Jake
June 14, 2009 – May 12, 2023.
Friday morning, we said goodbye to our beloved Loony Jake. He was diagnosed with Lymphoma back in February, so this is something we knew was coming. We spent the months after his diagnosis spoiling him absolutely rotten, and I believe that he was happy right up until Friday morning, when he gave us very clear signs that it was his time, and so we made the appointment. He went quickly and peacefully, looking at the humans who loved him for nearly 14 years.
Though we knew his time was coming, I keep forgetting and then remembering that he’s gone, and his absence is huge.
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In August of 2009, about six weeks after we’d lost Mister Boogers, Fred and I went on a day trip to Tennessee. When we arrived back home, we found two little gray kittens near our side porch and a container of cat food on the steps. Someone had clearly dumped them on us, hoping that we’d care for them.
We were fostering for Challenger’s House at the time, and at first we said we were going to foster them, but I don’t know who we thought we were kidding. Less than 24 hours later we decided that they were going to be permanent residents. We struggled with trying to find the right names for them, but finally Fred said “They’re blue. They’re brothers. They’re Jake and Elwood!” and that was that.
Jake earned the nickname “Loony Jake” pretty quickly because when he looked at you, he looked completely twirly-eyed insane. Like such.
We liked to say he was “tuning his loons.”
When we first got Jake and Elwood, we were fostering the True Blood Six kittens, who were about the same age. They basically grew up together, and Jake and Elwood had a blast. Jake loved the fosters, and was always one of the permanent residents the fosters would seek out to play and snuggle with.
In his older years he became less interested in the fosters – though if they were around long enough, he’d make friends – but he always adored his brothers and sisters. In 2012 we lost his brother Elwood to FIP, and I worried that Jake would miss him terribly. Fortunately, he had his other siblings to comfort him. He loved them so, and they loved (or at least tolerated) him back.
It never occurred to him that another cat might not like him. He’d walk over to whoever was around and present his head to them to be licked. And they almost always complied, though if they didn’t he never took it personally, would just wander off after a bit.
He was a quiet boy with a big presence. If it was time to eat, he got SUPER vocal (and would get so excited that he’d rub up against whichever cat was around) – and if he found a toy and was in the right mood, he’d carry it through the house, keening at the top of his lungs. Otherwise, he was just always there, the happiest boy with the sweetest personality. He never gave us a moment of trouble in his entire life.
I had so hoped that Jake would make it to his 14th birthday in June, but I know that we made every day of these past few months a celebration of him, and I think he knew how much we loved him.
Goodbye, Jake. We miss your silly face and your sweet, sweet presence so very much.
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Previously
2022: No entry.
2021: No entry.
2020: I swear, Bunny is just cartoonishly adorable.
2019: Charles looks like he’s having nefarious thoughts, doesn’t he?
2018: “Forget about the toes,” says Debi. “Have you seen my fabulous STRIPES?”
2017: “Hey, you guys, wake up and play!”
2016: “Mama, Mama, Mama! Gimme a piggyback ride!”
2015: Da baby.
2014: Livia’s just tired of me and that stupid camera.
2013: Talk about covered in kittens!
2012: They decided I might be okay.
2011: No entry.
2010: No entry.
2009: Scheming.
2008: BRATS.
2007: I think the shirt is broken, though. No one ever offers me chocolate!
2006: No entry.
2005: No entry.