like I said, curious, smart, attention seekers!
Over the course of the next several weeks, I contemplated getting a cat and whether I should consider a Bengal. I decided to research the breed, on-line and via books I bought at pet stores. I also thoroughly researched each breeder whose information I had picked up at the show. I came to the conclusion that a Bengal would be a wonderful pet and getting one from the local breeder was the best option for many reasons. I contacted them and made a visit to their home/cattery. I made a second visit to sign paperwork.
My decision regarding which breeder would be the best option was the correct decision. Not only did I have a beautiful, smart, funny, curious and sweet cat, but AdoraBelle was also a cat of excellent breeding. Her breeders retired in 2020, after a 28 year career of breeding and showing Bengals. During those 28 years, they had over 50 Supreme Grand Champions! They are the only TICA (The international Cat Association) cattery in the world to have 9 consecutive generations of SGC's - of any breed! AdoraBelle's sire was one those Supreme Grand Champions.
In late April 1999, I got the call that kittens from several litters were available. A few days later I went to choose a kitten. The first room I was in had several litters. Per instructions, I sat on the floor and waited for kittens to come to me. No luck. They were too busy playing with each other and the many toys in the room. I was later taken to another room where there was a litter of three (two boys and a girl), plus their mother. They had gotten their first shots that day, so they needed to be away from the other cats. I again sat on the floor –yoga style. The boys tussled with one another while the girl stuck close to her mom. She eventually made her way to me, jumped onto my right leg and began chewing on my finger. After a short time, she went back to her feline mom. But not for long. She soon returned to my leg and to chewing on my finger. I said to her, "You're my AdoraBelle, aren't you?" Peggy came in and asked, "What do you think?" With the kitten still on my leg, I replied, "This little girl." Peggy responded, "She is the one I had in mind for you when I called. I knew you would be perfect for each other." On June 14, 1999, I brought AdoraBelle home and it was just the two of us from that night on.
Some of you will recognize the name I chose for her. I "borrowed" it from a doll that singer Marie Osmond designed for her collection of dolls sold on a shopping network. Over the years, she did a number of versions. In Nov. 1999, Ms Osmond put out the first vinyl version and I purchased it. That doll has always sat on the rocker my sister (Constance Louise Nittterhouse Jagow) and I sat on as little girls. One day, I placed the doll on the guest room daybed and placed my furry child next to the doll in order to take pictures of the two AdoraBelles. The furry one stuck out her tongue when I took one of the photos! Classic AdoraBelle!
My mother was not a fan of pets. She tolerated them for my sister and me. She thought I was crazy for getting a cat and for spending money on a pure bred. But, AdoraBelle won her over. As a teacher, I had the luxury of spending all of Christmas vacations in Chambersburg with my parents. I always took AdoraBelle with me. One afternoon, after watching "her soap", mom went to the kitchen to start dinner and I made a quick trip upstairs. When I later entered the kitchen, I saw mom peeling potatoes at the sink and Belle sitting on the counter watching attentively. That shocked me since a cat I owned many years before, while still living at home, was not allowed on anything but the floor!!!! So, I told AdoraBelle to get down (as if she would!). My mother looked at my kitten and calmly said, "It's okay, AdoraBelle. Nana said you could be there". She was clearly now smitten by my kitten! By the way, AdoraBelle had never jumped onto my kitchen counters until the day my mom said it was okay to be on hers! Thanks, mom.
If my parents and I had not seen each other on a Saturday, Mom would call me on Sunday at 10 am. Upon answering and saying "Hello", I would always get the response, "Hi. How is AdoraBelle? Your dad and I miss her. We love her so much. Oh, we love and miss you, too." Thanks again, mom! I did not get to visit my mom in the hospital the Friday night she passed away. She had been improving, there were talks of her being released in time for Christmas and I was going to go to Chambersburg the next morning to visit her. I had sent a Christmas card to her hospital room. It had a cat on the front that resembled Belle. For fun, I signed it "Love, AdoraBelle". Mom received it the day of her passing and according to my dad, happily showed it to all visitors, nurses, doctors and staff who entered her room, saying to them, "Look at the card from my grand-kitty". At the funeral, before the casket was closed, I placed the card in it, along with one from me which mom never got to see.
