2025 - 2026 Angel Cats
Memorial coming soon.
Darling Monsieur Noir was put to sleep on January 6, 2026. He was approximately 17 years old.
Noir came to Blue Bell in August 2024 with his housemates Annie, Katrina, Treasure and Star after their owner was no longer able to care for them. She loves them very much and we give her regular updates about her sweet kitties. Treasure, Noir and Star were bonded and much shyer than their female housemates. During their first few weeks “the boys” stuck together in their favorite corner kuranda and cat tree, often sitting on top of each other. Noir was the first of the three to show an interest in petting and interacting with us. During his intake exam, he enjoyed having his butt scratched and was cooperative for a lion cut. We discovered he had a cute little kink at the end of his tail. After about two weeks, Noir showed great progress in socializing. He began chirping at us when we entered their enclosure and would respond to affection with drooling, head-butting and biscuit kneading. He could be picky with his affection though. Some staff and volunteers found him to be sweet and loving for extended petting sessions while others would receive a swat from him after a brief interaction.
Within a few months, Noir and his “brothers” were integrating into the Lower House community. Most of their explorations were nocturnal and we were able to track their progress by watching though the camera. We could often see him, Treasure, and Star chowing down on the dry food, playing, and snuggling together around the house when all was quiet. He and Star loved chasing the laser pointer, and Joyce would often use it to coax them from their room for play time in the evenings. Noir also enjoyed rolling around on catnip sheets and rubbing his face on catnip toys. During the last few months of his life, he moved out of the corner and began spending most of his time in the main room. He loved to snooze in the afternoon sunshine up on the high catwalks.
Like his housemates, Noir came to us with respiratory symptoms but had no other major health issues. He would occasionally cough or sneeze and had frequent nasal discharge. In August 2025 his biannual exam showed dental disease. He had an anesthetic dental with three teeth extracted. This treatment seemed to make him more comfortable for a few months, but in November staff began noticing that Noir was drooling a lot more than usual and had difficulty eating treats. In December he had another exam and the veterinarian noticed a significant amount of swelling on the left side of his face. We were hopeful it might be an easily treatable dental abscess but unfortunately x-rays showed a bony lesion that was most likely cancer. Cancers of the face and mouth are typically very aggressive in cats and treatment options are limited to palliative care. Noir did not tolerate the level of handling needed for daily oral medications, but he let us apply a topical pain medication that helped him feel more comfortable for a few weeks. However, the mass grew rapidly, and it became increasingly difficult for him to eat. By early January, it was clear that he was declining. He still enjoyed petting and attention from staff and volunteers, but he could no longer eat, and we decided it was best to let him go. On January 6, Joyce and Jenna took him to the veterinarian. He had fun exploring the exam room and was purring and headbutting everyone for about 45 minutes. Then he jumped up onto the exam table and laid down on the blanket as if to say, “Ok, I’m ready now.”
Noir was a shy and gentle cat who enjoyed affection once he learned to trust us. His trust set a good example for Star and Treasure who are becoming more comfortable in their home at Blue Bell every day. We know he is smiling down on them from Rainbow Bridge. 2009 to January 6, 2026
We said goodbye to sweet Parker on December 19, 2025. The records we have indicate he was approximately 14 years old; however, with his multiple severe health issues it’s possible he may have been older than that.
Parker was a beneficiary of our Community Cat Fund and arrived in February 2025 from the spcaLA Animal Safety Net program. This program provides temporary emergency housing for pets whose owners need to seek social services. Sadly, Parker’s owner passed away before they were able to reclaim him. His age and health issues would have doomed him to quick placement on the shelter’s euthanasia list. However, he charmed the staff at spcaLA, and they were determined to find a place where he could live out his days in a loving home. Fortunately, one of their staff members found Blue Bell!
Parker was a confident cat and adapted quickly to his new home. On arrival, he came right out of his carrier and immediately started snacking on some dry food. Within two weeks he had his first visit with the community and did great. He curiously explored the patios and enclosures and was calm and passive towards his new housemates. Claude and Charlie became his friends, and he could often be found sharing a catio with Star. He loved catnip, playing with toys and snoozing in the sunshine. Over the summer we discovered he also loved to chew on paper towels, so those had to be removed from the main room and placed out of his reach. He enjoyed being brushed and pet, often nuzzling into your hand or arm to gently encourage you to continue paying attention to him. He had an interesting coat, a tabby pattern with tight, fine stripes and a unique stance with his front paws turned outwards that gave him a distinguished look. His habit of twitching his tail constantly took some getting used to. For most cats, a twitching tail means “watch out, I might bite,” but with Parker we learned it just meant “I love you and I’m excited to see you.” On November 25, Jenna took Parker for his first and only garden adventure. He had a great time and especially liked cruising around the bromeliad garden. She would have continued those adventures, but unfortunately his health declined quickly in December.
