The Long Branch Chronicles - Jake Edition. First of all, I wanted to thank everyone for their kind words. Loosing a life long pet always hits harder than you expect. And this one especially so. Jake was quiet, gentle, undemanding, and as willing to give affection as she was to receive it. I would often say of her - as she sat patiently grooming the dog as she did every night since Rooney was a pup (or one of us when we werent feeling well), or when Id find her peacefully sleeping in a bed crowded with dogs and grandkids - that she wasnt just the best cat, she was the finest creature Id ever known. She never once unsheathed her claws. And even those times when I had to bath her, she never scratched me, not even accidentally during attempts to make a get away. She never once sneaked up on the table. Never once growled over the prey of the day. Never hissed or spat. And in spite of being the best mouser we ever had (a stone cold killer in fact) she never once set her sights on baby chicks or ducklings though there was amble opportunity. One snowy night, the first snowfall of our very first winter her, this young orange tabby, barely out of kittenhood, chose us. Wed seen feral cats of all ages lurking along the roadside at night. Even the kittens were always furtive. And if approached, they proved flightier than the deer around here. Yet this one chose us - loud, plaintive, and demanding. Chose us out of every other house in the neighborhood. She chose us in spite of our unwillingness to take in a third cat. In spite of the hostile territory the other two had already staked out for themselves. In spite of the fact that for two solid days we were having none of it. She insisted - loud, plaintive, and demanding, until finally we relented. She had a rough life all during the years the other cats were here, but a very good one once she out lived them. All she ever asked of us is that we never introduce another. And on the two occasions we tried, she would take DEFCON to banshee proportions - even scratching out at us if we as much as tried to calm her. Her behavior was alarming in that it was so uncharacteristic. To Henry and me, it seemed as if Jake had disappeared and a one time full on feral cat had taken her place. Maybe her remarkable bearing and extreme forbearance was simply due to the fact that she was not only an orange tabby - well known for their fine dispositions; but that she was a female - and of so course, a nurturer, too boot. But, as our vet told us, such a combination was very rare. We may find another cat on our doorstep - even one whose chosen us above all others. But I doubt well ever find another like her. Im no anthropomorphist. To me, animal behaviors can always be explained in terms of evolution and adaptation. But nevertheless, I found myself reminded by her of those human emotions like patience, gentleness, and, well, kindness - every single day. And furthermore, those reminders came from what most would likely describe as, just a cat. She accepted us without condition, foolish and flawed as we all were. I could do well in preserving her memory by emulating just this cat - every single day.
Posted on: Sun, 14 Sep 2014 17:38:52 +0000
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