“Beep, beep, beep, beep,” the alarm screamed. My hand quickly slammed on snooze and I discovered me cat Bella, sprawled out on my chest, head resting on my neck. She made me not want to get up. Instead of falling back asleep, I laid there with her, listening to her warm purr. “Beep, bee-“5 minutes was up and I turned my alarm off. I gave Bella a big squeeze and a kiss on the head and laid her back down. I got ready and left with my neighbor to the Lynden Vet for a project. Spending all day with all those animals made me want to go home for Bella. After 6 long hot hours, we headed back home. When I got there, I didn’t know where my dad was. I went into our house. “Dad?” Nothing. I flung open the door where I finally found my dad. His eyes looked disturbed like something had happened. I flashed a smile. “I just rushed Bella up to the Nooksack Vet.” So there I was standing frozen, nothing coming out of my mouth. I choked out “W-w-why?” My dad explained breathless that he was working outside when he found her, covered in fresh blood. “She looked as if a raccoon attacked her.” He has rushed her to the vet before it was too late. They had thought she got hit by a car. They also thought she would die soon. “This cat is not in good shape at all,” the vet told my mom over the phone, not knowing me eavesdropping on the other phone. I cried. My sister cried. As well as my brother. We got phone calls every hour from the vet. “She’s not doing any better. She can’t be alone here though the night if we want a chance of her living. Someone will have to drive her to the emergency vet,” the vet explained to my mom. The money was adding up. “Dads not going to like the cost of all this. Girls, she’s not doing well. It’s probably her last night here,” my mom sadly said. “No! She’s my cat. She’s like my child and I’m not giving up on here. Would you give up on my, mom?” I shouted at my mom, tears getting ready to burst from behind my eyes. “If it gets worst, we just have to put her down,” my mother said slowly. We all agreed. That night, I couldn’t sleep. So I slept with my sister in her room. I woke up early in the morning, excited to go pick her up from the emergency vet to bring her back to the Nooksack Vet. I was also very nervous though, not knowing if she was still breathing. I was me, my mom, and Jesh riding in the car. I felt sick. We finally got there, very quiet inside. The vet came out. “How is she?” I blurted out. “Doing better. Acts like she’s not even hurt,” he smiled “but after doing some x-rays and looking at the wounds, this cat has been shot by a 22 gun.” We all stood there in shock. My mom stood sad about who and why someone would do this. I stood off to the side, waiting for my cat. The lady brought her out. She looked horrible. Dried blood all over her head and leg, skinnier too. That wasn’t my cat, I thought. She meowed. It was my cat. We left and listened to Bella meow the whole way to the vet. I didn’t want to leave her, but I had to go to school. Since the vet was right by my school, I walked over there when school was over. She was in a little cage, hooked up to IV. She was over excited to see me. Her wounds stunk, but that didn’t keep me from petting her. Her leg was wrapped up too. She wanted out of that cage so bad. I couldn’t hold her because of all the cords, blood, and her wounds. I was there with her for about 20 minutes and then my mom and sister came. Us 3 and the vet all looked at the x-rays. Pieces of shrapnel from the bullet were all over in her leg and head. How is she surviving this? After about a week, it was time for Bella to come home, there was still a chance of her dying, but I found that chance very small. For about 2 weeks, we had to hand feed her soft food and give her water through a serenge. It was all very hard work and sometimes she wouldn’t participate. She had to be kept in a room where she couldn’t jump on things. She got tons of blankets dirty with puss and blood. Bella sneezed blood and breathes out of her mouth. The bullet went through her above her eye, then mouth, shattering teeth, and out the bottom of her jaw. This all went on for a while. And during that time, we found the shooter. He was no one we expected, but he did it. We knew for a fact, he’d be paying the vet bill. Everyday, I wonder how she lived through being shot in the head. A miracle. Even though she has a gimpy eye, breathes funny, and wants to rip me apart, I still love her to death. Bella acts like she was never even shot and the vet said she wouldn’t be able to jump with her leg that was shot, but she jumps like crazy. I don’t know what I would have done if she dies. I know she’s just a cat, but she’s my pet. I’m so happy she lived trough being shot. I now know why people say cats have 9 lives.