Prior to arrival, Parker had already been diagnosed with anemia and chronic kidney disease. In March, he had his first visit with our veterinary team. We learned he also had hyperthyroidism, a heart murmur, and significant dental disease. He had an anesthetic dental with several tooth extractions in May. In August we began treating him for high blood pressure. His weight had declined over the summer despite a good appetite, so in September he saw the veterinary internist for an ultrasound.
The ultrasound showed evidence of GI disease and nodules in his liver and thyroid, which are commonly seen in cats with hyperthyroidism. He also had early signs of heart disease. Despite adjustments to his medications, his weight continued to drop over the next few weeks. Parker had an echocardiogram in November and was diagnosed with mild hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. In addition, a tiny amount of fluid was seen around his heart. This was bad news because he needed subcutaneous fluids to treat kidney disease, but his heart was unable to handle it. We tried decreasing the fluid amount, hoping we could find a balance between these two conditions.
On December 11, Parker had his recheck ultrasound. The good news was his liver and thyroid masses were stable. The bad news was his heart disease seemed to have progressed rapidly. We scheduled him for another echocardiogram on December 18. The cardiologist confirmed that things had now progressed to restrictive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and a small amount of fluid was present around both his heart and lungs. We started him on new heart medications that evening. The next day he was weak and had difficulty walking and jumping. Jenna checked his temperature and blood pressure which were normal, but something was very wrong. Shortly after lunch, Parker came down from the cat tree he was sleeping in and collapsed. After several minutes, he got up again and began walking towards the kitchen but only took a few steps before he began open-mouth breathing and collapsed again. Jenna and Sarah rushed him to the veterinarian, but with multiple serious health conditions,
the prognosis was poor, and he was put to sleep. He was affectionate until the very end, nuzzling us to let us know he was ready to cross Rainbow Bridge.
We wish we had more time to love this gentle boy. He was brave through so many difficult changes in his life. We know he enjoyed life at Blue Bell, but perhaps he never got over the heartbreak of losing his owner and was ready to be reunited with them once more. 1-1-2012 to 12-19-2025
Precious Patti left us too soon on August 18, 2025. She was approximately 16 years old and arrived at Blue Bell only a few weeks before, on July 12. Patti and her real sister, Colleen, came to Blue Bell after one of their owners passed away and the other needed to go into assisted living and could not take the cats with her. Their younger housemate Casper had been placed in April, but the girls had to wait a little longer for space to free up before they moved in.
Patti was sweet and outgoing. She loved to be around people, sitting in a lap or climbing on a shoulder. She and Colleen were very bonded and were often found snuggling together in a big bed on the ground or tucked away in a cave bed. After about two weeks, the girls began exploring the community and meeting their new housemates. Patti was curious and went all over the house with her tail held high. On July 26, we moved Casper from the Lower House to their room in the Upper House so he could be reunited with them. Their reintroduction went well. Patti and Casper were very relaxed with each other, sniffing, grooming, and completely at ease sharing the same space.
Prior to her arrival, Patti’s lab work showed she had chronic kidney disease, a common health issue for senior cats. She was not on any treatment when she arrived, and we were giving her some time to settle in before taking her to see our veterinarian for a recheck examination. On August 5, Patti was quiet. She was holding her head down and was having a difficult time walking so we took her to the vet right away. He was concerned about her level of dehydration, heard a heart murmur, and identified she had one enlarged kidney and one that was very small, something that her prior veterinarian noted in April. Her body temperature was below normal, so we transferred her to the emergency hospital for additional diagnostics and monitoring. Patti remained hospitalized until August 8 and was diagnosed with acute kidney failure. During her time at the hospital, her kidney values showed improvement. She was eating well, and was affectionate to the hospital staff, purring and giving head butts. We brought her back to Blue Bell and continued daytime hospitalization on IV fluids at our primary veterinarian. On August 10 she had a high temperature and stopped eating. The next day she was back at our vet for another round of IV fluids, and we started her on appetite stimulants. Unfortunately, she did not improve. We began to syringe-feed her, hoping that she just needed some time to bounce back. On August 13 her lab work showed a new problem, severe anemia. The kidneys play a vital role in regulating the production of red blood cells, so anemia is common with kidney disease. We think this was a delayed effect of the acute kidney failure she suffered the previous week.
