Izzy & Jake from Virginia - long intro

steves68

TCS Member
Thread starter
Kitten
Joined
May 28, 2010
Messages
9
Purraise
0
Location
Clover, VA
Hello all


New guy here. I was more of a "dog" person until a couple years ago when I was dating a woman who was about to throw her cat into the woods so she could get a dog. The cat, Isabella, had taken a liking to me and I just couldn't believe that this woman I was dating could be so selfish and cold-hearted. So I offered to take Izzy. She agreed, and we broke up soon after...in hindsight, it was absolutely for the best that we did, and I'm soooo glad I got Izzy.

I'm wondering if Izzy is an American Bombay. She seems to have the traits, except that she has a few white strands of fur. Not a big deal to me, she's still my Izzy, regardless of her breed. She is a big lovable furball, very affectionate and vocal. She sleeps on my bed at night and often rests her head on my hand, and drifts off to sleep. Many times, she'll hear my alarm clock when I don't, and she'll paw at my face in an attempt to get my lazy ass out of bed.
I've rolled over in my sleep at night only to find that Izzy made her way under the sheets. I'm a HARD sleeper, but a cat screeching when you roll over on it will wake ya up real quick! She's pretty big, about 15lbs, but not what I'd call "fat".

Pics:
Izzy likes Animal Planet...I dared not change the channel!



She LOVES to sleep on my dirty clothes



More Izzy











The story of Jake is a little more...uh...interesting?
One day in October '07 a girl at work told me about a little male cat that had wandered into her garage. She already had a few cats and couldn't take any more, and knew I had been thinking about getting a play buddy for Izzy. I thought it would be a good thing for Izzy to have a male playmate. Jake is a Mackerel Tabby, a very cool color pattern...looks like a little wildcat! I thought "Jake" would be a good name, it kind of went well with "Izzy". Jake was really small when I got "him", and almost emaciated. You could easily feel "his" ribs. Getting them acquainted to each other was interesting...Izzy all of the sudden had another cat in HER house! After a few days, they seemed to get along...no hissing, fighting, I didn't find any wounds on either one, and no ripped-out tufts of fur laying around the house. Once in a while they'll play-fight, but they don't do any damage to each other.

Things took a turn when Jake all of the sudden started rubbing up against me, demanding attention and caterwauling like mad...I though something was wrong with "him". A quick search on the internet made me realize that "he" was in heat...Jake was a female! I made an appointment and got her fixed, along with all her shots. She's filled out nicely, a little more plump than she was, but certainly not fat. She is a ROCKET. Unbelievably fast. She'll chase the smallest of insects that make their way into the house (it amazes me that she can even see them), loves to explore things, and she'll climb anything (seems to like the top of the kitchen cabinets). She's feisty compared to Izzy...she absolutely does not like to be picked up and held, and when she's had enough petting, she has no problems letting me know with an aggravated "meow". Oddly, she warms up to strangers much quicker than Izzy. Izzy has no chance of catching Jake when they have one of their "lets chase each other" sessions...Izzy is more brute strength, where Jake is lean and fast. Even now after a year and a half, she's only 6lbs. I wonder if she was a runt? She's got a bit of an "irregularity"...the pads on her right front paw are pink, and all the others are black. Genetic freak! LOL

Jake when I first got her. She weighed MAYBE 3lbs.





Jake is more of a football fan LOL




More Jake









Jake happened to get lose one night when I dropped a book on the floor...both of them scattered, and Jake was so spooked that she punched out screen in my living room window and "got the hell outta Dodge". I searched the entire house for her, and noticed the screen was pushed out. I freaked. I live out in the country, and there are a lot of wild dogs and coyotes...I thought she was gone forever. That night I went out to cook something on the grill and heard faint meows...she was in a pine tree in my backyard, 30' up. I shined a flashlight and saw her eyes, and was SO happy I'd found her. Getting her down was an adventure in itself. She stayed there for 3 days. I tried to coax her down with food, talking to her, climbed up a 24' ladder, all with no luck. She refused to come down. I called a tree trimmer with a bucket truck to help get her down. The sound of the chainsaw scared the hell out of her, and she ended up at the very top of the tree, proably 50' up. The tree trimmer had to cut the tree to shreds, but we saved Jake!

Jake in the tree



Where she was in the tree. The red circle is where she was in the first pic, and the "1" is where she spent most of her time.



Whats left of the tree. Notice the top...the trimmer had to basically cut the tree out from under her. It's about 20' shorter now.



Some people think its wierd for a man to have a cat as a pet (let alone 2 females), but hey...you can't fix closed-minded people. For the record...I'm not even close to being gay...not that there's anything wrong with that.
I'm so happy with these two. They are clean, affectionate, and very easy to take care of. They definitely add character and warmth to my house...I even dare say they make it a "home". The most important thing is that I've given these two little critters a safe home, when they might have both been forced to spend their lives out in the wild.

