Jolene

Happy 12th Birthday, Jolene!

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Today (August 24) the Queen turns 12. We always take Jolene’s birthday as a reminder to adopt the moms. Jolene was dumped at outside the shelter in a box with her kittens when she was 5 years old. She watched all her kittens be adopted and then was there for several months before she picked me out. Kittens are cute but look at the moms also. 

Jolene is the life of our household. She is strongly bonded to Simon. It is very noticeable if Jolene does not feel well because the life just drains out of the house. Jolene is friendly, playful and keeps things interesting.

She enjoys moving her favorite stuffies around daily. In the new house, Jolene likes to transport carrot and the large yellow mouse that a friend had made for Flower. Jolene will move her toys from room to room, depending on where she thinks they need to be that day.

Jolene is our Lead Hedgewatch-er and caught her first live mouse in June. I sometimes caught mice in the live traps in the basement. This was the first time a mouse was brave enough to enter our living space. Jolene was on cat cam with the mouse in her mouth. She tried to put it in a toy box and seemed quite surprised when her toy jumped out and began to be interactive.

The mouse successfully escaped two cats (Jolene and Simon – Flower was sleeping in the bed with me). I’m sure that mouse is legend with its tale of escape. Hopefully all its little friends got the message not to come into our living space due to the fierce Hedgewatch-er who lives here. 

Jolene must know everything that goes on inside and outside the house. She supervises our neighbors who help with the snow in winter. She runs to the window to watch the school bus go by so all the children can wave at her. She looks for her “boyfriend” Snowball (lives 2 houses down) out the window in the summer.

Jolene brings so much life and love to our home. She was very closely bonded with Jude until his passing. I truly had a bonded trio with Jude, Simon and Jolene. Now that it is just Jolene and Simon, they continue to be closely bonded. When Flower was alive, Jolene had a healthy respect for Flower. She knew to keep her distance, as Flower did not like them close to her. However, Jolene would look for Flower at certain times of day and still try to be as near to Flower as she would tolerate. 

I truly think Jolene would have been even more closely bonded to Flower if Flower would have let them near her. I do have some photos of the girls touching noses and both of them were ok with it. 

With Simon being 10, Simon is still the baby. Now that Jolene is 12 and both Jude and Flower have passed, Jolene is the oldest cat in this house. 

Jolene alternates between sleeping with me at night and patrolling the house. She has to keep an eye on things. She is very loving and is a true cuddle bug. She does perform coworker duty still now that Jude is gone.

Jolene is the only one curious enough to fully explore our new home. She has had supervised time in the basement to explore. She was the one to successfully identify the mouse point of entry. Jolene has also expressed interest in the attached garage and has had some brief supervised time there also. 

At the vet office, Jolene comes right out of her carrier like she owns the place. Jolene is there to be adored by all the staff and she knows it. She uses her cuteness to try to get out of things she doesn’t like (such as getting her nails cut). When that doesn’t work, she wiggles like Houdini to try to escape whatever it is she doesn’t like. 

If Simon brings the love to the house, Jolene brings the LIFE. She is the Queen of the house. We love you, Jolene! Happy 12th Birthday! 

Happy 6th Gotcha Day, Jolene!

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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. 

Happy 11th Birthday, Jolene!

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August 24 is Jolene’s birthday and this year the Queen turns 11! Jolene brings so much life and love to our household. Jolene has my girl baby name. She is the first female cat I have ever had. 

While she is small, Jolene made it apparent from when she first arrived that she oversaw Jude and Simon. Jude liked to cuddle Jolene and was cautious in playing with her. He was truly gentle with Jolene and played rougher with Simon. 

Jolene and Simon play almost like kittens! Jolene is typically the one who starts the play session, and she likes to win. Often, Jolene and Simon will chase each other up and down the stairs. They also cuddle each other and are truly bonded. 

Flower lives in her own little world and hisses at the house cats. Jolene is afraid of Flower and gives her plenty of space. Jolene does not go near Flower. Sometimes Jolene appears on cat cam at night checking on Flower when she is asleep, but it is more of a general “let’s check the entire house” than a specific check on Flower.

Jolene’s favorite toys are carrot and ghost bear. Her stuffies are moved around the house daily. Jolene enjoys transporting them to different places. Sometimes she even puts one of them in a carrier. You know that Jolene is feeling well and in good spirits if she is moving her stuffies around.

