For the Love of Cat Vol. 1, Jack the Cat

Jack and little Louie, 2006

Louie Has Always Loved Cats

When I took Louie home with me in 2006, I already had an animal friend living with me. His name was Jack the Cat. Jack was a very special cat. I'd known him since he was a kitten. A friends roommate got him.  I'm guessing, but I think I took jack home in 2003 or 04 and he was around a year old. My friends were moving and they couldn't take him to their new place.

I didn't really want a cat, I wasn't really a fan. Jack quickly changed my mind. He wasn't sketchy and hissy all the time like I thought all cats were, he was a confident and super mellow dude.


Just a quick example of Jack's extreme relaxation ability:

One day I watched out the window as my neighbor was mowing his lawn. Jack was lying in the long grass. When it came time for the guy to mow where Jack was lying, you would think Jack would run as fast as he could to get away from this loud and scary thing coming straight for him! He did not. Jack lifted his head and looked out of one eye, then put his head back down and went to sleep. The neighbor waiting a second, got closer and still nothing. The man stopped the mower, picked up Jack, moved in a few feet over on to the already cut grass, then when about his business of restarting his mower, and continuing on. Jack still kept napping in the same position.

It was that kind of ultimate zen that Jack possessed that allowed him to tolerate a new puppy in the house. Louie and Jack became fast friends and bed-mates. I would often find jack snuggling up to Louie on his dog bed when I woke up in the morning.

Jack taught Louie that cat's could be friends. Some other cats Louie met taught Louie that not every cat is a friend at first. If it wasn't for Jack I'm sure Lou would be terrified of cats altogether. When he meets a new feline, he is pretty nervous. He's waiting to be hit so he's flinching again and again every time something moves. I'm sure to be close by, even with my hand on Louie's shoulder. That way he knows I'm there playing referee during this meet and greet.

Jack had many great adventures during his short life.

One day, just after I arrived home from work there was a knock on the front door. I answered it and it was my neighbor holding Jack. I will add that our neighbors loved Jack, they had cats themselves and Jack got along with everybody. The neighbor let Jack down in to the house. He began to sheepishly explain where he had found my cat. He said he got up and left for work this morning at about 8am. It was spring time and he had forgotten to roll up his car windows the night before. He drove to work, parked, cracked all the windows and went in just like he did every other day. When he got back into his car at 5pm, he saw Jack sleeping comfortably in his passenger seat. The neighbor figures he'd gotten in through the open window of his car sometime in the very early morning. Jack spent a car ride adventure day napping in the sun. I asked him first if Jack had used his Subaru as a litter box on his long excursion. He said he hadn't, he didn't scratch up anything or make any messes. He was just along for the ride. Jack had a way of exploring and having fun without overstepping his boundary's. My neighbor and I both agreed to check our cars before leaving for work just in case this was his new favorite thing to do.

Louie and I say our last goodbyes to our friend Jack the Cat

Saying Goodbye.

Jack passed away somewhat suddenly in the summer of 2008. He started to lose weight rapidly. We took him to the vet and found he had some kind of huge obstruction in his lower intestine and was already pretty bad off. It was hard to say goodbye. I love Jack and will always give him credit for helping me raise such a good dog. Also, because of Jack, I can love cats now too.