Thanks for reading my long-winded first post...great site you have here!
 

nutrolori

TCS Member
Alpha Cat
Joined
Mar 29, 2010
Messages
357
Purraise
1
Location
Midwest, USA
WELCOME!!!
It is so nice to read your story of how you acquired your two girls Izzy and Jake. They are beautiful!!
 

kscatlady

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Jan 13, 2009
Messages
1,847
Purraise
1
Location
Mulvane, Kansas
You are AWESOME for rescuing those kitties!! They are both beautiful. Lucky ladies to have such a wonderful dad!!
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #5

steves68

TCS Member
Thread starter
Kitten
Joined
May 28, 2010
Messages
9
Purraise
0
Location
Clover, VA
Thanks everyone. Lots of stuff I can learn here...I'll definitely be sticking around!

They are so cool, and an endless source of entertainment.
I've caught both of them chasing their tails. They'll sit by the window chattering at birds outside on my porch. It's a riot when they're playing their "chase each other" game. One of them will chase the other into a room, then within seconds, they'll exit the room with the chaser having become the chasee. It's like something out of a cartoon.

One pic I forgot to post - my favorite. It'd probably make a good Christmas card if I Photoshop some Santa hats onto them LOL!
 

white cat lover

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Nov 17, 2005
Messages
22,206
Purraise
35
Welcome to TCS!


I had to giggle reading your story, I had scrolled through the pics first. When I saw mention of Jake being a "he" I went 'uh-oh....he's likely a she because he's a torbie!"


Both Izzy & Jake are gorgeous kitties.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #7

steves68

TCS Member
Thread starter
Kitten
Joined
May 28, 2010
Messages
9
Purraise
0
Location
Clover, VA
Thanks wcl!


Yeah it was quite a surprise to find out "he" was a "she"
She wasn't shy about it either...kept climbing up on my computer desk when I was on the PC, aiming her little butt at me, grunting and meowing.

I decided not to change her name after that little revelation. I figured I had confused the poor little girl enough by calling her "Jakie boy".

She's a Torbie? I thought her pattern was Mackerel?

It is fascinating to read about them...their behavior, vocalization, dietary needs, etc. I never knew they were lactose intolerant. I've always given them triple-filtered water even though I drink from the tap, although Jake will often try to lick up the leftover milk out of my bowl of cereal. She loves tunafish, but Izzy won't touch it.
 

-_aj_-

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Aug 24, 2008
Messages
10,487
Purraise
61
Location
North East England
Hey there welcome along to TCS, I had a giggle reading the the Jake story

you have two beautiful cats!
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #9

steves68

TCS Member
Thread starter
Kitten
Joined
May 28, 2010
Messages
9
Purraise
0
Location
Clover, VA
Thanks AJ


Glad to hear that everyone is getting a chuckle out of the Jake story. Talk about a valuable learning experience!
 

pami

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Jun 16, 2006
Messages
17,482
Purraise
17
Location
Birmingham
What lucky girls. I know you are just as lucky to have them, too. Thank goodness you rescued these 2 babies. It sounds like Izzy rescued you, too!
A man loving cats isn't considered gay, he's just lucky.
They do make cat milk for cats that you can get at a pet food store, as a treat. They can also tolerate goat milk so much better than cow milk.

My Laura is torbie and has some pink and black paw pads


Welcome to all of you to TCS, we are glad you have joined us.
 

captiva

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Dec 5, 2004
Messages
10,312
Purraise
25
Location
Indiana
Gorgeous cats and really cute stories! I had a cat as a child that would climb 60 ft trees and be up there for days
We would always have to call the firemen to come get him down.
 

jazzythecat

TCS Member
Super Cat
Joined
Apr 4, 2010
Messages
1,007
Purraise
10
Location
Playing with Jazzy & Ginga.
Welcome to you and your two beautiful kitties. You have some brilliant photos!
I know you'll love it here. If you need any help, just PM me on my profile. Once again, welcome.

Hope to see you around the forum,
Jackz, Jazzy & Ginga.
 

zarra

TCS Member
Young Cat
Joined
May 28, 2010
Messages
31
Purraise
1
Location
Wisconsin
Steve you have beautiful cats and the pictures are awesome. How did you take the close-ups without getting red eyes?
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #14

steves68

TCS Member
Thread starter
Kitten
Joined
May 28, 2010
Messages
9
Purraise
0
Location
Clover, VA
Thanks to everyone...Pami, captiva, Jazzy & Zarra. The welcome and info is MUCH appreciated!


Originally Posted by Pami

What lucky girls. I know you are just as lucky to have them, too. Thank goodness you rescued these 2 babies. It sounds like Izzy rescued you, too!
A man loving cats isn't considered gay, he's just lucky.
They do make cat milk for cats that you can get at a pet food store, as a treat. They can also tolerate goat milk so much better than cow milk.