Jolene loves attention and will often arch up like a little horse for pets. She loves to be picked up. She is quite the work driver, as she likes to sit in my lap and knows what work times are when I should be sitting. She follows me everywhere. Jolene goes to the basement every morning to check the live traps for mice. She follows me down to supervise laundry and the emptying of the dehumidifier. 

Whether at the vet office or at home, Jolene knows just how she likes things and has the nickname Miss Sassy Pants. She is adept at wiggling her way out of things and looking cute when she does not want something to be done to her – like her nails trimmed or her ears cleaned. 

Jolene had been found dumped at the animal shelter in a box with her kittens when she was 5 years old. All her kittens were adopted first. Jolene was in a cage at the back in the corner on the bottom. She pawed to be let out, and the orange caught my eye. When I took her out of the cage, she hugged me and would not let go. She picked me out. 

Each August, we try to use Jolene’s birthday month to bring awareness to adopt the moms. Adopt the shy cats, the seniors, the differently abled.

In addition to being a mom, Jolene is differently abled. She has a genetic condition that resulted in needing almost all her teeth removed. She has four teeth. She also gets motion sickness when traveling in the car. The motion sickness is unfortunate, as she loves traveling in the car. Thankfully, she does have vet prescribed motion sickness medication so she can enjoy car rides when needed without vomiting. 

Jolene brings so much love and life to this house. We love you, Jolene! Happy Birthday to the Queen! 

Happy 5th Gotcha Day, Jolene!

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Jolene transporting her favorite stuffy, ghost bear. Ghost bear is moved daily.

It was 5 years ago today, on January 14, 2020 that Jolene came home from the shelter and joined our family. She has now officially been a member of our family longer than she was homeless. Jolene was 5 years old whe  I adopted her. She had been found dumped in a box with her kittens. Of course, all her kittens were adopted first. Then Jolene picked me out when I was at the shelter looking for a cat friendly DOG.

Jolene is the Queen of our house and livened things up when she arrived. I never though life was boring, but when you compare life from before Jolene to life with Jolene – life before Jolene was boring. 

Jolene gets both Jude and Simon to play in ways that they did not play prior to her arrival. Jude and Simon did play with each other. However, with Jolene around, they play much more. Simon loves playing with Jolene. They play quite frequently throughout the day. They love chasing each other up and down stairs and wrestling.

Jude prefers to play by himself. However, I have noticed that Jude plays more frequently since Jolene arrived. It’s almost like Jolene has given the boys” permission” to be playful. 

Jolene moves stuffies around. Her favorite stuffies, ghost bear and carrot, are moved daily. She has to be sure that her stuffies are where she wants them before bed. She loves the cacti scratching posts and can frequently be found climbing them as well. 

Jolene is our Lead Hedgewatch-er. She knows everything that is going on inside the house and outside. She keeps a diligent eye on all the birds, squirrels, outside cats and neighbors. She goes to the basement with me every morning to check the live traps for mice. If there is a mouse in the live trap, she bats the tube to bring it to my attention that a mouse needs to be released outside. 

I always had boys cats prior to Jolene. She is my first girl and has my girl baby name. I could not ask for a more perfect daughter. She brings so much life and love to our lives. 

She does coworker shifts with me during the day, sitting in my lap while I work. She sleeps with me every single night. She cuddles and cleans both Jude and Simon. 

Jude is the oldest of the three. He likes to think he is in charge. Jolene is the one in charge. Jude does not play with Jolene very often. He thinks about it, then thinks better of it. Jolene is a lot smaller than Jude, but she is in charge and does not put up with his crap. Jolene gives Jude a look and Jude backs down.

Simon is the youngest of the three. Sometimes Jolene does treat him like a kitten. I did see her once grab the back of his neck like a kitten and try to drag him. She did not get very far, as Simon is so much bigger than she is. But Jolene does treat Simon like a kitten sometimes. She cuddles him like a kitten when they sleep on bed with me at night.

Everyone who has met Jolene loves her. She comes out of the box at the vet office with confidence. She acts like she owns the place! Jolene is very particular on what she likes and doesn’t like. If you do something she doesn’t like, I call her Miss Sassy Pants. She makes it known when she doesn’t like something. 