Over the next few days Patti continued to grow weaker. We administered medications and gave her all the supportive care we could, hoping that she would recover. But she became more withdrawn, both from people and from her sister Colleen. They no longer shared the same bed and Patti no longer sought out laps and shoulders for as much human attention as she could get. She still enjoyed sitting on the patios and was active but would not eat on her own. On August 16, her family visited and that seemed to brighten her spirits a little. By the next day however, we could see the anemia was taking a significant toll. She collapsed and it took her several minutes to recover. She still did not want to eat on her own and we knew the time had come to say goodbye. We planned a euthanasia appointment for her on the afternoon of Monday August 18, but Patti began having difficulty breathing in the morning. Jenna took her to the vet right away and was with her when she passed peacefully over Rainbow Bridge.
One of Patti’s family members said, “I know my dad is happy to see her in heaven and she is curled up in his lap.” 2009 to August 18, 2025
The amazing, legendary Honey departed for security duty in the afterlife on August 25, 2025. She was 19 ½ years old.
Honey came to Blue Bell in November 2021 with her real sister, the flame-pointed beauty Sugar (RIP 2022) after their owner could no longer care for them. The sisters were bonded, and although Honey was initially described to us as shyer than Sugar, both were immediately outgoing and affectionate with staff and volunteers. She was a small cat with an enormous personality and purred loudly as soon as anyone approached her. After Sugar passed, Honey began coming into the office daily and spent many hours “helping” with administrative tasks (i.e. stomping all over whatever was on the counter) and “supervising” (aka sitting on) the other cat “interns” who frequently visited the office. She loved to sit on top of Indy when he burrowed under a blanket, making him into her own personal heated bed! Another perk of being an office cat was unlimited access to food. She took full advantage of the never-ending buffet of cat food offered and would often sneak a snack of any human food she found enticing. She was especially fond of cheese and donuts. She could be fast asleep for hours, then suddenly her little nose started twitching at some delicious scent. She would sit in front of you and stare intently or paw at you while purring insistently until she was given a taste.
Honey was quite a fashionista, and, unlike most cats, she enjoyed wearing shirts, sweaters and dresses. She had an outfit for every holiday. When we had a slumber party for the volunteers she joined the festivities sporting her own duckie-print pajamas for the night. At the Laguna Beach Pet Parade in June 2023, Honey wowed the public in her patriotic red, white and blue attire and took home the first-place medal for Most Gorgeous Senior Pet. She was a little dynamo, especially at night when we could see her on the cameras walking all over the house while everyone else was snoozing. Joyce bought her a t-shirt that said “Security” so everyone would know who was in charge when staff closed for the night. In addition to house patrol, she enjoyed walks in the garden where any trespassing lizards or butterflies were fair targets for removal.
Honey came to us with a history of chronic upper respiratory infections that continued to affect her during her time at Blue Bell. In the last year and a half of her life, she received daily nebulizing treatment for this condition. She never made a fuss about going into the carrier for the treatment and seemed to enjoy it, or at least to understand that it was helping her feel better. In May 2022 she was diagnosed with chronic kidney disease and chronic pancreatitis, and an ultrasound in June 2022 showed GI disease. Like many senior cats, Honey also had dental disease. She had an anesthetic dental in July 2022, but just a few months later she was losing weight and pawing at her mouth when eating, a sign that she was still experiencing dental issues. In January 2023, she had another anesthetic dental that went poorly. She stopped breathing during the procedure, and they had to resuscitate her. Jenna rushed down to the veterinarian’s office and sat with her while she slowly recovered. We almost lost her, but her near-death experience seemed to be a reset. Her health not only stabilized but improved for some time after that. She was with us for another two years and seven months before she was finally ready to cross Rainbow Bridge.
In late February 2025, shortly after the first ringworm cases were found, Honey’s tail fluoresced with the dreaded apple green color. She was positive for ringworm infection! She moved into the isolation room with Haggis, Rocky, and Billy. Due to her fragile health, we decided not to risk administering the standard oral anti-fungal treatment and instead she received only topicals. She remained in the isolation room until May 17 when our testing protocol cleared her to move to the buffer room, along with Haggis, for a final three weeks of quarantine. Finally on June 7 she and Haggis were released back into the general population. It was a happy day for all except Sabrina, who never liked Honey and seemed miffed that she had returned.