My Laura is torbie and has some pink and black paw pads


Welcome to all of you to TCS, we are glad you have joined us.
I agree 100%, I am absolutely lucky to have them, and I'm sure they DID save me from what would have probably been a wasteful relationship. They always greet me at the door when I come home, and sit at the door when I leave. I may try the goat milk, thanks for the tip!

Originally Posted by captiva

Gorgeous cats and really cute stories! I had a cat as a child that would climb 60 ft trees and be up there for days
We would always have to call the firemen to come get him down.
My local fire department wasn't so helpful...said there was a "slim to none" chance that they could help. Jake's outdoor adventure may have been interesting for her, but I don't think she understands what kind of stress she put on Papa.


Originally Posted by JazzyTheCat

Welcome to you and your two beautiful kitties. You have some brilliant photos!
I know you'll love it here. If you need any help, just PM me on my profile. Once again, welcome.

Hope to see you around the forum,
Jackz, Jazzy & Ginga.
Thanks for the welcome and offer of help! Being somewhat of a cat newbie, I may have to take you up on that offer.


Originally Posted by Zarra

Steve you have beautiful cats and the pictures are awesome. How did you take the close-ups without getting red eyes?
Some people would say that I like photography, but in reality, I just like taking pictures. The pics were taken with a Canon Powershot A570IS, on the indoor setting, with the flash manually disabled and every light in the room turned on. I have quite a few pics with the evil "glowing eyes" though where I forgot to turn the flash off...here's some evidence...Izzy in her favorite cardboard box. She actually protested vocally when I picked it up to throw it out! She has no problem whatsoever informing me of her displeasure of my choices.






I think I have over 500 pics of them. Yeah, I'm a shutterbug.
 

coolcat

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Mar 30, 2004
Messages
36,938
Purraise
69
Location
The "Dark Side of the Moon"
Hola y bienvenido a TCS, ...Catulina
y Milky
te saludan!!!
........

(Translate: Hi and Welcome to TCS, Catulina and Milky say hello to you!!!...
)

Please feel as you home here, we can learn so much and deep about our kittys in this marvelous site, I just only please ask you read the rules and other stuffs that can help you to feel as you Real home!..
here you have the link my friend.
http://www.thecatsite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=82565

Please ask whatever you need to know, there are plenty of good members and of course our tireness Mod´s to help us here!....


See you on the forums!, Glad that you join us!
 

krazy kat2

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Sep 14, 2001
Messages
8,085
Purraise
41
Location
Somewhere in Georgia
2 very lovely little ladies you have there. Welcome all of you to TCS. It is good to have another man in the group of all us "crazy cat ladies."
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #17

steves68

TCS Member
Thread starter
Kitten
Joined
May 28, 2010
Messages
9
Purraise
0
Location
Clover, VA
Originally Posted by CoolCat

Hola y bienvenido a TCS, ...Catulina
y Milky
te saludan!!!
........

(Translate: Hi and Welcome to TCS, Catulina and Milky say hello to you!!!...
)

Please feel as you home here, we can learn so much and deep about our kittys in this marvelous site, I just only please ask you read the rules and other stuffs that can help you to feel as you Real home!..
here you have the link my friend.
http://www.thecatsite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=82565

Please ask whatever you need to know, there are plenty of good members and of course our tireness Mod´s to help us here!....


See you on the forums!, Glad that you join us!
Thanks CoolCat. I'll be a good boy and try my best to abide by the rules.


Originally Posted by krazy kat2

2 very lovely little ladies you have there. Welcome all of you to TCS. It is good to have another man in the group of all us "crazy cat ladies."
Thanks KrazyKat! They're my babies...I guess I'll be known as the "crazy cat man".
It's strange how men don't normally dig cats. You'd think that guys, some of them being as lazy as they are, would like such a low-maintenance animal (compared to a dog IMO). I think they're fascinating....so elegant, agile, graceful and intelligent. Their predatory skills are absolutely amazing. After spending all this time with my two, it's so interesting to have learned their "personalities", especially Jake. She can be moody, but I've learned how to handle her so that she's not so aggresive in her reaction...she even cuddles up to my brother when he comes to visit, which happens infrequently due to our hundreds of miles of separation.
 

flisssweetpea

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Dec 5, 2004
Messages
8,885
Purraise
4
Location
At the kitty's beck and call
Hi there
we're so happy to get the chance to welcome you and your two gorgeous girls to TCS. I'm sure you'll enjoy your stay with us - we're one great big family and you'll find loads of friends here. If I can help at all while you're finding your way around TCS just click on my username and send me a Personal Message - I'll do what I can to answer your questions.
.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #19

steves68

TCS Member
Thread starter
Kitten
Joined
May 28, 2010
Messages
9
Purraise
0
Location
Clover, VA
Thanks sweetpea! So sorry about your Tippy.


I took a video of Jake the other day, chasing her tail...she keeps herself entertained, as well as me!


 
Top