This morning the world has lost a great pair of whiskers.
I met Jones almost seven years ago when I walked into the house of my now husband. He was a funny bugger and knew how to suck up like no one else could. He greeted me at the stairs so eager to make sure that I, as the new comer, knew that this was his world and it was my job to love him. And I do.
After I got my car he became conditioned to the sound. We always knew that he was a smart cat but he knew the sound of my car and would always be there when I walked inside. If he was inside he would greet me on the landing, if he was outside he would run up and greet me at the edge of the drive way.
When I moved in with the Thiessens, Jones knew he had suckered me. It didn’t matter where I went or what happened with Alex and I, he knew that I would always be there and I knew he would be there as well. When the world got difficult he was there to remind me that it was his world and I was there to love him. It got to the point where everyone knew that this was my cat and I was his human. When I left for a while they even told me I could take him with me but I didn’t. And when I came back he made sure to punish me by ignoring me for a week before putting me in my proper place.
He started to be a bit of a pain in the ass. He slept with us until he was too warm, then he would make sure to make space for himself, then he would start attacking things to tell us he was hungry – in every way it was his world. We couldn’t figure it out for a while but eventually we realized that if we left a bowl of kibble in our room too then he would let us sleep. He was too lazy to have to walk upstairs and get kibble. He thought there should be some in every room for him.
When we got our own place Jones came with us, he ruled the basement, and would sleep on any couch he wanted to.
Fact is that Jones brought Alex and I closer together, and he made sure that I was here for Alex when he needed me. He stuck around as long as he needed to just to make sure that we would have each other when it was his time. He may have been a tad cocky and self-centered but that was Jones, the centre of attention.
When he had his stroke a few months ago we thought for sure that it was that time to start thinking about things but boy did he put us in our place. He came back, daring as ever, and fought through everything that came his way. We would constantly tell him that we would fight as long as he wanted us too. Sure it almost killed our wedding budget but that didn’t matter to us. Jones did. Alex and I became stronger because of him, brought us closer together, and taught us things that some couples don’t learn within the first few years. This was his world and he was super smart. I don’t know where we would have been without him, but I am sure glad that I will never have to know.
He deserves so many more words than this but he let us know – and it was his time.
(A little over seven hundred words for the seven years I knew him)
He was our companion, our familiar, and will always be our friend.
Thank you for being here for us Jones – for teaching us to love louder, and for bringing whiskers into our lives. We are sad to see you go but are so thankful for all of our time together, even when you were peeing on the bed. Just had to leave some extra marks to let us know that it’s still your world.
We love you, Jones Le Cat. Always.
-A
A. N. Stetzl 