If you have been here before (or taken a peek at my Instagram) you know that I am a 100% obsessed cat lady! I am partial to dogs too but I prefer the loving indifference of a cat shaped floof. Right now I am blessed with to black & white boys, Mr Pyjamas (Jarms) and Jean-Luc. I could honestly spend all day, every day hanging out with them and instagramming their gorgeousness. And sometimes I do! So you can imagine that when Cotopaxi (the outdoor clothing and gear company that is committed to quality products, produced ethically, that support communities and also give 10% off all profits to help others) contacted me about Cat Day I was in! They asked me to write a blog post with my cats origin stories to celebrate International Cat Day (Well, it’s national cat day in the US but is widely celebrated on the good ole internet). I was on it like a cat on tuna!
Both boys were rescues but they came in completely different ways. I’ve recently written about adopting Jean-Luc, so I’ll tell you about how Jarms and I first met. About 10 years ago, I was friends with a wonderful woman called Adele and her partner, a beautiful security guard called Mandi. Mandi was working security for a huge frozen food processing and storage site. She worked with security dogs and in particular, one that was quite young and needed much more training. Mandi was a tough farm girl but she was an absolute softy with any animal (and most people too). I got a text from her around midnight one night, asking if I could call her ASAP about a cat. I was up, so I called and this was the conversation…
- Mandi – Umm, you know where I’m working? And you know I tell you that people dump kittens here.
- Me – Yeah…..
- Mandi – Well, I normally call animal control because they are in such bad shape, I mean, they won’t live. But this thing happened and ummmm….
- Me – Come on, out with it
- Mandi – It was the weirdest thing. I heard a kitten and spotted it with my torch and it just looked at me. I was with the dog but it didn’t care. It followed me for like 700m. So I put it in my pocket.
- Me – and…
- Mandi – Well I brought it back to the guard hut and it fought the security dog for the food! Like seriously! Lucky it was the pup or the kitten would be lunch! The dog actually freaked out and was scared!
- Me – oh what a kitty! He must be hungry!
- Mandi – He was, I’m feeding him my weetbix and milk.
- Me – Aww!
- Mandi – So can you take him? We have Feyodor (big ginger boy) and our lease is one cat only. Your house is cat heaven, go on.
- Me – I cannot possibly have another cat! I already have two. When do I pick him up?
And that is how I came to have Mr Pyjamas! He was very small, he looked maybe 4 weeks old. I was shocked when the vet said he was more like 3 months and very undernourished! Jarms was mothered by Charlie and Doris and learned about indoor cat life quickly. Look how small he is with them (and they were both very small kitties) and how big he ended up! He ate anything (including some birdseye chillis from the bench!) and everything and became quite the big floof. Although, he has never learned to meow and makes a pathetic sort of baa noise! Which is made more ridiculous by his size.
Jarms is a super affectionate boy! He love cuddles and I frequently sleep for hours with him as the little spoon. He comes for a pat, purrs up a storm and bumpfs into me, forcing me to spoon him and snuggle. If he’s not in my arms, he’s probably on my head, he loves sleeping there. You can do almost anything to him and he will let you, he’s very relaxed. As you can see in this video….
Jarms is being an excellent big brother to Jean-Luc too. Jean-Luc was born in rescue and had never been inside before, so Jarms showed him the ways of indoor cat life. Jarms pointed out the sunny spots and soft places to hang out. Jarms had Charlie and Doris to show him the way and he’s been pretty cool about his little bro. Which is lucky, because Jean-Luc is a bit of a weirdo! You’ll have to keep reading for the evidence!
Jean-Luc is obsessed with water! We can’t have any sort of water bowl because it ends up all over the floor. We bought a cat water fountain and we have had to tape it to a tray (protecting the floorboards) and tape that to the floor and tape the thing closed because Jean-Luc is an aqua cat! We put a few inches of water in the bath and let him at it and he…….swam! Don’t believe me? I have video proof…
Jean-Luc picks up anything he can find (hair clips/ties/pins, corks, bottle lids, makeup brushes) and brings them to his sleeping spot (the end of the bed on my side). He recently tried to take a cheesy tablespoon from the sink but it was too heavy! He also loves mirrors and his own reflection and will look at you via a mirror, which is creepy. Jean-Luc also loves pawing the tv, watching the tv, killing your phone etc.He’s a bit wild, a bit crazy, a little bitey and a lot derpy! Watching him interpret the world is amazing!
When Mr Ask and I met, I already had Charlie, Doris and Jarms. I loved them like crazy and Mr Ask knew it. Mr Ask was actually wildly allergic to cats. I kept the antihistamines by the door and he would suffer it all so that he could hang out with me (that’s some loving devotion right there!) and luckily, over time the allergy disappeared. Mr Ask hadn’t had cats before but over time he became a cat man. Shh! Don’t say it to him, he’s still in denial. Even though he hugs, kisses and plays daily. He even keeps cat treats in his bedside drawer! Mr Ask has been through both Charlie and Doris passing (and two of Mummy Asks Dogs) and he was a trooper. We had agreed that three cats in our little apartment was too much but having one cat was too lonely, especially as they are inside cats. So Jean-Luc was his choice from the cats available and his first ‘from the beginning’ cat – he even named him. And when I dare to mention the names Pussy Picard and Captain Kitty, I’m told off. There is only one true name Ca(p)tain Jean-Luc Pilchard. I think it suits him because he is a small, fuzzy explorer. In any case, he is cute as can be and his little weirdness fit right on it at our place.
I’ve probably talked about my guys too much already! So as I’ve said before, rescued is the best kind of cat. If you are considering a furry addition to the family, please adopt. And if you can spare time or money, why not help out? I know that many rescue organizations are in need of foster carers and gratefully accept donations. To make sure your donation hits the mark, be sure to check with the organization and find out what they accept. Even better, donate cash. If you worry about giving cash, speak to the organization and see if you can pay your cash directly to one of the vets they use. That way you know that you are paying for direct veterinary care. Now, send me your cat pics because I need more cats in my life but I only have room for two in my house xxx
P.S. I was not paid or otherwise induced to write this post. Cotopaxi are all about doing good and asked me to join in the fun. As I am 110% cat lady, I was mentally writing this before I finished reading their email. I think they may give away a backpack to some of the best posts but I am in it for the kitties.
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