The Ballad of Jazz and Blues

I would like to tell you a story today, a story of two kittens. I have never divulged the names of my cats or their photos. But now I feel I need to. The reason should become clear. Here now is my story, “The Ballad of Jazz and Blues.”

I am the type of person who has to have an animal in my home. My animal I prefer-the cat. Two years ago my feline companion Calypso went to heaven. It was a very hard time for me. 

My cat Calypso

http://www.esperanzahabla.blogspot.com/2012/07/one-more-star-in-skyuna-estrella-mas-en.html

Yet, I knew I would get an animal again. I decided to get two kittens this time, so they would have one another as a playmate. I searched nearby shelters for weeks trying to find the perfect pets for me. There is an unspeakable bond that happens when you find the animal meant for you. Every kitten I saw in the shelters did not speak to me.

I was very specific in my wants in kittens: they had to be female and I wanted them to be 8 weeks old. I have never hand reared a kitten from birth, and I did not want to try. I also did not want a kitten older than 8 weeks old, so I could train the kittens as I wanted.

Besides looking for female kittens, I wanted to try to find a female marmalade cat. Orange tabby cats, often referred to as marmalade cats, are mostly male. As it is a genetic factor that all calico cats are female, (my cat Calypso was a calico cat), over 90% of orange cats are male. It is exceedingly rare to find a female marmalade cat. I was hopeful to find a female marmalade kitten, yet I had to be realistic at the same time. I knew the odds were against me.

Finally, weeks into my search, I saw a posting online for a female marmalade kitten at a local shelter. That was on a Thursday afternoon; Friday morning I was at the shelter to see her.

I remember entering the shelter, and seeing the marmalade kitten. She was all alone in a cage, and was so beautiful. She had orange eyes that matched her fur. There were over one hundred kittens in the shelter that day, but only three of the kittens were female (the marmalade kitten included.) The other two female kittens were sisters from the same litter, and were all black in color.

After a bit I met with an attendant and told him I was interested in spending time with and interacting with the marmalade kitten and the two black kittens. I was taken to a room where I got to play with all three kittens in a secluded room, away from the barking dogs and people milling around.  The three kittens got along well with one another, which was a good sign.

I knew I wanted the marmalade kitten the minute I held her. I held her close to my chest. She began purring. She had soft fur, and a sweet and friendly temperament. 

Then the shelter attendant gave me one of the black kittens to hold. I held her close to my chest as I had done with the marmalade kitten. I felt an instant bond with her. I scratched the bottom of her chin and she instantly began purring.  Her jet black fur was as soft as velvet. Her eyes were green and gold in color. She blinked at me slowly, which is a sign of love in feline language.

The shelter attendant then traded kittens with me, giving me the other black kitten to hold. She did not like me holding her, as she began to squirm in my arms. I then noticed she had urinated on the floor, and her paws were covered in urine, which was now on my shirt. It was not going well. The shelter attendant asked me which kitten I wanted. I immediately said, “The one you’re holding.”

After the experience in the room with the three kittens I began the process of adopting the marmalade kitten and the first black kitten. Monday afternoon I picked the kittens up at the shelter. They had undergone a procedure to be spayed as well as a wellness exam. The kittens were in perfect health, 8 weeks old, 2 pounds each, and were ready to go home. 
I brought my new members of my family to my home and renamed them. That was two years ago today.

Ladies and Gentlemen, please meet my kittens.... 

Jazz.....

...and Blues......

Since bringing the kittens home they have brought much love, light, laughter and excitement into my home. I have written about them before. You may remember....

http://letrasalaluna.blogspot.com/2013/02/the-adventures-of-kit-and-caboodle.html

http://letrasalaluna.blogspot.com/2013/05/confidence.html

In my writings I referred to the kittens as Kit and Caboodle. For identification purposes, Blues is Kit….

 ...and Jazz is Caboodle. 

As I said two years has gone by and my life has never been the same. The kittens, as I still refer to them, are now in the teenager, or adolescent stage of their development. Their days of playing with everything, inanimate or not, is over now. They are becoming more laid back, more mature young ladies.

Jazz is still a fiery redhead, full of life and excitement. She is a lap cat when she wants to be.

Blues is a loving, openly affectionate cat who follows me everywhere I go. She still prefers for me to hold her on my chest.

When I adopted Jazz and Blues I was glad that I was able to rescue these kittens from the shelter and give them a good home. I knew that, if the kittens were not adopted by someone else, they might be euthanized. However I did not know then that I would become an advocate for black cats, and that by adopting Blues, I was literally saving her life.

At their first visit with the veterinarian, I learned that black cats are the most euthanized and least likely to be adopted. 

I was also cautioned to never let Blues out of the house, especially on Halloween. My veterinarian told me that she has seen animal cruelty cases of people torturing and killing black cats because they believe the age old superstitions about black cats. She went on to say that many animal shelters do not let black cats be adopted in the months of August, September, and October to protect them from harm.

My response to that is that black cats are in fact lucky. In much folklore around the world, black cats represent wealth and prosperity. It is also legend that, if a single woman owns a black cat, she will have many suitors.

Another phenomenon has come to light of late; some people who have adopted black cats have returned the cats back to the animal shelter, saying that the cats do not photograph well.

https://www.thedodo.com/selfie-craze-leaves-many-black-649728829.html

I am here to tell you that it is a challenge to take a good picture of a black cat. However, that simply means that the owner of a black cat needs a better camera-not to return the cat to the shelter.

Black dogs are also susceptible to these myths and superstitions. Responsible pet ownership means being open to love any animal, of any color. Black cats are just like any other cat. They are known to have a sweet disposition and to be full of love. I can tell you that Blues is the most affectionate cat I have ever had. If you ever find yourself needing a new animal, consider the black colored one. 

I was lucky-I found two loving cats that needed a home. They were lucky too-I rescued them from an uncertain fate. They love me and love each other. They groom one another and often sleep close to one another. They wrestle and play with one another, often galloping through the house like a herd of wild stallions. 

Every night when I arrive home the kittens run to me and shower me with affection. Jazz stands up on her back legs, like a horse would, to get a stroke on the back and a pet on the head. She then comes down again, slamming her front feet back to the floor. Blues marks me with her face and body, stroking me and purring as I rub her head. After this nightly love fest is over I feed them, and they purr contentedly. Who could ask for anything more?

Happy birthday girls. Mama loves you. 

© Esperanza Habla All Rights Reserved