My sweet furry child was beloved by all. Even those who don't like cats would say they liked or loved her. I had a neighbor who was not fond of cats, but he truly loved AdoraBelle. He was one of several men who called her "little buddy". My dad and the UPS man were the others. One evening, upon arriving home right after getting the news he had a few weeks to live, my neighbor told his long- time lady that he wanted to stop at my house to see AdoraBelle and me one last time.
One of Belle's former vets, a native speaker of Spanish, would tell her in Spanish that she was his favorite patient. She always growled when she heard his voice, regardless of where he was in the office and regardless of which language he was speaking! Many a lady would melt if a gentleman whispered sweet things to her in Spanish, but not AdoraBelle! He sometimes called her "La Quejosa", Spanish for "The Complainer", becuase she would growl at him or meow loudly. He and my dad, often called her "DoorBelle" since she was so vocal and would announce when someone arrived. Belle would always meow at neighbors as they stood outside talking or simply walked by. She stopped meowing only if someone said, "Hi, Belle" or "Hi kitty". She obviously believed, and rightly so, that if you greet someone, they should also greet you!
And now one last story, to share how smart my beloved AdoraBelle was. She loved the UPS man who delivered in the townhouse development for the first few years of Belle's long life. She would hear his truck and run to the door or window. If he did not stop, she would look at me and meow disappointingly! In the summer, if he saw her at the door, but had no package for me, he would stop in the street and yell, "Hi, little buddy". If he had a package for me, I would pick her up (though an indoor cat, she was prone to run out the door if she had the chance) and he would pet her and make a fuss over her while I signed for the package. He seemed to love her as much as she loved him. One December evening while I was upstairs, I heard the doorbell ring and I heard Belle meowing. I headed downstairs. When I reached the part of the stairs where I could see her and the door, I observed this: AdoraBelle was hanging on the door knob with her left paw and had her back paws pressed on the door, just below the knob. With her right paw she was stroking the knob because she knew that her mama uses her right "paw" to open a door! Belle was determined to open the door for whomever was on the other side. A glance through the peep hole revealed to me that it was her beloved UPS man. He was delighted when I told him of her efforts and he stated, "My wife will never believe THIS!"
The night of her passing, as I drove her to the local emergency veterinary hospital, there was a huge, bright full moon and one of the songs that was played on the radio was a song from my college days, "Everlasting Love." Some of the song's lyrics do not fit our love story, but many of them do. At the hospital, while the doctor examined her in one room, I waited in another. Belle was eventually brought to me, to hold for the final 30 minutes of her life. I was looking at my furry child's sweet, beautiful little face as the vet administered the sedative. I don't know if she gave Belle the euthanasia dose, but out of the corner of my eye, I saw the doctor listening for AdoraBelle's heartbeat. I continued to look at Belle's face and when the vet said, "She is gone", I replied, "I know".
I will forever hold these and many more memories of AdoraBelle in my heart. I know she is waiting with my parents (Kenneth Lewis Nitterhouse and Janet Louise Sites Nitterhouse) for me and they will greet me when it is my turn to enter Heaven. The end of her life was filled with medical issues, but my little "golden girl " (I refused to call her old or geriatric) remained affectionate to the end and was a constant blessing, beginning that April 1999 evening at the breeders' home when she chose me.
REST IN PEACE, MY SWEET ADROABELLE!
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To findagrave.com contributors: Please feel free to leave a flower on this memorial. I ask that if you believe in getting a pet only from a shelter or taking in a stray, please keep those thoughts to yourself to respectfully honor my informed decision, the bond between AdoraBelle & me and the joy she brought to me, my parents & others who encountered her.
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