Our Jenga

1996 - 2011

I brought you home from the vet hospital where I worked.

We were married just six months then.

You were homeless and so spunky,

With oversized ocelot ears.

You made us laugh with your brainless antics,

Your 100-mile-an-hour silliness, and cross-eyed glances.

Through two moves, two babies born, a Greyhound come and gone,

And always with Skippy—your friend and nemesis,

You charmed us with your jungle-cat strut and your statuesque beauty.

You were a princess. You had Mike wrapped around your little pink toe.

We almost lost you once before.

Mike slept on the floor of the closet

All night, his hand on you.

We nursed you through—

Gave you sub-q fluids and fed you with a syringe.

And you got better.

We had four more years with you, our little "Chickie."

Your bubble-gum toes and cotton-ball feet.

The way you laid “cute traps” we couldn’t resist.

Your rabbit-soft coat, meticulously licked.

Your demanding “feed me” mew.

Your lazy window-sill sunning, eyes half-closed.

Your rattley purr in bed at night.

I’m sorry we weren’t there for you, Jenga—

Our sweet, slinky, shiny girl—

To hold you through your peaceful passing.

A letter Merrit wrote to Jenga when we first told him
on Sunday that she was very sick.

A memorial that Kara, our friend in NC, painted under the chair where
she held Jenga for us until the very end. Thank you, Kara.

Kitty Update #3

We all miss this furball, especially Merrit! Skippy is his nighttime snuggle buddy.

We got an email update from our friends, Jer and Kara, who are keeping our two cats, Skippy and Jenga, for six months, the legal waiting period for entry into the UK. Three months down, three to go! With three cats of their own, a dog, and their almost-one-year-old daughter Emmie, they've got a house full! How can we ever thank them for taking such good care of our two rugrats?! And now, here's Jer:

The cats are doing just fine. Skippy has claimed the glider in Emmie's room as her spot outside of when we have the door closed with Emmie taking a nap or for the first hour or so she's asleep at night. If we're watching TV she's either on the back of the couch as a nice headrest for me or half on Kara's lap purring away. Otherwise, she's sharing our bed with Jenga or sun bathing in the kitchen plant window (see picture). 


Both she and Jenga are no longer shy about letting us know when they THINK they need food--even if it's the wee hours when one of us has gotten up to check on Em or use the bathroom. The all-caps are because they almost always have the special food that we have to give Pito, like the rest of the cats, but aren't very fond of it without mixing in some of the remaining other foods we still have. I keep telling them (all) it won't be long until it's only the special food that's left and there will be no more mixing to please their palates, but I don't think they believe my threats just yet as they have become quite skilled at eating mainly the other food from the mix. 


Both have also learned from Pito, the water quality inspector, that they can persuade us to give them more water almost whenever they decide the existing filtered water isn't fresh enough. Skippy uses both her voice and a recently developed technique of scraping the metal bowl with her claws to get the point across. With all the talking from the cats we still don't cave outside of when it's reasonably close to the schedule. :)


Both your cats along with ours are also doing much better interacting with Emmie--maybe tolerating is the better word. Of course, she's getting better about not just grabbing as much hair as possible with a vice-grip hold! They're getting plenty of attention and care with now being halfway through their stay with us. August will be here before we know it!


Jer

Kitty Update #2

Another update from our friends, Jer and Kara, who are keeping our two cats, Skippy and Jenga, for six months. Here's Jer:

Not a big update really, but just had to get this picture to you of Jenga and the water bowl. I actually had to shoo her off it as it looked like she was about to lay down in the few inches of water entirely. Her front paws were completely submerged when she was drinking out of it and then she climbed upon the top as shown in the picture. Is she that desperate for a bath? :-)

This weekend we had my brother and family in town partly for he and his wife to join us for the Brian Regan show that you guys had originally planned to go with us to--we really missed you guys not being there. We did manage to have a great time in light of it all. BTW, check out Dennis Regan (Brian's older brother who opened for him). He's got some great material as well.


While most of our felines were hiding out while the three cousins were here (an 8- and two 6-year-olds), Skippy and Jenga welcomed the young humans to give them attention. Jordan really liked them a lot and with asking their names he said, "Uncle Jer, if they were my cats I would name this one [Jenga] Purry because she purrs loud and this on [Skippy] Meowy since she meows a lot." I knew before he even said it that it was going to be one of those great things that comes out of Jordan's mouth. I cropped the picture of Jordan with Skippy with my phone so it's low quality taken to really low quality, but a little easier to see.

We hope all is going well and so glad Merrit enjoyed his first day at school so much. Talk soon.


Jer

Kitty Update #1 of ?? (No Pressure, Jer!)

So hopefully this doesn't mean they won't drink from their
water bowls in six months. Both your tabbies have joined
the rest of the pets in drinking from the dog water bowl.

We just got an update from our friends, Jer and Kara, who are keeping our two cats, Skippy and Jenga, for six months.

Animals, including pets, must prove symptomatic-free of rabies for six months AFTER they've had a vaccine and a blood test for the disease BEFORE they can legally enter the UK. It's complicated, but understandable since the UK is a rabies-free island.

Jer and Kara, who already have three Bengal cats, a dog, and a baby are REALLY good friends for keeping the kitties and for flying them over later this year!

And now, here's Jer:

Thought you might like a little update and do know that all are coexisting just fine now. Skippy gives a bit of her mean side to the others here and there but for the most part has ceased from hissing whenever a Bengal gets within 5 feet of her. They are not all quite best buds with each and every other animal but they keep the peace quite well. We've even had an occasion or two with all 6 pets chilling with us watching TV.


All litter boxes are located and food is served to all in the mud room. So far the only crossover is our cats appear to be very welcoming to Skippy and Jenga's litter box, making it their own. Surprisingly food is staying separate. Whether it's the Harwood cats bowls being too high on the dresser or more that the Haynes cats are too lazy to even check it out, I don't know. Our cats don't like to change their diet either so the rare time there is food in the bowls on the floor they just walk on by.


I'm addicted to your blog, Mir, and it is great motivation for us trying to work our way over sometime soon ourselves, but mostly it makes us miss you all wishing we were there, too.


Get your number to us and let us know when a good time for a phone call would be. :-)


Cheers,
Jer