In July 2025, staff began noticing that Honey had an increased respiratory effort and she was a little unsteady at times when walking. On August 14, her abdomen appeared distended and her weight had increased almost half a pound. X-rays revealed fluid in her abdomen and labs showed severe anemia and significant progression of kidney disease. The veterinarian drained almost 200 milliliters of fluid and sent it out for analysis. Unfortunately, the analysis was inconclusive about what caused the fluid to build up. Honey stabilized for a few days after the procedure. She had bounced back from so many previous health setbacks, and we all hoped that she was going to live forever. But of course, she couldn’t. On August 22, her abdomen was distended with fluids again. This time the veterinarian drained 100 milliliters. Just two days later, the fluid returned. We suspected she was finally succumbing to kidney failure and decided the time had come for her to ascend to the Blue Bell beyond the rainbow. On her last day, Joyce and Jenna took Honey for one more security patrol in the gardens. Then they brought her to the veterinarian where she purred her way through chomps of a banana-nut muffin before crossing Rainbow Bridge. It was a purr-fect ending for this incredible girl.
Honey was bold and fearless. There will never be another cat like her and we miss her dearly. We know she is happy to be reunited with her beloved sister Sugar, but I think those of us left behind would agree: “If tears could build a stairway and memories a lane, I’d walk right up to heaven and bring you home again.” November 15, 2005 to August 25, 2025
Our sweet Sparrow flew over Rainbow Bridge on Monday July 21, 2025, one month before her 19th birthday.
Sparrow came to Blue Bell in October 2023 with her housemate Riley (RIP 2023). Their owner, “Grandmere,” had to move out of state and could not take them with her. She loved them very much and kept in touch. We sent regular updates with pictures throughout Sparrow’s life. Grandmere was so happy to know that she was loved and cared for at Blue Bell. Unfortunately, Riley passed away from heart failure a few weeks after they arrived. Sparrow was shyer than her housemate, but when she was comfortable, she was a very affectionate cat.
During the first few weeks, volunteer Lisa spent extra time helping Sparrow adjust to her new home in the Upper House isolation room. Lisa brought books to read to her, and Sparrow became quite an afficionado of cat-themed literature. She especially enjoyed Dr. Suess’s Sleep Book as a favorite bedtime story. Lisa also brought a brush with a picture of Ariel, The Little Mermaid, that she loved to rub her face on. Sparrow had a special wicker basket that came from her home. Normally we don’t use wicker because it is very hard to clean if soiled, but we made an exception because it was such a comfort to her to have a little piece of home. The other cats respected her and never tried to sleep in her wicker basket. Another favorite snooze spot was her Fa-La-La Christmas bed, especially if it was under a bench. Sparrow had several toys that she enjoyed snugging with, including her green “emotional support” mouse and a stuffed bird.
The floor renovation in the summer of 2024 brought some changes for Sparrow. She never went onto the patios, and all the cats had to be moved onto the patios for several weeks while the new flooring was installed. We were worried about how she would adjust to that change and instead moved her to the Lower House while the Upper House renovation work was done. She initially took up residence in Jambo’s room since he was enjoying “summer camp” in his temporary apartment on the Upper House patio. Sparrow became more active in the Lower House and seemed comfortable within a few weeks, so we decided to keep her there permanently. She made friends with Claude and Kalista. The three of them could often be found sharing the child’s bed together. At meal and snack times, Sparrow would slowly make her way from her spot on the bed over to the kitchen while talking to us with her unique meow. She was especially excited when Bonito flakes were on the menu!
Sparrow came to us with a mass on her back that turned out to be squamous cell carcinoma. Fortunately, this was not a fast-growing cancer and surgery to remove it in February 2024 was curative. But before she could have the surgery, we needed to ensure her heart was stable enough for the procedure. In November 2023, Sparrow saw the veterinary cardiologist and was diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), a thickening of the heart muscle. The initial diagnosis was a mild form of HCM, and the veterinarians felt the benefits of surgery outweighed the risks. However, HCM is a progressive disease and required monitoring for the rest of her life. Sparrow’s other chronic health conditions included arthritis, hyperthyroidism, kidney disease, hypertension and acne. Her chin acne became severe in May 2024, but the usual topical treatments did not help. Our veterinarian recommended trying weekly laser therapy for her, and it worked. After three months of these special spa treatments her acne resolved and never returned.
