"When I had my eldest daughter, we were a two-dog family. Much as I adored the dogs, I had always had cats as a child and the house seemed somewhat empty without one. So, as time went by, I managed to wear my husband down and he eventually agreed I could get a cat.
Well, within minutes I was online looking at all the rescue sites. We needed a very specific character of cat who would cope with our eclectic family life. Not many felines will put up with two small children and two large dogs. But as it happened, there was one. Luckily, I didn’t care what our family cat looked like. It was all about temperament and personality, both of which Jamer had in droves.
I never thought I’d get a pedigree cat, but Jamer was available for rehoming via the Cats Protection League as she was being bullied by the other cats in her house. And rescue cat was the only breed I was interested in, so she fitted the bill.
As soon as we brought her home, we realised that Jamer was a tiny cat with a massive personality. Whatever we were doing, she was there. She’d chase the sca-elextric, pop bubbles with the children, climb doors and fall off furniture. She was the boss of both dogs and slept where she wanted – even if it meant one of the dogs sleeping on the floor because she was in their bed and wouldn’t budge up.
Sadly not long after we got Jamer, our dog Soxa passed away. After a few months as a one dog, one cat family, I decided it was time for another dog. My husband and I were at loggerheads over this decision because I was insistent that it had to be a rescue and he wanted a puppy because he was worried about getting an older dog with young children.
So, we compromised. I did my research and realised there were hundreds of puppies in rescue shelters. It’s easier to get a puppy from a breed specific rescue, as there tend to be more of them there. We had a chat about it and decided we wanted a staffy. It wasn’t long before I found a 16 week old staffy cross called Millie at the Boxer and Bully Saviours rescue organisation.
We popped in to see her on the way back from a week’s holiday and it wasn’t long before she joined us in our home and Millie became Bubbles. Things have been difficult since then, my husband broke his leg badly in a motorbike accident, so instead of both of us taking responsibility for exercising our young terror, it was just me.
But despite it all, she has turned out wonderfully. She’s happy, bouncy and full of life. And most of all, she’s loyal to a fault. Last year I entered a 50-mile ultra-marathon. She trained with me every morning, with long runs at the weekends. And she still seemed to have plenty of energy.
I started to wonder if she might manage to run the race with me. I contacted the organisers and they were happy for her to join me. So, on a cold, damp October morning we set out across the Gower countryside. My husband agreed to meet me at the 30-mile mark so he could take Bubbles home if she was tired. But she wasn’t ready to stop. We eventually arrived at the finish after midnight, both totally exhausted but happy.
We sadly lost Jamer last year when she was hit by a car out on the road. We’re not ready for another cat yet because she was such a character, there will never be another Jamer. One day in the future there will be another cat in the Plutonium Sox household, but for now there’s just a large Jamer-shaped hole."
Oh I'm so sad such a fabulous cat is no more, and I totally understand how she cannot be replaced. It took us three years to get another border terrier after our last one died. But I do hope another awesome cat wriggles it's way into your life soon, it sounds like your family flourishes with the patter of tiny feet about the place.
If you've enjoyed this post (and who wouldn't!) you can follow Natalie all over social media or on her blog.
Twitter: https://twitter.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/
Facebook: https://www.
