Looking for a stray cat home--also, a mild rant

But, since the overall goal of this post is to find a home for the cat, I’ll keep my ranting to a mild spice. Just barely above bell pepper, really.

About two-three years ago, my college-aged sister and her then-boyfriend got a cat. Shortly thereafter, they broke up. My sister kept the cat, who’s named Bella. Over time, my sister has gotten busier and busier, and less and less interested in taking care of and spending time with Bella.

Finally, my sister decided she didn’t want to keep Bella. She did a few cursory, probably-half-assed calls around her college town before dropping her off at my mom’s.

Now, this would be an ideal situation. My mom has cats. My mom likes cats. My mom takes good care of her cats. However, Bella is strictly a one-cat-only sort of cat. It’s not that she’s unusually demanding–she loves people and loves attention, but that’s not the problem. It’s that she’s bound and determined to be alpha cat. This means that she constantly picks on any other cats in the household. Keeping her isn’t an option–the one time my mom had her for an extended stayover before, one of the other cats was so bullied that she hid in the ceiling for a week. Moreover, everyone in the immediate family–myself included–also has cats. We’re cat people.

My mom and I have both been calling around since then, trying to find a shelter that’ll take her. None will; they’re all full. Meanwhile, poor Bella has to spend most of her time in one room; my mom takes her out on a leash, and for brief, supervised excusrions, but anything else isn’t feasible. So, in desperation, I’m turning to the internet.

Does anyone want a Bella-kitty? She’s extremely affectionate, and well-behaved. She requires a bit of attention–she likes affection and play–she’s in good health, and she’s free. And she has the neatest copper eyes, which I have yet to be able to capture on camera.

I’m in the Chicago area, but I’m up for some driving and transport if need be.

I can’t help with the cat, just wanted to note that the OP did ask permission to start this thread, and received that permission.

I can’t have another cat unfortunately, and anyway I live too far away, but you might want to consider Feliway. It’s like a glade plug-in but with cat pheromones, and it has a mellowing effect on a lot of cats. It doesn’t work on every cat but it can work wonders on some of them. Maybe something to look into if you can’t find somebody to take her soon.