On February 21, 2025, volunteer Lisa was with Sparrow when she suddenly began open mouth breathing and meowing in distress. Jenna rushed her to the veterinarian. They performed an emergency chest tap after x-rays determined there was fluid in her chest. This was a sign that her heart disease had progressed. We started additional medications and monitored her breathing rate and weight daily. She stabilized for several months, but on July 12 signs of congestive heart failure returned. Sparrow received another chest tap on July 14. We hoped that she would stabilize once again, but her breathing became labored only a few days later. On July 21, Jenna and Joyce took Sparrow to the vet for the last time. There was fluid in her chest once more. She was a strong girl, but her heart disease had progressed to the point where we could no longer manage to give her quality of life, and it was time to say farewell.
Fly free in paradise brave little Sparrow-bird. We know you are with your beloved Riley and are waiting patiently for that special reunion with Grandmere someday. August 17, 2006 to July 21, 2025
We lost our Munchkin-mix Billy on Wednesday, June 18, 2025, just a few weeks before his 17th birthday.
Billy came to Blue Bell in February 2023 with his housemate Molly, all the way from Mississippi! Their owner passed away and her daughter promised that she would take care of Billy and Molly. Both kitties showed themselves to be very adaptable on their cross-county road trip. Billy even began to be more affectionate than he had been in his former home. He was shy when he first arrived, but staff worked with him patiently and soon his gentle, loving nature shone. He loved brushing and petting. He loved cuddling with Molly, and he was curious about the other cats. After about a month the two of them began exploring the house and had supervised visits with the rest of the community. Billy made more kitty friends and by May, he was comfortable all over the house, especially on the patios. In Mississippi, he and Molly were “mostly indoor cats with generous outdoor privileges,” a lifestyle they were able to continue to enjoy thanks to the large catios at Blue Bell.
During his time at Blue Bell, Billy became social, both with other cats and with volunteers and visitors. His “sister” Molly remained his best friend, and they could often be found cuddling together in their favorite spot at the top of the white cat tree in the buffer room. After Clarence passed away, Billy became Haggis’s new target for back-of-the-neck bonding bites. Many times, we witnessed Haggis stalk and jump on Billy’s back with a little squeal of delight. Other times we would find Billy with the fur on the back of his neck wet or sticking up at odd angles, a sure sign Haggis had been pestering him. Billy never seemed to mind this attention. Although he was patient and submissive to Haggis, he would sometimes bite Molly on the back of her neck! He loved attention from volunteers and visitors too. When a troop of Girl Scouts visited, Billy calmly sat in the middle of a circle of the girls, while two or three of them at a time petted him gently. Sometimes he would entertain visitors with his curious drinking habit: repeatedly dipping a paw in the pond or a water bowl and licking the water off his paw!
In May 2023, Billy visited our veterinarian for the first time due to constipation, which became a chronic issue for him. At that exam we also discovered he had a heart murmur. He began losing weight, and another exam in November revealed dental disease. We had an echocardiogram done to assess anesthetic risk and it was determined that his heart disease was mild, and he was not at an increased risk, so we proceeded with the dental in early December. He had a few minor extractions and recovered from the procedure well. He was alert and eating that evening, but the next day he was quiet and had no appetite. By evening he still had not eaten and was vomiting. His breathing rate was low, and his heart rate was high, so he was hospitalized at the emergency veterinarian overnight. By the next day he had stabilized and was well enough to return to Blue Bell. Unfortunately, two days later he suffered acute hypotension and hypothermia. We took him back to the emergency clinic for further treatment and assessment. He returned to Blue Bell after several days of intensive care, newly diagnosed with chronic kidney disease, pancreatitis, and GI disease. He started several medications to help manage these issues and his health stabilized until an episode of severe constipation in February 2024. We adjusted his medications and were able to get him back to regular bowel movements, however the radiographs taken also showed a suspicious nodule present in his lungs that needed to be monitored.
Billy remained in stable health throughout the rest of 2024. In February 2025 he tested positive for ringworm and joined Haggis, Rocky, and Honey in the isolation room. We discussed his case with the veterinarians and decided the risk of oral antifungals was too great given his numerous other health issues. We treated him with topicals and hoped he would clear the infection quickly since only a small area on his tail was affected. But the weeks turned into months, and his tests continued to show positive. As winter turned to spring and then summer, Billy’s weight and appetite declined. Radiographs and lab work in early June 2025 showed the lung nodule previously identified had grown into a larger mass and a new nodule was found. This was suggestive of cancer. In addition, the lab work showed significant progression of kidney disease. On the evening of June 17, Billy was very quiet, and his breathing rate was low. The next morning, he had no appetite and was having difficulty walking. We took him to the veterinarian for an exam. They ran lab work, and it showed his kidney values were continuing to decline, he was in kidney failure. He had lost nearly one pound in two weeks. With two severe medical issues, the prognosis was poor. We knew it was time to say goodbye to our sweet Billy.
