Remembering Jayne

Jayne was my very good boy. He gave kisses on demand, micromanaged my work day, followed me from room to room, slept on my lap whenever I was seated, and generally demanded constant attention. He loved only me; he tolerated Jed when he was in the mood, and he enjoyed napping with his brother, but I was his favorite.

He was born on August 28, 2012. His litter was rescued and fostered by Motley Zoo Animal Rescue and he joined our family, along with his brother Giles, on February 3, 2013. After a long fight with kidney disease and other ailments we said goodbye on August 8, 2022.

Perfect in every way

Jayne was named after Jayne Cobb, a character from the TV show Firefly. The name fit him to a T. As a kitten he was a fearless explorer and a loyal friend. Even though he was physically smaller when we adopted him, Jayne took it upon himself to protect his big brother in their new home.

At play, Jayne’s focus was the toy, to the exclusion of other important considerations like gravity, walls, and table legs. His very favorite toy was a faux leather rattle mouse from Petco. He played hard with those mice, destroying so many that we bought a dozen so we’d have spares. It was almost obscene how much he loved his toys, rolling around rubbing his cheeks on them. He would carry them around the house, presenting them to us as trophies.

Like many cats, Jayne was often more interested in non-toy playthings such as straws, hoodie strings, and the packaging a toy came in. More precisely, he was most interested in the receipt for the toy. We would roll receipts into tight little balls, and when he came running into the room at the sound of the crinkling paper, we’d throw it across the floor for him to chase. He’d bat at, sending it flying in the other direction and he’d go running after it. We called it kitten-propelled playtime.

A notably proud non-toy moment was when Jayne hunted and caught a fly in his mouth. He triumphantly carried it across the room—we could hear the fly buzzing inside his mouth—before dropping it and finishing it off. Most metal thing ever!

Good boy; attachment issues

Jayne and Giles were social cats, obsessed with being with us at all times. Underfoot, adorably circling like sharks, and demanding attention. When we returned home, the boys would hear the garage door and come running so they were waiting for us when we entered. When the weather was warm, we would sit on the porch and the boys, always desperate to be with us, would sit on the window sill watching us through the screen.

But as social as they were with us, Jayne would run and hide whenever anyone visited the house, so much so that we had to convince people that yes we actually had two cats. By comparison, Giles inserted himself in the middle of every gathering no matter how busy.

Staying on his anti-social brand, Jayne always put up a fight during vet visits. The staff at Auburn South Veterinary were very patient with him and they tried so hard to make friends. They would optimistically announce after each visit that Jayne wanted to love them, so maybe next time it would happen. [Narrator:] It never happened.

“Complex.” “Entitled.” “Fuzzy.”

Jayne had a complicated relationship with drinking water. As a kitten, he would put his paw in the water bowl and stir it up causing a puddle on the floor. This need for water in motion lead us to buy a bubbling fountain and Jayne enjoyed drinking from it for many years. Then one day, he discovered a sink fauce that had been left dripping. From then on “drip-drip” from a faucet was the only way Jayne would drink. We had a dedicated, 24/7 drip-drip faucet just for him. Keeping him hydrated was never a problem, which was good for his kidney disease.

Dinner and a show was the theme for all mealtimes. Jayne would eat (dinner) and we would watch (the show). Because of his overwhelming need for attention, if we walked away, he would follow. The only way to be sure Jayne ate was to stop everything and watch, occasionally moving the food to the center of the bowl so he never saw an empty bowl. Because, entitled.

To watch Jayne wash his face was a zen experience. Cats are naturally fastidious with hygiene, but Jayne added his brand of perfection to every bath time. His enthusiasm extended to bathing his brother, and we were convinced Giles had the cleanest ears, thanks to Jayne’s frequent and intense cleanings.

Jayne slept next to me every night. He loved bedtime and would be noticeably annoyed whenever I took too long. He’d sit on the bedside table, watching me impatiently, twitching his tail. “Hurry up, already!” Once settled, he stayed with me all night.

A fuzzy cinephile

Jayne enjoyed movies, especially the Jurassic Park series. He’d sit on the couch staring at the screen and perk up whenever a dinosaur appeared. One of Jed’s favorite memories is the day Jayne sat in rapt attention during the entire first 20 minutes of Gladiator. Jed likes to think the fire and blood and death tickled some primal feline desire for chaos.

Forever purrs

Jayne was diagnosed with kidney disease in 2017 and we put him on a special diet. Then in 2021, he reacted poorly to his favorite cheek rubs and after an exam at the vet we learned he had periodontal disease; the only option was to remove 17 teeth. Recovery from oral surgery was difficult with his kidney disease, and he developed pancreatitis as a result.

In July 2022, with his diminishing appetite causing weight loss and anemia, several frightening seizure episodes, and two serious infections, we reluctantly accepted that our time together was coming to an end. But Jayne’s personality was as strong as ever; between marathon naps he would wake up and demand cuddles while giving us deeply happy purrs. On most days, Jayne was as happy as can be. Rolling in a sun spot, paws outstretched in his patented super kitten pose. For a little while, we enjoyed how normal it felt, as though nothing was wrong. It was delightful to watch him with a few bursts of kitten-like energy, full of curiosity and playfulness.

On August 8, we said goodbye. A vet from Lap of Love visited us at our home and helped Jayne pass surrounded by love in the comfort of his favorite spot in my office.

Jayne played hard, cuddled hard; living his best life to the end. But like his brother, Giles, he left us far too soon.

In gratitude

A heartfelt thank-you to the team at Auburn South Veterinary Hospital. They were so generous, going above and beyond with their time and attention. We believe their excellent care prolonged and improved Jayne’s life. We’re grateful for the extra time we had with our baby boy.

Thanks to Motley Zoo Animal Rescue who rescued and fostered Jayne’s litter. Jayne and his brother enriched our lives immeasurably; I barely remember what life was like before they pounced into our laps. Rescue organizations like Motley Zoo offer an invaluable service to the community and deserve all the support we can give them.

Jayne, I miss your impossibly soft fur, your broken purrs, your incessant need for attention, and the fierceness of your love for me.