AD | When you look at my About Me page, you’ll see I call myself a cat concierge. Well, I’ve written about when we acquired Spooky, and how Ginger moved in, but for some reason, I’ve never written about our beloved senior cat, Jester. I think his tale is long overdue so when Petplan * asked if I’d like to share my pet story, I knew this was my perfect opportunity.
A new kitten
In all honesty, I didn’t want Jester. Murphy, my favourite cat, had just died and I was devastated. (If anyone tells me that animals aren’t people and not to be so dramatic, please unfollow me now). We still had his sister, Maha, and Alan thought she needed some company. Some friends had a few kittens needing homes and he decided to take one, on the proviso he could bring it back if I really didn’t want to keep it.
This is Jester on his first morning with us. Clearly Alan knew best (this one time only), because obviously we were going to keep him.
An apartment cat
We lived in a first floor flat in Bath for 15 years so our cats were indoor cats, and Jester loved sitting on the window ledge in the sunshine. I had a heart-stopping moment when he fell off once, but luckily my plants cushioned his fall, as it would have been a very long way down. Lesson learned, he never fell off again, fortunately. (For those of you who follow my gardening posts, yes, this window box was my first garden!)
We decided just because we lived in a flat, that didn’t mean Jester shouldn’t get outside. The Recreation ground, where Bath Rugby play their matches, was just behind us so, every weekend, or on a sunny evening, we’d harness him up and take him for a walk (dogs weren’t allowed on the Rec but obviously there were no rules about cats) Imagine, if you will, how much this did for Alan’s street cred, to have a mincing white kitten on end of a lead.
What did Maha think?
Maha was not at all impressed at first but Jester’s sheer persistence wore her down in the end. He absolutely adored her.
True story: in the last week of her life (a couple of years after we’d moved to the country) Jester caught a mouse, which he gave to her as a token of respect.
A country cat
Jester spent his first six years as a flat cat, but when we moved to the country he adapted very quickly. If I opened the bedroom window and saw a white blob in the faraway field, all I had to do was call his name and he’d come lolloping back instantly, meowing as he ran.
He was fiercely territorial in his youth and brooked no other cat anywhere near our garden. And yet, he was perfectly accepting towards the succession of cats that followed after Maha: Lily our rescue cat, Flora’s first cat Buzz (above left), his successor Spooky (above right), and Ginger. Although, as you can see, he wasn’t too sure what to make of Flora when she arrived, but he very quickly decided she was good to snuggle with when she was asleep 🙂
Senior cat
How times have changed. As I write this piece, Jester is 15 years old. He’s thin, not in the best of health (he has an untreatable compromised immune system), but he’s still soldiering on like a trooper. Both Ginger and Spooky defer to him and Spooky worships the ground he pads on.
He’s always been my snuggliest boy, right from the beginning. The middle pic is the two of us having a sunny afternoon nap together, a few weeks after I’d found out I was pregnant.
Why our clown prince?
The moniker came when he was still a flat cat with excess energy. He spent so much time leaping around, not looking where he was going, he crashed into a door and his right ear never recovered. (Obviously, we tell friends he did it in a fight because the reality is so much less heroic).
Notwithstanding the above, Jester is the friendliest, most affectionate, and most chilled cat I’ve ever known. He’s never bitten or scratched anyone in his life, not even when undergoing treatment for an eye ulcer some years ago. This entailed countless vet trips, surgery, blood tests, further surgery, and an eight-week recovery period, during which time I had to give him pills twice a day and eye drops four times a day. He was scared and hated the aftercare, but he never fought back.
Petplan
When Jester was ill, all the surgery and treatments he had to have were terrifyingly expensive. We would have been very hard pressed to find the money if we hadn’t had him insured. This is where Petplan Pet Insurance comes in. Petplan has been around since 1976 and, as you might have guessed, offers insurance policies for our pets. In addition to their Covered for Life® policies, they also have a 12-month policy designed to suit all needs, such as an older pet.
