Jack at Home

Posted Thu Feb 9, 2006 in Family

When I returned home Monday evening, Jack was reclining at the foot of our bed. He patiently allowed my photography, resulting in this image and the others posted on my weblog and in my gallery.

Jack is a sturdy little cat. He’s on the smallish side of catdom, probably six or seven pounds. He’s sturdy, though, with long slender legs that are, not surprisingly, “quick as a cat.” His personality is very laid back and affectionate. I roused about 0230 this morning, disturbed in my sleep, and gathered him up like a baby. I held him close up against me, stroking his fur and head and those long slender legs. He purred and gave cat-kisses (little head-butts and rubs).

Jack went for surgery on Tuesday to make him less of a tom cat. He came home late Tuesday afternoon and languished on the bed, near the foot where I sleep. He stayed down most of the afternoon, rousing slightly when I returned home to let me cuddle him.

He did some licking, but the vet said there were no stitches and didn’t say anything about the natural tendency for animals to lick their wounds. A vascular surgeon once told me to keep a surgical wound moist. The moisture promotes migration of skin cells from surrounding tissues to the wound. I guess cats know this. They’ve known it a lot longer than we’ve had vascular surgeons.

Late in the evening he began calling for water and food. About 2200, Wife put out a little food for him and Young Son put out some ice chips with a little water. He drank all the water and ate all the food. He had no nausea. Young Son and Wife put out more water and food and Jack ate and drank his fill.

We’ve noticed something missing from his little black package. He seems less “dense” or something. By a curiosity of genetics, Jack has a patch of black fur over his package. It makes a striking scene when he walks away from you, tail aloft like cats do, his gender plainly visible against the white fur of the bulk of his body.

Jack is going to do well with his new family. He has some things to learn, but then so do we all. We will learn together, as a family. Welcome home, Jack.