What to Know
- Remembering Belle Boy
- Heritage Square Museum, 3800 Homer Street in Los Angeles
- Saturday, Sept. 28 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
- A memorial ceremony, cat adoptions, craft activities, and house tours are on the schedule
- $7.18; money raised will help support Heritage Square's programs
If you joined a house tour at Heritage Square Museum in recent years, or visited an event like the Spooky Swap Meet, or called upon the historical park on a film shoot, you might have become instantly smitten with a fluffy, handsome, regally composed cat.
That fabulous feline's name? Why Belle Boy, of course.
Belle Boy was adored by the team overseeing the Arroyo Parkway-adjacent destination, which is known for its striking, saved-from-demolition manses and its atmospheric Victorian vibe.
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Heritage Square regulars also began to watch for the adorable animal, an easygoing long-haired gentleman who could be found sunning in front of the property's Octagon House, padding by the property's vintage church, or snoozing on the lap of a staffer or volunteer.
But his fans recently learned the difficult news: Belle Boy has passed through the veil, leaving sweet memories behind for those who met the bewitching cat, the friendly four-footed ambassador of Heritage Square.
Were you a Belle Boy buff? A memorial will soon commemorate the many years the cat roamed the property, charming guests and, yes, stopping by the craft service table during film shoots to inquire about the possibility of a spare snack or two.
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A Belle Boy celebration will twitch its tail Sept. 28, beginning at 10 in the morning. Cat adoptions with Kitten Rescue, cat-themed craft activities, and a memorial dedication are all on the schedule, as well as a feline-inspired scavenger hunt and tours of the Victorian buildings.
Funds raised by ticket sales will be donated to Heritage Square's programs.
The Heritage Square team shared a few tremendous facts about this incredible feline. He "showed up one day about 13 years ago," clearly determined to make the spacious museum, which features roam-ready grounds, his home.
He loved spicy rice and burritos, making him even more relatable to his many fans. Even if you never met him in person — or "in cat" — you may have seen him featured in the museum's cheerful "Caturday" posts.
This elegant ambassador will be dearly missed.
After all, a handsome cat holding court in a place that is known for a colorful clutch of Victorian homes? It's a cinematic storyline, even in Los Angeles.
Belle Boy was believed to be about 16 when staffers bid him a fond and heavy-of-heart farewell.
Updated Sept. 25
