The Alamo, the Spanish mission located in San Antonio, Texas, visited by millions, featured in popular culture, and most known for that fateful battle, is home to one special occupant, Bella. Her full name is Miss Isabella Francisca Veramendi de Valero, and she became the latest in a succession of plucky felines to call The Alamo home.
On a visit I met up with Bella as she was starting her day. At first, I saw her prowling in the cacti, surveying the growing crowds, and resting in the shade. Once she knew that I spied her in the landscaping, she came out to greet me and immediately took up residency in the hem of my skirt. Quickly, she drew attention, entertaining children, and taking pets on the head.
Archivist Jamie Bare, who works at the Alamo Research Center on the grounds of The Alamo, explained that Bella, “has a lot of cat things on her mind.” According to Jamie, Bella visits the gift shop, plays with small animals, and is not afraid of anything. When Bella tires of being in the limelight, she seeks refuge in the library or education center with the humans who take care of her. At the end of the day, Bella goes inside to stay safe for the night.
Bella’s most important job is greeting tourists and other guests. She stops by the monuments, seeks attention from friendly visitors, and poses for photos. Her outgoing personality, striking calico markings, and puffy tail make her a natural in front of the camera. Bella takes her diplomatic duties as the ambassador for The Alamo very seriously. (You can learn more about Bella here.)
Bella is the third in a line of modern-day Alamo cats, though the history of cats at The Alamo dates all the way back to the time of original battle. Previous cats to inhabit The Alamo are Ruby, who passed away in 1986, and C.C., a beloved kitty who stalked the grounds for 18 years until her death from old age in 2014. (Purr-n-Fur has a detailed account of both of these cats on their blog.)
Have you been to The Alamo and met up with Bella or one of the previous Alamo cats? Have you met other cats who inhabit museums or historical sites? Let me know!
(P.S. I usually take my own photos, but for this post, I have to credit my husband Neil, for getting some of these awesome shots!)
Carol from Art Is Not For Sissies
I am from San Antonio and I have heard of these cats but have never seen them! Now I have 🙂 Thanks for the post!
🙂 She’s worth the visit!
What a beautiful cat.
She was super-friendly, too.
A gorgeous cat with a very important job!
Yes, she takes her job very seriously!
Such an adorable, beautiful cat. Wonderful colors.
She’s very striking, I agree!
Bella is such a beautiful calico <3
She is! And so friendly!
And playful too! Snugging into your skirt haha~
Bella is bellissima <3
Ciao
Sid
Great post. Of course, I love the gorgeous TORTIE!!
She isn’t playing fair. One isn’t supposed to go to The Alamo and come back remembering the cat! There was this tiny matter of a battle, wasn’t there?
Hahaha! There was a battle?
Hmmm. Come to think of it, maybe that saying, ‘Remember the Alamo’ means one should recall the cat?
Great post. I love visiting a historic site….or even a shop….and finding a well loved cat in residence.
A kitty makes any place more scenic.
Beautiful cat and such an interesting story. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you! Bella makes it easy to be interesting 🙂
Bella is stunning! I love this sort of story – there was a beautiful ginger cat (called Ginger, of course!) at the Cheong Fatt Tze mansion in Penang, Malaysia when we visited in 2006. Here’s a photo off the web that may or may not be the same little guy, who contrasts beautifully with the blue walls 🙂
http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/LocationPhotoDirectLink-g298303-d564445-i30324871-The_Blue_Mansion_by_Samadhi-George_Town_Penang_Island_Penang.html
Oh! Do you have photos of your own from back then? You could do a guest story on this if you’d like! 😀
I would love to, but not sure how much I could recall about Ginger! I’ll check with my friend who was with me 🙂 Thank you for the invitation, that’s lovely! If I can’t, maybe someone else has met this Ginger recently?
You are always welcome to do guest stories in general as well! 🙂
Cats add such a sense of luxury to a place. They make it more graceful somehow! Thanks for sharing!
Just wanted to say thank you Carol for an amazing story! 😀
You’re welcome! And thank you for the invitation. It’s fun to see everyone’s reactions to The Alamo cat 🙂
^^ and looking forward to future contributions 🙂 this one was fantastic. 😀
Great! I’ll be on the lookout for a good idea 🙂
^^ thank you
What a beautiful calico! She knows how to greet guest and pose for pictures. I want to meet her someday.
Well, The Alamo is a great place to visit. Now that you know there’s a cat of character in residence, you must go!
She’s a beautiful cat too. Seems so sweet.
What a beauty she is. ?
Thank you! She will be the first to agree with you ?
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