Run In Paradise Billy-boy, Mr. Bill, Billiam. Your Mama is waiting to welcome you with open arms!
July 25, 2008 to June 18, 2025
We lost our green-eyed Pixel on Monday, March 24. She was 16 years old.
Pixel came to Blue Bell in December 2019 with her housemate Tz'u-hsi (Shoo-she, RIP 2020) after their owner passed away. Shoo had advanced kidney disease and only lived a short time with us. After she passed, we tried spending more time with Pixel, hoping that the increased human contact would encourage her to come out of her shell. But we found out from her family that Pixel was a very shy girl and needed space. She was most comfortable when someone she trusted sat quietly with her and brushed her. Once she was out in the Lower House community, she loved to sit up on the highest catwalks, soaking up the afternoon sunshine. She got along well with most of the other cats, but Loki often displayed aggression towards her and the two of them needed to be separated.
Pixel’s health issues began towards the end of 2020. Like many senior cats, she struggled with frequent vomiting, low appetite and weight loss. Unfortunately, she did not tolerate the level of handling needed to administer daily treatments, so our options were limited to medications that she would eat in food. In February of 2023, her labs showed early kidney disease, and she was diagnosed with high blood pressure. We were relieved when she consistently ate her blood pressure medication mixed in food or a Churu. May of 2023 brought the first of what would become recurring urinary tract infections. Whenever an infection was flaring up, Pixel would let us know by peeing on beds around the house. She knew how to get our attention when she needed us, and luckily the UTIs were usually treatable with a single-dose injectable antibiotic. In September 2023 she began limping and we started treatment for arthritis. An exam in April 2024 revealed progression of kidney disease. The veterinarian recommended that we start Pixel on fluid therapy, and we attempted to do that for her. We hoped that she would feel better with the fluids and would learn to tolerate them, but after about a month we had to stop. Instead of being a bonding experience, the fluid therapy was stressful for her. She became terrified of Jenna in particular because she was the one giving fluids most frequently.
July of 2024 brought new challenges. Pixel was moved to the Upper House with all the Lower House cats during the flooring renovation. We hoped this move could be a new beginning for her, but she never really acclimated to life in the Upper House. She spent most of her days tucked away in a back corner of the third patio. When the renovation work was completed in August, we moved her back to the Lower House into her own enclosure. That fall and winter her kidney disease continued to worsen, and her weight continued to decline. One morning in February 2025, caregiver Cindy found blood in Pixel’s enclosure. She had a torn nail on her back foot. We were able to give her a topical pain medication and to take her to the veterinarian for exams to check healing progress. Although her nail was healing well, her appetite was declining. We tried a topical appetite stimulant with limited success. She was hospitalized for dehydration on March 7 and x-rays taken that day did not reveal any further insight into her declining quality of life.
Her owner’s brother told us that they both used to sing “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” to Pixel. We sang that to her, and she responded to hearing the song. She relaxed and purred. When Joyce played a video of Judy Garland singing the song, Pixel turned her body to watch the screen. She continued to enjoy brushing from the few people that she trusted. During her last few weeks, we decided to manually medicate her to see if we could stabilize her with additional treatment. She tolerated the handling but unfortunately the medications did not work. On March 23, Jenna and Joyce reviewed the Quality of Life scale. In most categories Pixel scored in the middle range, however, eating was 0 and the amount she was eating was not consistent with life. We checked her weight, hoping she might be eating at night when her enclosure door was open to the community. When Joyce picked her up, Pixel was completely limp. That was a bad sign because normally she struggled when picked up. Her weight was down another pound from the beginning of the month; three pounds total lost since December. With that information, we made the difficult decision to have her put to sleep the next day since nothing had helped improve her appetite and she was already very weak.
Pixel received lots of love from volunteers and staff who were at Blue Bell on Monday March 24. Then Joyce took her to the veterinarian where she passed peacefully and quickly while listening to “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.” Jenna said goodbye at Blue Bell. Even though she loves all the cats, she knew that her presence would only be stressful for Pixel due to their strained relationship. We asked the veterinarian to perform a necropsy, hoping to find some answers for her rapid decline. A few days later, we received the pathology report which concluded she had high grade, large cell lymphoma. This is a very aggressive cancer with a short survival time so we know we did everything we could for her.
Run In Paradise, sweet girl. We know Tz'u-hsi and your papa are waiting to welcome you with open arms Somewhere Over the Rainbow (Bridge)! 12/1/2008 to 3/24/2025
We lost our beautiful Baby on January 23, 2025. She was 16 years old.
