Sarah Hassan, Marcello & Isadora
I’ve always wanted a cat, ever since I was a little girl, but my parents were allergic so I grew up with dogs. Once I finally had my own apartment, I knew it would be hard to resist the temptation to adopt a cat right away. So when I walked into a Petco in Buckhead expecting to buy a goldfish for my new apartment, it turned out the goldfish I wanted was $40 but there was a special on cat adoption—‘buy one, get one.’ I ended up adopting both of my cats for $80, and it has been the best $80 I’ve ever spent. Marcello, who was named Norbert at the shelter, was and still is an absolute love machine—it even said so on the card tacked to his cage—and all it took was one cuddle with him and I was a goner. He was bonded to Isadora, named Noreen at the time, and the story was that everyone wanted to take him home but no one wanted her. Isadora must’ve sensed I’d take them both because she let me hold her for a little bit—that was my one requirement, that they both let me hold them.
I came the next day to pick them up, change their names on the adoption form—Marcello after Mastrianni and Isadora afer Duncan—and start one of the sweetest and most loving relationships of my life.
I call them my little loaves—Marcello has a spotted white coat and Isadora is my pumpernickel tabby and we’ve spent almost seven years together. We’ve lived in three states, driven cross country, and formed an ever-lasting bond that has seen me through some of the toughest and most joyous times of my life from job losses, new homes, COVID, and finally moving to Manhattan. Marcello is my ‘puppy cat,’ a true loud-mouthed mama’s boy who lives to cuddle, sleep and eat. He is the cat that will turn even the staunchest non-cat person into a puddle of mush with his big eyes, wild antics, and constant need for attention. Isadora, on the other hand, is my independent lady. She’s shy, sweet, and so well-behaved, comfiest while hiding in a pile of pillows or on top of my shoes. Over the years she’s gone from skittish and fussy to incredibly affectionate; she used to spend most nights under the bed and now she wants to be close to me, easier with love and pets, and even has learned to ask for them. But she teaches me the power of withholding; she makes me earn her love a little, and that’s been a great lesson.
I always say Marcello and Isadora are the exact halves of my personality. Marcello is my fun, playful, mouthy, and comical side, whereas Isadora is my reserved, introspective, independent, and sweet side. And they both love each other so much, it’s such a gift to watch them grow together. There are so many things I love about both of them, but it’s their ability to adapt to whatever living situation we find ourselves in has been the most surprising. We’ve mostly lived in apartments, but from the south to New York City to the southwest, these cats have perched on so many window ledges and looked at the changing landscape and sky with as much wonder as I have. I’m thankful for them every day, and I just hope they feel the same way about me.
Sarah Hassan’s writing has appeared in Harper’s Bazaar Arabia, Treats!, Architectural Digest, Alef, and Playboy. A graduate of Sarah Lawrence College, Sarah spent over a decade in the art world, and now lives and works in Manhattan for a rare book dealer.