Six years ago today, I brought Jolene home with a cone on her head. She took the cone off while in the carrier on the ride home. Jolene had her spay and the first of many dental surgeries that year. Jolene had been dumped at the shelter in a box with her kittens. The kittens had all been adopted. They waited to do her spay because the kittens were newborns and she was nursing when she first went into the shelter.

Jolene is now 11 years old. She is the life of our home. Jude was the soul of our home, but Jolene is the life. Things would be very boring without Jolene. She is a busybody and has to know everything that goes on inside the house and outside from her window. This is why she is our Lead Hedgewatch-er.

With Jude, Simon, and Jolene, I had a rare, bonded trio. Jolene ran herd on the boys. Jude would always think twice before playing with her and often thought better of it. Simon may be bigger than Jolene physically, but she always wins. Everyone knows who is in charge. Jolene is the Queen of our household. 

Jolene gives Flower a wide berth. Even Flower knows not to go after Jolene. Flower does not like the word “no.” Pretty much the only time Flower hears “no” is if she tries to go after Jolene. Flower and Jolene are the same weight but built differently and have vastly different personalities. Jolene is very respectful of Flower and a little scared of her because Flower can be grumpy.

In the new house, we are settling into new routines and still trying to decompress from the intense abuse and trauma we experienced. Jolene rarely transports stuffies in the new house, and I’m not sure why. In the old house. Jolene would move her stuffies around every day. Maybe she knew how much danger we were in there and she was moving them so that she always knew where they were for when we had to flee. 

In the new house, we are safe. Maybe she doesn’t need to move them around here because she knows there is no reason to leave this house and she can leave her stuffies without worrying about them. 

There is a neighbor cat named Snowball who likes to come onto our back deck and look at Jolene through the window. I joke and say Snowball is her boyfriend. Every once in a while, she will look out that window that Snowball can reach to look in and I wonder if she is looking for him. 

Jolene is the one who was traumatized the most by the neighbor abuse and is still trying to overcome that. It breaks my heart. Prior to the neighbor abuse at the old house. Jolene was a friendly, happy go lucky cat. She would go up to anyone who visited and came out of her carrier at the vet office like she owned the place. 

Since the neighbor abuse with the noise, ruptured ear drums, attempted arson, and nightly awakenings to the sounds of “fire” the last two months we were there, Jolene has become more fearful. She now hides whenever anyone comes to the house, which she never used to do. She doesn’t just hide when they were here. She hides the entire day, genuinely terrified, after what we experienced at the old house. 

I will never forgive the abuse we experienced at the hands of those people and what they did to us. Jude and Jolene were impacted the most by their intentional cruelty. 

I truly hope the longer we are in the new house that Jolene will realize we are safe here and go back to being her normal friendly, outgoing self. She gives so much love to all of us and is truly the life of the house. 

Jolene has checked out every single window in the new house. She has relaxed enough that she is now okay with seeing people outside and does not hide when she sees people outside. She only hides when people come inside. 

Jolene regularly watches our very kind neighbor, Frank, when he helps us with the snowblower. Frank has even joked that he knows he is being “supervised by the furry residents” when he helps with the snow. 

Simon loves playing with Jolene and cuddles her too. With Jude gone, it’s just Jolene and Simon who are very strongly bonded. Flower still lives in her own little world. Flower tolerates Jolene and Simon more now that she did when she first arrived. Progress with Flower moves very slow. 

Ironically, when Jolene does get scared and hides, she hides in the bedroom with Flower. Flower seems okay with it.

Jolene brings so much joy and life. You truly notice when Jolene is subdued or when something is wrong. She is constantly running around playing, observing, and being the center of the house. 

I never expected to end up with a third cat when I was volunteering at the shelter in wait for a cat friendly dog. I am so blessed that Jolene picked me out. After watching all her kittens be adopted, Jolene deserved the best forever home. 

We love Jolene so much. Thank you for bringing the LIFE to our lives.