Baby arrived on January 15, 2023 after her owner could no longer care for her. On her first day she was a bit of a hellcat, hissing, spitting and swatting at Joyce when she tried to go near Baby’s carrier! By the next day she was much calmer, greeting Jenna with head butts, meowing and purring. She started having volunteer visits within a week and was curious about the rest of the house. She had never lived with other cats before, but she was interested in her new housemates and ran out of her door a few times during her first few days. Within a month she was enjoying community visits and became a full-time community member by the end of March 2023. Even though the door to enclosure #5 was open, Baby mostly remained in “her” room and never really settled in another place in the Lower House. You could often find her enjoying her catio or sitting in the chair in front of her cat tree.
Baby loved snoozing in the sunshine and treats. With her beautiful long fur and large size, we wondered if maybe she was part Norwegian forest cat. That fur needed a lot of maintenance! She tolerated only a small amount of brushing, so she received a lion cut in June 2023. We were not sure how she would react to losing her floof, but she seemed to enjoy prancing around with her adorable new look. Baby had a temperamental personality. She could be extremely affectionate when she liked you, purring and giving kitty kisses, but the affection was always on her terms. She would swat or bite when she had enough and wanted you to just admire her from afar. In July 2024, she moved to the Upper House with the rest of the Lower House kitties during the flooring renovation. She and Cassia immediately made themselves at home. Within minutes of being released from their carriers, they were both rolling and sunning on the third patio. In the Upper House, Baby became more active and most days she would walk around the house and patios with her distinctive limp. Eventually she decided the chair in the main room right next to the lobby door was going to be her throne. She became more affectionate and greeted volunteers, staff and visitors. As you walked past her, she would reach out a paw to let you know she wanted treats, petting, or more of both. Joyce called it Baby’s toll-collecting chair. You had to pay the toll anytime you walked into or out of the main room.
We had several health issues to manage for Baby. She vomited frequently and came to us with arthritis and kidney disease. She was hospitalized for constipation in March 2023. After that episode we started stool softeners and fluid therapy to help keep her hydrated and more comfortable. She also received medications for arthritis. In May 2023, she began to have severe chin acne which took several months to clear. Her frequent vomiting continued despite treatment, so in September 2023 she had an ultrasound. The internist found GI inflammation and pancreatitis. Even with medication adjustments the vomiting persisted, albeit with decreased frequency. In February 2024, Baby was diagnosed with anemia and hyperthyroidism. Unfortunately, the treatment for hyperthyroidism had detrimental effects on her liver so we had to stop. Another ultrasound in September 2024 showed chronic age-related changes, but no masses or major concerns. October brought mucoid nasal discharge and sneezing, so we began a nebulizing treatment for her. She really enjoyed being nebulized and it helped improve her respiratory symptoms.
On Sunday January 19, Joyce noticed that Baby’s ears, eyes and gums were yellow. She had a low appetite for dinner but had been eating well earlier in the day and did not appear distressed. We kept her at Blue Bell for the night and took her to our vet in the morning for an exam. We were concerned about liver or gall bladder diseases. Lab work was sent out, and an ultrasound was scheduled for Wednesday. We brought her back to Blue Bell on supportive care in the meantime. She was quiet and only ate a few meat tubes, but she was still affectionate, and we hoped she would recover. The ultrasound showed acute pancreatitis that also seemed to be affecting her liver. Lab work revealed severe anemia and highly elevated liver enzymes. Her pancreatic values were also extremely high. We needed to get her to eat, but she wouldn’t. On Wednesday after the ultrasound she stayed with us in the office. Jenna syringed her high-calorie nutrient gel in the evening, hoping to stimulate Baby to eat on her own. On Thursday morning, Karen found her sitting in a dirty litter box. She gave Baby a bath, but a few minutes later Baby soiled herself again. She was extremely weak and noticeably more dehydrated from just the prior day. With her continued rapid decline and poor prognosis, we decided it was time. That final morning Baby enjoyed a trip out into the garden with staff and volunteers. She was too weak to walk far, but she was happy to sit in the sunshine and be petted until it was time for her last trip to the vet.