Jolene is the life and the love of our lives. She makes this house a home. I am very fortunate in that I have a bonded trio. Both the boys love Jolene to pieces. We are so lucky she picked me out that day at the shelter. 

Happy Gotcha Day, Jolene! We are so happy to have you as part of our family! 

Happy 10th Birthday, Jolene!

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Happy 10th Birthday, Jolene! The goddess and queen of our household brings so much joy and life to our home. While physically smaller than the boys, Jolene is in charge of everyone and everything. Even at the vet office, she comes out of the carrier and into the exam room like she owns the practice, and everyone adores her.

Jolene was unexpectedly sick earlier this month and had to have an emergency vet appointment. During her treatment and recovery, there was a noticeable difference in our home. Without Jolene at her best, it felt like the life had gone out of our home. We are so happy she has fully recovered from her illness and is back to her cheerful self. 

Jolene is extremely intelligent. She is one of the most intelligent cats I have ever met. Sometimes she behaves more like a dog. Jolene knows and responds to her name. She comes when called 99% of the time. The only times she does not come when called is when something is wrong – she is physically stuck somewhere, is guarding a mouse in the live trap tube, or is not physically well. 

Jolene gets along well with both of her brothers and with every person she meets. She is curious, loves to explore, and can be quite the diva when she wants attention. She is loving and kind. I really could not ask for anything more. We are so blessed Jolene chose me when I went to the shelter – for a dog, no less! 

It was estimated that Jolene was 5 years old when she was found outside the shelter in a box with her kittens. She watched all her kittens be adopted, then it was her turn. I had gone to the shelter looking for a cat-friendly dog. I wandered into the cat room to help socialize some kittens. I never would have noticed Jolene if she had not made herself known. Jolene was in a cube way at the back, on the bottom. She frantically pawed at the enclosure. The orange movement is what caught my eye. I saw her over in the corner on the bottom and took her out. She hugged me and would not let go. We went into a private “visiting room” at the shelter. 

I had not wanted a third cat, but Jolene picked me out. I am so glad that she did. She has livened up all our lives. In addition to being an older mom, Jolene has a disability. She only has 4 teeth. All her teeth were rotten when she had been dumped at the shelter, so they had to be removed. Despite this, she does not let it hold her back. I thought she would need to be soft food only, since she only had 4 teeth. However, she kept stealing kibble from Jude and Simon, pretty much insisting on eating the same food as the boys. They get soft food for breakfast for liquid and kibble for dinner for their teeth. Jolene eats the same as Jude and Simon. You would never guess she only has 4 teeth.

Spending most of her life prior to adoption outside, Jolene is our Lead Hedgewatch-er. She knows absolutely everything that goes on both inside and outside the house from bugs to mice to birds to squirrels to the outside stray cats. She often runs from room to room to look out various windows to follow someone’s (usually a stray cat’s) progress as they walk about outside. 

Jolene gives so much love to all of us. She has two favorite stuffies that she moves around every single day. She loves a beanie baby that looks like a ghost bear, carrying it around the house like a kitten. She also moves around a giant crinkle carrot toy quite a bit. I often find ghost bear in bed with me, and she also puts it in Jude and Simon’s carriers to show them she loves them too. 

Every year for Jolene’s birthday, I like to remind people to adopt the differently abled pets. Adopt the older ones, the moms, the ones who are shy. Jolene sat in that shelter for a long time. Her kittens were adopted first. She was a 5-year-old mom cat with a disability shoved in the bottom corner at the shelter way at the back of the room. If she hadn’t pawed so frantically for me to see the orange movement, I never would have noticed her. I walked into that room to help socialize kittens. 

Please take the time to visit the shy ones who hide, the older ones, the moms. They all have as much love to give as a cute little kitten. Just because a cat is older does not mean they are “set in their ways.” Jolene adapted to our routine. It just takes time. She brings so much love and joy and life to our home. It seems like things were so gloomy before Jolene entered our home. We were never unhappy, but she just brings that much happiness.

It’s like Jolene lights a fire under Jude and Simon and gets them to play. Jude would not play a lot until Jolene came along. Jolene truly brings out the best in everyone she meets. 

