Jackie - In Memoriam of a Special Cat at Tabby's Place

The first time I visited Tabby’s Place in April of 2011 I met Jackie and immediately fell in love with her. I was warned that she can be feisty and to be careful petting her, and for some reason that made me more intrigued with her. She was not afraid to let everyone know that if you wanted to interact with her, you had to do it on her terms. She was a girl of conviction. 

Jackie wondering who all the intruders were in her suite.

Back then, Jackie lived in a suite with access to a solarium and loved soaking up the fresh air. As her needs changed, so did her living quarters. As I continued to visit over the years, her new “home” included the lobby, community room, someone’s office, and finally the staff lounge. (There were probably a couple of other suite changes in between, but this is what I remember.) 

Jackie in the solarium.

Jackie's ’tude was quite famous amongst the Tabby’s staff and volunteers, her sponsors, regular visitors, and those following Tabby’s on social media. A correspondent (the person who writes monthly updates for sponsors) described her attitude as being “bigger than her body”, which was a little... err ... rotund at the time. At one point, Jackie was Tabby’s biggest cat! 





Her famous attitude was even caught on camera for a CBS News story! One of Jonathan Rosenberg’s, (Founder and Executive Director of Tabby’s Place), favorite Jackie Moments starts at 1:25 in the video below. 




That was my girl! I wouldn’t be surprised if she was made an Honorary Tortie by all of the Tortoiseshell cats at the sanctuary because of her “Tortie-tude.” 

Jackie the first day I met her. 

I have to admit that I did not heed the warnings I was given about her spunk and tried to pet her every time I visited. I was victim to a couple of nips and swats over the years, but I didn’t care. When I visited in October of 2017 to observe the Paws to Read Program, Jackie was living in one of the staff offices. I just had to see her and got permission to go in.

Jackie very happy on her chaise lounge in the staff office. 

That visit was monumental because she let me scratch her head! My friend, Lisa (who has volunteered there for many years), and I just had to let everyone know! It was heavenly. 

Jackie ready to greet visitors in the lobby. (In her own way, of course!)

I always wished Jackie would find her forever home. When I wrote about the Forgotten Felines at Tabby’s Place for Adopt a Less Adoptable Pet Week I just had to include her. “If a person would accept the fact that they have to approach and love her on her terms, she’d be the purrfect companion.” I meant that wholeheartedly because she would have been. She showed affection when she felt the time was right and would rub against people when the mood struck her. (Much like Lexy. Maybe that’s one reason I was drawn to her.) 

Jackie battled many health issues over the years which included spinal arthritis, diabetes, dental disease, ocular ulcers, obesity and, most recently, mammary cancer. Jax, (as she was fondly referred to by staff and volunteers), developed edema in her last weeks, which spread all the way down her side and into her paws. When Lisa informed me of her recent decline, she said: “you need to get here, and soon.” So, I got there. 

Jackie in her digs in the community room.

I was heartbroken when I saw her. It was obvious that this beautiful cat, who I had followed and loved for seven years, was in her last days. When I went to pet her, she nipped my finger. It was the most delightful little bite on my finger I have ever gotten because it showed me she still had some of that “Jackie spirit” in her. Included in the many goodies I brought with me that day was a fluffy pink blankie. Lisa decided the blankie should go to Jackie, and placed it under a chair near where she was lying.  It made my heart happy to know I was able to bring her a little bit of comfort with that fluffy pink blankie. 

Jackie on the last day I saw her.

Ironically, the chair Jackie was lying under previously “belonged” to another of my favorite Tabby’s cats, Raja, who had made her transition to the rainbow bridge a while back. I was hoping Raja was there in spirit, bringing Jackie even more comfort. 

Jackie on her pink blankie. 

As I sat in the staff lounge with some volunteers and a staff member, I had a brief flash of sadness thinking that Jackie had never found her forever home. As I was thinking this, the staff member kneeled on the floor in front of Jackie and kissed her head. She excitedly announced, “she let me kiss her head, and now I don’t want to stop!” as she kissed it again. Then she got close to Jackie and said, “I’m going to love your forever.” 

At that moment I realized that Jackie did find her forever home. Tabby’s Place was her forever home and the staff and volunteers were her forever family.  Jackie lived at Tabby’s for over 12 years, making her their longest-term resident, and she was precisely where she was meant to be. She was showered with love and affection, which was always given on her terms. She was loved and accepted for who she was, and her feisty personality made everyone love her even more. She definitely made people’s hearts smile. 

Jackie enjoying a peaceful moment in the lobby. 

As I said my goodbyes to her, I wished her Godspeed and told her I loved her. Then I petted her head – repeatedly. Yes, that’s right – she let me pet her! It was a bittersweet moment. 

Two days later she stopped eating and was struggling to breathe so she was gently let go before she started to suffer. In the last update to her sponsors, Jonathan described her as one of a kind and said, “it will not be the same without her.” Jackie’s legacy will be a hard one for another cat to follow. 

Godspeed, my beautiful, fiery, spunky, feisty Jackie. Although I have tears in my eyes, my heart is smiling because you left your paw print on it. 

Dawn