Named after: Banjo player Bela Fleck; actor Bela Lugosi; the herb in mojitos; the original name of San Francisco (Yerba Buena); the Buena Vista Social Club; Lake Buena Vista, Florida, and (indirectly) Bella T. Manx

How do you pronounce it?: BAY-la. It rhymes with Eric Clapton's most famous song. It is not pronounced BELL-uh, and does not rhyme with Marlon Brando's most famous yell.

Nicknames: Bela BaBela, Bela Boo, Bay, Bela T. Fleck, Dig Dug, Spotbelly Sneetch, Surfin' Bela, Bela LuKitty

Breed: Domestic Shorthair (house cat)

Born: April 4, 2002, in Arlington Heights, Illinois

Adopted by Becky: January 1, 2010, from a shelter in Huntley, Illinois. His previous owner had moved and the new place couldn't take cats. His original name was BELLA.

Coat: Brown mackerel tabby, brown and black stripes with spots on his belly and a very large black stripe down his back.

Voice: Bela meows very quietly when he does it at all. When I am getting his food ready, he says something that sounds like "Now."

Favorite pastimes: Sitting on top of the couch, "surfing" (sitting with one paw straight out in front of him), "motorcycle riding" (sitting with two paws straight out in front of him together), "Superman" (sitting with two paws straight out in front of him, apart), playing with feather toys including his feather from "Mood" in New York (Thank you, Mood), playing with catnip toys including his bee, digging, burrowing under blankets, watching birds, animals, and feral cats on the porch, trying to catch the broom, running around at night, sleeping, giving himself baths, waking Becky up too early, standing in front of the computer screen when Becky is trying to read it

Un-favorite pastimes: Bela does not like to be picked up and so far he has not sat on my lap. He likes to be right by you, but not ON you.

Favorite movies: Dracula, Bride of the Monster, anything else with Bela Lugosi

Favorite musical artists and songs: Bela Fleck, Bela Bartok, Yerba Buena, Buena Vista Social Club, Grateful Dead, KC and the Sunshine Band, "Bela Lugosi's Dead"

Least favorite musical artists and songs: Three Dog Night, Snoop Doggy Dogg, Joe Cocker, "Hound Dog," "Me and You and a Dog Named Boo," "Who Let the Dogs Out," "Black Dog," "Bird Dog," "Atomic Dog"

Favorite cat foods: Bela likes Fancy Feast (Chopped Grill is his favorite), Whiskas, Wellness, and other canned foods. He likes tuna, seafood, and chicken flavors, and has eaten beef, but he does not like turkey. He's eaten Wellness, Iams, and Meow Mix dry food. Unlike Douglas, he does not have a huge interest in people food, but he has eaten vanilla frosting and the cookie part of chocolate chip cookies.