We watched a documentary recently about cats on Nova and learned that orange cats were not common in the wild. Orange was a recessive trait. Orange cats could not camouflage and hide in the wild. Orange cats did not last long in the wild – they could not hide and were prey.

 It was the ancient Egyptians who specifically bred orange cats, to honor their sun god. Mummified cats have even been found with orange fur. They were considered gods/goddesses. Jolene is definitely a goddess. She is queen of our home. 

Adopt don’t shop. Consider the shy, the elderly, and the moms.

Happy 10th Birthday, Jolene! We love you! 

Happy 8th Birthday, Jolene!

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Happy 8th Birthday, Jolene! The queen of our castle brings so much life and love to all of our lives. We are so fortunate that she chose me to adopt her. She had no way of knowing that Jude and Simon awaited her at home.

Jolene was 5 years old when she was found dumped in the parking lot of the animal shelter with a box of her kittens. She was quite literally dumped – when shelter staff arrived for the day, they found her trying to put kittens back into the box that had bounced out when the box was presumably thrown from a vehicle.

Jolene nursed her kittens and raised them well. One by one, Jolene watched her kittens be adopted. Everyone wants a kitten. They are fluffy and cute. Jolene was in the shelter for 5 long months before I came in. I wasn’t even looking for another cat. I had been looking for a cat friendly dog.

I had been visiting the animal shelter for about a year in search of a cat friendly dog that I thought would work well with Jude and Simon. I even had a name picked out – Benny. It was going to be Benny and the cats. Each time I visited the dogs, I would also visit the cats to socialize them. 

One particular day, I walked into the cat room to socialize them when I noticed a tiny orange cat in a lower cage in the corner aggressively pawing the glass. That cat wanted attention. To be honest, I tried to ignore the tiny orange cat for two reasons. First, I am heartbroken over the passing of Kip in 2013, who was orange. I had been avoiding orange cats because they reminded me of Kip. Second, this orange cat was tiny. I thought the tiny cat was a kitten. I was purposefully trying to socialize and pay attention to the shy cats and the older cats who tend to be overlooked more at shelters.

Well, don’t judge a book by it’s cover. That tiny orange cat in the corner was persistent. I walked over to see what all the fuss was about. Much to my surprise, the tiny orange cat was not a kitten at all, but a 5 year old mother whose kittens had all been adopted. I was surprised to see an orange female.

I took Jolene (known in the shelter as Mamba for how good a mother she was to her kittens), out of the cage. She hugged me immediately and would not let go. I took her to the front desk and they were surprised to see me out of the cat room with her. That is how tightly she was holding onto me. We were given a private room for some socialization and together time. I put her down – much to her protest. She did not want to be down. She wanted to sit in my lap. She just wanted to be with me. She wanted to be held. She wanted to be loved.

Jolene picked me out. I never planned on a third cat. After raising 4 boys – Kitty (OTRB), Kip (OTRB0, Jude, and Simon, I never expected a girl. Here was Jolene. Jolene has my girl baby name. 

Jolene had some health problems. Specifically a genetic disorder that effects her teeth and some issues with her ears. She had three surgeries before I brought her home. Due to the surgeries, her introduction to the boys was much slower than we normally do. We favor the slow introduction for new cats to the home to set them up for success for the best, loving relationship possible. We typically spend several weeks working on the slow introduction process.

With Jolene, it took several months to introduce her to the boys due to her surgeries. I wanted to be sure she was fully recovered before introducing her. I didn’t want the boys to play too rough with her or for the introductions to go poorly and for it to effect her recovery. We took the introductions very slowly. 

I’m glad we did. The boys both love Jolene and are very gentle with her. Jolene is truly the heart of our household. She brings so much life and joy to all of us. Jolene is exactly what we needed to complete our family. We didn’t even know it until she arrived.

Jolene is our head bird watcher and loves chattering away at the chickadees. She is with me constantly. She knows her name and comes when called. She is constantly bringing me her babies – stuffies that look like small kittens. She makes a noise when she is “transporting” her stuffies to my location. If I leave the house, I come home to a stuffie near the door. When I wake up in the morning, I find she has put her “babies” in bed with me.

Jolene is loved by both Jude and Simon. Jude and Simon can play rather rough with each other at times. However, they are both gentle when interacting with Jolene. They play and chase her, but do not tend to be as rough with Jolene as the boys are with each other.

