The Pets of Calabresi
Bella and Principessa edition
As we learned in Installment 10, Matteo helped give birth to his cow, Bella, in the middle of the night when her mom went into labor prematurely and delivered her before the vet had a chance to arrive.
Bella was very small and very sick, but Matteo never left her side and, over the weeks, nursed her back to health. He named her Bella because he “always wanted her to hear people tell her she’s beautiful.”
We also know how Bella came to be in a snowy field outside the walls of Calabresi the day Matteo and Anastasia met—she’s a bit of a wanderer!
Bella is bigger now and will not fit in the trunk of a Fiat.
A few days after Francesca and Anastasia finally bonded that afternoon in Beatrice’s yarn shop after the knitting group wrapped up, Francesca found a tiny, abandoned tabby in the alley behind the bookstore. She knew immediately where the kitten’s new home should be—just as she knew what her name should be.
Principessa has the requisite amounts of cattitude (as all princesses should), but she is sweet, affectionate, and is almost always sitting on Anastasia or where Anastasia wants to be sitting.
A cat and a cow, so far. But will there be chickens? We’ll see!
In the meantime, tell us about your pets: How did you find them—or how did they find you? Calabresi is a very pet-friendly town; maybe you can bring them with you to visit someday.
I have a big orange male tabby named Titus. He is actually my son's cat, but both Titus and my son are now living with me. My son has osteosarcoma that is currently and thankfully in remission going on three years.
Titus is my son's emotional support cat. Since being permanently disabled and in chronic pain during to his multiple surgeries and treatment, Titus' easy going just love me demeanor has been a comfort to him.
When not with my son, Titus is with me...on my lap, following me.
I don't eat meat, so instead aim to adopt, love, and entertain whoever comes my way. I have rescued many pets over the decades - most memorable are Spirit and then Jasmine the Rhodesian Ridgebacks, Mandu the cat (or Kath), Simon the snowshoe cat, Icarus the sparrow, Ollie the big white cat, Rainy the Sheltie princess, and Pepper the agility Sheltie and human imposter. I currently have no one except my grown son, so I walk dogs for and visit cats at the Shelter. Our critters add a wonderful dimension to any household.