My Jasper Is Home, My Jasper Is Home!!!

[Edwina's Secretary]

Edwina was chipped at the shelter before she came home. We have moved and changed phone numbers since then. Even though she is an indoor cat I would like to make sure info is correct just in case. Do I call the shelter?? or you mentioned a company?

I too have followed Jasper's saga and am speechless with tearful relief at his return!

[Jasper's Mom]

UPDATE ON JASPER:

With Jasper's return came changes in our house. A shift to graveyard for one son, another son capturing my computer and me painting throughout the house, leaving little time to visit Pet Talk. The only quiet place is in my room, where Jasper, the computer and the only air conditioner are. So graveyard son sleeps days in my room. Jasper loves the full time company but still crys and wants lots of attention when I enter the room. Between turning my computer on and getting to this topic, Jasper stood on his hind legs, tapping me on my left arm, three different times, asking to sit on my chest. He always has tapped me for attention ever since he was little, but NEVER wanted to snuggle before he was lost. So we sat and hugged, loved and spoke of kitty things a while before I could start this.

For updating ID chips, first call the shelter, or vet, where the chip was inserted as they may be able to do an information update. Do you have a certificate with the ID chip number? It makes it easier. If not, the place the chip was inserted might do it with just your name. All places are different. The least they can do is tell you the brand name of the ID chip so you can find a company number to call. Jasper has an AVID chip and the company number to call for lost animals or information update is, 1-800-336-2843. They were very nice and helpful. Anyone who needs to update addresses or phone numbers on their pet's ID chip should do it right away. Of all the things I did, posters, talking to people, and mailings, in the end for Jasper, nothing but prayer and the young man Roy, scanning Jasper's AVID chip, brought him home. His AVID chip and GOD!

Jasper is feeling much better the last two days. He still eats like crazy but happily uses his litter box more often now. He seems to be filling out a little as his backbone and ribs are not as pronounced when we pet him. He spends the night and a lot of the day in my room still, giving him respite from the painting mess and noise. He enjoys Sandy and Moses coming into the room to cruise with him. Lots of licks from the dogs and rubs from Jasper.

He gets to go into the rest of the house in the quieter times of the evening, having the run of the house. His constant door and window patrols persist, but last night he finally gave up for a while and snoozed in one of the rooms.

He has been introduced now to Eli, (my formerly feral whirling monster), a really interesting time for me. My granddaughter wanted to watch but I made her stay in the next room, lifting the glass paned door curtains so she could check out the action. We used my youngest son's room to keep my room as Jasper's refuge if he wanted. The rooms are connected and I expected Jasper to race back to safety. He didn't.

Jasper came into the room first, jumping up on the bed, making himself at home. I opened the other door, letting a curious and spunky Eli in. I made sure he'd had a lot of play before to wear him out a little. Jasper immediately started a low growl and some fantastic opened mouth, fangs showing, hissing. Wow, that's new too. Must have learned that great style out in the wilds. I sat near Jasper, petting him, softly telling him it's ok. Eli knows his name and I talked softly to him too to reassure him. Eli pranced around, hopping sideways, attacking little things (as all young mens rooms have). Jasper just watched. For the first time he did not focus on the window which features "birds all day", where he usually sits licking his chops over and over.

He turned his head to watch Eli. Wow, that's great. That Eli is one spunky, and fearless guy, wrestling with the dogs and now with his delightful and happy spirit, is cheerfully, with no hissing or growling, enticing Jasper into liking him. He darted in and out of the blowing window curtain low to the ground, sometimes popping up at the curtain edge next to the bed. Those little eyes peeking out, to spy on Jasper, and Jasper growls and hisses at him but doesn't move. In and out, darting around the bed in mock attack at the bed skirt. More hissing from Jasper, and oh great teeth.

After a few minutes, brave little Eli decided it's time to attack the top edge of the bed, popping up so Jasper doesn't know where he's coming from. Each time he's hissed and growled at. I'm sitting at the back of the bed now, ready to burst at Eli's attempts to tease Jasper. No growl, hiss or batting on Eli's part. I realized Jasper was aloof, but actually was enjoying and being entertained by Eli. I finally had to get up to tell my granddaughter to stop tapping on the glass, distracting the cats. I grabbed a chair, sat near the door, and turned to see that in those short moments, with Jasper watching me at the door, that tiny, just over 2 lbs Eli, has snuck up the back side of the bed and his nose and paws were now only four inches from Jasper's back feet.

Jasper suddenly spotted Eli, rose slightly, growling and hissing. I was so afraid tiny Eli would be injured. Eli slowly rolled onto his back, wiggling all four legs in an act of play, slightly reaching towards Jasper. It was such a sweet attempt at friendship, his tummy exposed to Jasper. But he realized it wasn't working, and rolled back over and was quiet. Moments later, Jasper sunk back down, although his round yellow "headlight eyes" (as my son calls them) were beaming down on Eli. Eli knew not to move. He just lay there very still, watching Jasper back. Finally Jasper grew quiet, would look away slightly, and finally, looked towards me. Eli stayed where he was too. I was frozen in the chair, not wanting to break the spell. My granddaughter at the door was watching with excitement in her eyes. We waited. For almost five minutes by the clock near us, we were transfixed by the scene. Finally Eli took the first step again, reaching one tiny paw slowly towards Jasper, and Jasper immediately said, enough. He hissed and backed up a little. Eli decided he'd tried hard enough for one day, and with ears back, backed up himself until he finally was more than a foot away, and he hopped off the bed. Whew, the first encounter was over. I personally think it was a big success.

This afternoon we try again. Jasper used to have a kitty brother when he was little, but he escaped out a partly open window one pouring down, stormy night and disappeared. We fostered a cat once for a year, but Jasper has not been around cats at home for two years now. After the cats he met in the wild, he's probably expecting to be attacked. Time will bond my two kitty boys. Eli has the innocent determination to get along, and Jasper, after his rough time, is just a big faker. I feel in my heart they will, in a fairly short time, be best buds. Thank you Lord.

I appreciate and again thank everyone for their kind words and prayers. With many around me not understanding my feelings for Jasper, it does my heart good, and I feel like I have true friends in you who think and feel as I do. Thank you for always being there for me.

[This message has been edited by Jasper's Mom (edited June 20, 2001).]