While Simon is bigger than Jolene, he is younger. Sometimes it seems like Jolene tries to mother Simon. The way Jude interacts with Jolene reminds me of how Jude was with Kitty when Kitty had cancer. Jude will play with Jolene, but not rough, and leaves her alone when she has had enough. Jude is loving but respectful of Jolene. Jude may be the man of the house, but Jolene is truly the Queen of the castle.

I’m so glad I took a chance on the “orange kitten” who turned out to be an older mom. Jolene brings so much love and joy to all of us. She truly picked me out that day at the shelter. Yes, it’s possible she just wanted attention. Maybe she would have pawed and acted all freaked out to anyone who had walked into the room that day. Yet I can’t get over the way she hugged me when I took her out and would not let go.

I am so blessed to have Jolene in my life. The boys and I both love her. At age 5, Jolene was the oldest cat at adoption for me. I am so glad I did not overlook this older mom who has so much love for us.

The next time you are in the shelter looking to adopt, please take time to consider the older ones, the shy ones, the mothers. Everyone wants a kitten. They all have so much love to give. I’m so glad this older mom picked me out to be her forever home. 

Happy 8th Birthday, Jolene. We love you so much. 

Please remember that until August 30, you can use our code JSJR10 at happyandpolly.com to save 10% off your purchase. For every purchase using our discount code, 5% will be donated to our local rescue to help other cats just like Jolene. 

Happy Birthday, Jolene

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Today is Jolene’s 7th birthday. I never thought I would get a girl. Kip and Kitty (both OTRB) were both boys. Jude and Simon are both boys. In fact, I had been going to the shelter in search of a dog that I thought would get along with Jude and Simon. 

After Kip passed away, I did not think I would be able to handle another orange cat. In fact, when visiting the shelter, I kind of avoided orange cats just because my heart still ached for Kip. Jolene was in a cage at the far end of the room, at the bottom. No one would have noticed her if she had not started throwing an absolute fit in her cage when I walked in. She kept pawing and pawing and wanted to come out. 

Who can say no to that?

I took her out of the cage and was going to set her down to play with her. Except when I picked her up, she hugged me. She would not let go. Jolene picked me out.

Two years ago today, a 5-year old Jolene was dumped in a parking lot with a box of her kittens. Half of her teeth were missing due to a genetic disorder she has that causes them to go bad. She spent 5 months in the shelter watching all of her kittens be adopted before I walked into the room.

Jolene only has 4 teeth left now due to her genetic condition. However, she received the health care she needed to remove the dying and painful teeth and infected roots that had caused her great pain for who knows how long.

Jolene is definitely the Queen of our home. She is in charge. She brings so much life to our home. Both Jude and Simon have come out of their shells more and are more playful since Jolene entered our lives.

I adopted Jolene in January 2020, before the lockdowns, so she is not a “pandemic pet.” However, pretty much her entire time with us has been in this isolation situation. As we celebrate her birthday today, both of her birthdays have been in lockdown. 

For indoor cats, every day is lockdown. It’s just that now I join them as I am home all the time. I am so grateful that I get to spend every day with my three fur balls.

Jolene has my baby name for a girl since I cannot have human children. Jude has my boy name. I honestly never imagined I would have a girl and get to use the name. The name definitely fits Jolene. She knows her name and will respond to it. 

Jolene is my constant companion and follows me all over the house. She has to know where I am at all times. She constantly brings me gifts – her favorite mouse toy. I often find her favorite mouse toy near me as she brings it to where I am and leaves it. 

When I return to the house after being gone, her favorite mouse toy is near the door. She puts it there because she knows I am out. That way it is there for me when I return. 

Jolene loves both her brothers Simon and Jude. They both love her back. She plays with them and grooms them. Jolene is definitely in charge of the house.

Jolene sleeps with me every single night. In that way, she reminds me a little of Kitty. Kitty slept with me every single night for 19 years. Jude and Simon will sleep with me probably 90% of the time. Jolene sleeps with me all the time. 

I am so grateful that Jolene chose me to be her mom. I only hope that I can survive the pandemic and outlive the cats so that I can keep them all together and be their true forever home, just as I was for Kip and Kitty.

Happy 7th birthday to my daughter, Jolene. Thank you for bringing so much joy, love, and light into our lives.