Run in paradise our beautiful Baby-girl. We know you have just moved the toll booth to the other side of Rainbow Bridge and will greet us there one day. 3/19/08 - 1/23/25
We lost our sassy southern belle, Cassia, on Wednesday, January 8, just two months short of her 15th birthday. She came to Blue Bell in February 2021. Her owner passed away the previous August, but with COVID delays it took her awhile to get here. She finally arrived via airplane, escorted by her owner’s friend, all the way from Louisiana! Her luggage included her favorite catnip fish, a Mardi Gras bed and her owner’s red vest. She had a very soft coat, with unique coloring called “torbie,” a combination of tortie and tabby markings.
Cassia was generally sweet to people but often showed sass towards other cats. She wasn’t thrilled about having to share her new home with so many roommates, and it took about six months for her to fully integrate into the community. At the time, the Lower House was full of females with big personalities, Coco, Angie, and Bella U. (black and white)! Male cats like Kitty, Jack, pre-weight-loss Jambo, shy Little Guy and gentle old Hunter were also subject to her wrath. Just a few weeks after her arrival there is a note in her chart about an incident where she escaped from her room, went to the patio, swatted at Jambo and scared him so badly that he fell out of a bowl! She made it clear from the start that she too was a Blue Bell queen.
When black and white Bella passed away in February 2023, Joyce said that there would never be another office cat in the Lower House. But Cassia had other plans. She started coming into the office and doing things that Bella used to do, as if Bella had given her instructions to help heal Joyce’s heart. And so, we did have another Lower House office cat. She loved her special place in the office. She greeted visitors from her chair, the stool or the countertop. She was happy to be offered multiple meals throughout the day and had a cute habit of standing on her hind legs and batting at her pink food bowl with a paw as it was lowered to her. When it was time for her to return to the community, we had to carry her tucked into her Mardi Gras bed. Otherwise, she would protest with a loud meow and possibly even a swat! Her status as office cat came with a risk because she was known to be an occasional door darter. One day a volunteer did not completely close the Lower House front door. Cassia was snoozing in the office and must have noticed a new breeze. She got up to investigate and discovered she could just stroll out the door for unsupervised adventures. Jambo was snoozing on his catio and fortunately that caught her attention just long enough for Jenna to walk out of the Upper House and notice what happened. Jenna acted quickly, but calmly, and was able to bring Cassia back into the safety of the house. We didn’t end her office privileges since it really wasn’t her fault. She was only doing what a curious cat would naturally do. But we did institute a new policy that Lower House cats could only be in the office with staff supervision.
Cassia loved lying in the sunshine, catnip, and being brushed. She had her own wire brush and would stand on her hind legs to rub her gums and face all over it. In the summer of 2024, Cassia moved to the Upper House with the rest of the Lower House cats during the flooring renovation. We weren’t sure how she would do, but she immediately came out of her carrier and rolled around in the sunshine on the third patio. She was happy to find new spots to hang out. Like many of the cats that moved from the Lower House, she did so well that we ended up letting her stay in the Upper House after the floors were completed. Her introductions to her new roommates went much smoother this time, and she was one of the first cats to integrate. Eventually she figured out that the Upper House had an office too, and she became one of the regulars.
Cassia’s health problems began in November 2021. She had an acute episode of GI issues - vomiting, diarrhea and low appetite. She had another acute GI episode in May 2022. We started her on treatment for IBD/GI lymphoma shortly after that. Unfortunately, she continued to lose weight over the next few months despite treatment. Testing in March 2023 led to a diagnosis of probable GI lymphoma. Cassia began coughing frequently during the summer of 2023 and was diagnosed with asthma in December. She was breathing more comfortably after starting treatment with a kitty inhaler, but she was still having frequent, often bloody diarrhea. In April 2024, an ultrasound revealed a thyroid cyst and colitis. We made changes to her treatment plan at the vet’s recommendation and even tried fecal transplants, but the diarrhea persisted. We repeated an ultrasound in August 2024 that showed no significant changes from the prior scan. Her weight and appetite declined over the next few months. She was diagnosed with anemia, and we also began treatment for arthritis to help her be more comfortable. She started having fecal incontinence in October. In November, her gums began bleeding and although she had significant dental disease, we were worried about how she would do under anesthesia in her weakened state. However, the severity of her dental disease was making it difficult for her to eat, and we decided to move forward with the procedure, hoping we could stabilize her if her appetite improved. She made it through the dental, but her appetite never improved. She still struggled with daily diarrhea and fecal incontinence. We knew she was uncomfortable, so we decided it was time for our sweet, proud girl to cross Rainbow Bridge. On January 8, 2025, Joyce and Jenna took Cassia to the vet one last time with her Mardi Gras bed and favorite brush. We played a little Louisiana jazz as she passed peacefully into her owner’s arms once more. 3/06/10 to 1/08/25