Since Bella introduced herself to the #lobsters channel on IRC by leaning on my Mac keyboard, I thought I'd introduce her to the general audience.

Bella (whose formal name is "Isabella") is around 3 years old, and hails from Houston, TX, where, as a little, scrawny, hungry kitten, she found her way into Nicole's back yard, and Nicole took her in. She is no longer little, scrawny, or hungry (in fact, she's a bit of a chonk now), but she's a valuable member of the household.

When I'm in my office, she will often come and jump on my desk, which she usually uses as a stepping stone to reach the window. I also keep a bankers' box in here for her, which she sits in, as with most cats. She also sits in the living room and bedroom windows, which offer a commanding view of the neighborhood to the west, so she can rule over her cat kingdom. And she is particularly fond of visiting people in the bathroom.

She enjoys Cat Chow for indoor cats (which I got her hooked on, as that's the only thing Penny eats) and Friskies shreds, as well as Temptations seafood treats, which we use as a bribe to keep her from beating up on Penny.

In terms of the dominance hierarchy, she's in the middle. Pixie will chase after her, as dogs are known to do, but she beats up on Penny, who's older and not as able to defend herself. (Though Penny tries!)

Bella says a polite little "mew" to everyone reading this. :)

...or show your appreciation some other way