Better nutrition and health care have increased the life expectancy of dogs and cats, according to an article in a recent The Economist 1843 magazine. They report that the PDSA reckons owners will spend around £17,000 during the life of a large dog and £12,000 on a cat. Clearly, figures like these means it makes sense to think about insurance for our pets to help with unexpected bills.
Petplan wants to hear your Pet Stories too, so whether it’s a recovery from illness or just their day to day mischief, share your story on Petplan’s Facebook or Instagram using #PethoodStories. I’m loving Sindy’s story over on Real Mum Reviews’ blog =^-^=
Treasured moments
I’ve had and still have so many treasured moments with Jester:
- Getting into the far end of the bath with me while I was showering and using it as a toilet (only the once but aaargh)
- Drinking from my water glass and eating my marmite toast crusts
- Always coming when he’s called (unlike any other cat I’ve known)
- Snuggling up to me whenever I’m ill or having a Sunday morning lie-in
- Seeing him relaxing in the warmest spot both inside and outside – a great stress relief lesson for us all
Jester’s a scraggy old boy now but he’s my precious scraggy old boy and will always be my clown prince. I hope you’ve enjoyed reading his story as much as I have writing it and rambling down memory lane. Last winter he was very poorly so I’m slightly surprised but very grateful that he’s still with us. And I’m keeping everything crossed that we’ll be able to carry on enjoying some more good times together before he takes his final trip over the rainbow bridge.
Do you have any pets? Did you have any pets when you were growing up? Are you a cat concierge like me or a dog lover? What’s your pet story?
* This post is in conjunction with Petplan but all thoughts are my own.
There is no better way to start Monday than to read a delightful post about the most precious cat. I honestly fell completely in love with Jester through this post, he sounds like the best boy! I have both a dog and a cat – although they live down in Devon with my parents – and our cat is the most haughty princess known to mankind! She does let me snuggle her though.
Cordelia || cordeliamoor.com
Aw, thank you so much! I know what you mean about girl cats though, Maha was very moody. When she was in a good mood there was no cat snugglier but otherwise, she could freeze an outstretched hand with a look, haha. Boy cats are much more affectionate! xx
Aww, this is such a lovely post and such a cheerful read, thank you for so much for sharing. Jester is sooo adorable and such a little character too! He sounds like the most gentle, affectionate companion and it’s so sweet that he snuggles up with you. Yikes! I’m so glad the plants cushioned his fall from the window and good to hear he is still solidering on dispite his illnesses. I’ve got my cats covered with PetPlan and it did come in very handy last year when Simba needed stitches. Vets are so expensive! This is such a sweet post with the cutest photos and it really made me smile. Thanks Lisa! <3 xx
Thank you so much, Bexa 🙂 I’m glad I managed to get across what a lovely old boy Jester is, you always think you do but the test is in how it appears to another reader! Good to hear your cats are insured, as you say, vets are really expensive, far more so than doctors. But our fur babies are definitely worth it, haha. I hope Simba is fully recovered, he’s such a gorgeous cat. Thank you again for your lovely comment xx
THIS IS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL CAT I’VE EVER SEEN! + your photography skills are on POINT! <3
https://octoberslallu.blogspot.com/
Oh my goodness, thank you so much, what a lovely thing to say!! xx
This is an absolutely adorable post! Loved reading this about Jester! We currently don’t have any pets togther but James has a cat back home and I have a dog back home!
Jessica & James
Aw, thank you so much! Alan loves dogs too but I have to say I’m a cat girl. Our neighbours have a lovely dog so Alan gets his fix with Harry 🙂 x
I am such a cat lady! I adopted a kitten three months ago and could not be happier! your cats are so cute! Now I want to adopt a white kitty!
Kittens are the best! Except when they fall off window ledges…! I bet your kitten is the cutest 🙂 x
Jester is an absolute cutie! Cats are incredible and it sounds like he is such a character!
