Jack

                                                      2/13/2004 – 8/1/2019

My parents’ beloved cat has died. 

In Jack’s final year or so, he spent most of his time inside, where he loved to sit for hours on one lap or another. Prior to that, my father says, he had two behaviors that were especially endearing: He would try to accompany Mom and Dad on their daily walks, either trotting along behind them or trotting a few paces ahead and periodically looking back to be sure the whole party was still together. (They could prevent him from following them by putting food out on the back deck; he would rejoin them for the end of the walk.)

Jack also liked to keep Dad company when he was working in the yard, either sitting nearby and watching Dad’s activities, or climbing up on downed tree limbs and using them as horizontal scratching posts.

Dad reports that Jack had a wide range of distinctive vocalizations, and that he and Mom were sure he often was trying to tell them something, but they were never able to learn more than a word or two of cat language.

Dad says that Jack was the most remarkably companionable cat he has ever known. “He was my buddy.”