“Jager has been nothing short of a treasure in my life since I adopted him,” says Erin. “I have never met a more loving, social, easygoing and delightful cat, and nearly everyone he meets says the same thing!

“While I grew up with two cats, Jager was the first pet I adopted for whom I was completely responsible, and I fear he has set the bar impossibly high for any cat who follows. After scouring Petfinder for months, searching for a cat whose personality and habits matched mine, I was thrilled when I read Jager’s profile. I called and spoke to a Furry Friends volunteer who answered my many questions and conceded that he was loved by all of the shelter staff. After our first meeting, his golden personality won me over as well. It was clear he had a lot of love to give and was so eager to share it. The fact that his name appeared as a top contender on my list of favorite cat names made it feel even more pre-ordained.

“As a confident cat, he settled into his new home quickly and I began to see some of his wonderful quirks. My favorite is his nightly desire to play hide and seek, where I hide behind a corner as he sneaks up and gives me a jump scare. And while he wasn’t much of a talker in the beginning, he’s finally found his voice after months of encouragement: a modest meow that seems a few octaves higher than one might expect from a 14-pound cat. Jager’s hilarious mannerisms have frequently left me in stitches, bringing joy and levity into my life.

“Always considerate, he waits nearly every morning until my alarm goes off before initiating morning cuddles. He loves headbutting people, getting kisses on the top of his head, firm pats on his sides and back which I call ‘happy slappies,’ and playing with a felt bumblebee I made and attached to a stick.

“Jager proved to be a steady force when I introduced a new dynamic to the home by adopting a 10-month-old Belgian Shepherd. Through a combination of vigorous research and dumb luck, I got an incredible dog named Sirius who, despite his puppy energy, listens well and respects Jager’s boundaries. Now they love playing with each other and Sirius even lets Jager groom his ears although it really tickles.

“Jager also has a growing fan base of friends and family who are not subtle about their plans to steal him for themselves or be written into my will as his official caretakers in the event of my untimely demise. Which, for all I know, might be part of their plan as well!

“I doubt I will ever find a cat as special as him again and am so grateful to the team at Furry Friends for their time and enthusiasm in introducing me to Jager. He was the missing piece of my family that was always waiting to click into place, and finally has.

“I hope his story inspires others to support Furry Friends. I have so much respect for the work you do by offering cats a standard of care that seems so rare/difficult to achieve in most shelter settings.”

___________________________

Furry Friends Fur-Ever Stories are compiled and written by Nomi Berger who is the bestselling author of seven novels, one work of non-fiction, two volumes of poetry, and hundreds of articles. She is a volunteer writer for Furry Friends in Vancouver, WA and also volunteers her writing skills to animal rescue groups in Canada and the USA.