Love, Amie ❤
The Curvaceous Vegan
Ah, thank you, he is a one-off, definitely! x
This is such a lovely post! Pets are definitely family, no question!! Funnily enough, Hugo got mail with a pet plan offer in the mail today (addressed to him personally of course). I love the photo with baby Flora. Jester sounds like such a lovely cat x
Sophie
http://www.glowsteady.co.uk
They really are family. I mean we had cats looooong before Flora arrived so she’s grown up with them. Jester still sleeps with her sometimes (although he still waits until she’s already sleeping, haha) xx
This is the sweetest post I’ve read in a while! He’s so gorgeous
Thank you so much – I’m biased, but yes, he is gorgeous 🙂 x
Jester sounds like a sweetheart! That’s so funny about the ear…if anyone is going to injure themselves playing, it’s a kitten! XD
He’s honestly the sweetest natured cat, despite also being one of the clumsiest 🙂 x
Aww, this was a lovely read Lisa. I enjoyed reading about Jester from his time in the flat to his first experiences with other cats to the old boy he’s become.
In our family we had various fish, great African land snails, a Chilean rose hair tarantula and rabbits.
Thank you, Kim! My goodness, you did have a menagerie – I don’t think I like the sound of the tarantula though. Our cats will eat spiders if they catch them but I think a tarantula might be a challenge too far! x
Cats are family. We have 2, a 10 yr old and a 4 yr old. Hope that you have your little fur babies for many more years to come.
I’m so glad you said that! And thank you, I wish the same for you and your furry family too 🙂 x
What a sweet cat! He was so cute as a kitten! I love pure white cats. Although I’m not a cat person myself as I have a dog, I do love cats as they can be incredibly sweet. And pets definitely are part of the family! xxx
He really was, and so funny as well. Now he’s just a creaky old man, but no less loving 🙂 I’ve seen photos of your dog and he is super cute too! xx
Aww, I absolutely adored reading this post and got tears in my eyes at the rainbow bridge part. I know Jester is 15 but I hope you still have a lot more time with him.
I loved seeing all the photos and was particularly intrigued at seeing him with Flora. I often wonder how our cats would react if I ever have a baby. My male cat hated when we got our second cat and after a couple of years he still hates her.. he wanted to be the only baby. I don’t think he’d cope very well if I suddenly introduced a baby into the mix!
Jester sounds a lot like my little female cat.. she’s never bitten or scratched either. It’s so lovely to have a docile cat like that.. and I love that Jester comes when called! I wish mine would do that. Only time they come is if I shake their treats.. they come running.
Having pet insurance is a must to be a responsible pet owner. Whenever anyone gets a cat or dog, I always feel like the annoying woman that goes, “Did you get pet insurance?” But it’s soooo necessary. Sadly our pet insurance won’t cover any teeth problems our cats may have in the future which is quite worrying since neither of them tolerate their teeth being brushed. If you have any tips on that, I’d love to know!
Amazing post. I really loved it! Thank you for sharing Jester’s story. ♥
Ah, thank you so much, what a lovely thing to say. Jester is very special, I know I’m biased, but he really is one in a million. I’m afraid I can’t offer any tips on teeth cleaning except to start when they’re kittens so they get used to it? If I tried to do it now it would stress Jester out and I’d probably lose a hand with Spooky or Ginger. I used to clip Jester’s claws when he was an indoor cat and he still lets me do it now, but, again, Spooky or Ginger wouldn’t allow it. And, YES, insurance for pets is soooooo important, I know it can be expensive but it’s worth it for peace of mind if nothing else. Thank you so much for your lovely comment, I’m glad you enjoyed Jester’s story 🙂 xxx
I love reading all about how Jester came into your life, but most importantly, I love seeing the love that you have for him. It’s so clear in the way you write! He deserves all that and more, and I’m happy that he was able to find such a perfect forever family to care for him. Pet insurance is such an important topic, one that is often overlooked. Thank you for sharing your story and helping to shine a light on it!
Ah, thank you, Britt. Since this post was written, we’ve had to say farewell to him and I miss him terribly. He was my boy and there’s a huge hole in my heart now. Towards the end he did get very ill so, as you say, pet insurance was very helpful. Thank you for your lovely comment x