SallyGanoJones

The unusual scene caught our attention right away. Felix, an older male cat, vigorously bathed the scrawny black kitten continuously. We were visiting Rick and Shirley, our friends across town. Rick told us the kitten’s sad story.

“I found him and the gray kitten in a field behind our house. The mother cat just left them there,” Rick explained.  He went on to tell us he was planning to give the little black kitten to a shelter and keep the gray one. They already had too many pets. Their older male cat adopted the youngsters and took on the responsibility of affectionately grooming the poor little black kitten.

 I looked sympathetically toward my husband and said, “We do need a buddy for Kitty.” Thirty minutes later the scrawny black kitten was riding on my lap across the city back to our house.

I did not want to bring him into our new house on his first night and leave him alone so I uttered what would become “famous last words.”

“Honey,” I told my husband, “It’s just one night!” I cuddled the little kitten next to me by my pillow and we all fell fast asleep. Little did I know that this would soon become a nightly ritual and “Buddy Jones” would become his real name.

At first, our new little Buddy appeared to be a normal kitten. On his third day he became ill suddenly. He was not playful as a kitten normally is. It was the weekend and our vet’s office was closed. So we scooped his limp body up in a blanket and drove to a pet emergency clinic. On the drive I prayed, “God, I believe you are in the pet business so please take care of little Buddy.” He was given fluids and medicine there and soon looked as good as new.  About a month later he became suddenly sick again and once again he was treated for dehydration with fluids and for infection.  Little did we know then that these bouts of sudden illness were not his only problem.

It was when I was vacuuming one day I noticed that Buddy was not afraid of the loud noise of the vacuum cleaner. Although our older cat scattered when I turned on the vacuum, Buddy actually wanted to ride on top of the vacuum. That was the day I realized he could not hear. I told our veterinarian about it and she noticed that he had some other unusual traits that were unique such as pink pads on his feet and a pinkish nose. Most black cats would have black pads on their feet. She questioned if Buddy might have inherited his deafness or did his frequent illnesses cause him to lose his hearing.

When he was a year old he became very ill again with a bone infection. He stayed at the hospital for several weeks and when I brought him home he still struggled.  He would not eat, drink or play. I sat by his favorite chair in our bedroom and coached him to eat and drink. I put water on his mouth and lips, and wiped his face with a damp washcloth. I whispered to him, “Please, Buddy, don’t give up!” Little did I know that he would return the favor.

Buddy did recover and became a very playful young cat. He always crawled up next to me at night by my pillow and my husband would look at me and say, “Yeah, just one night, right!” We soon realized that because of his deafness, Buddy would cling to us in the dark when the lights went out. Not being able to hear, Buddy depended on his eyes and sense of smell to get around. His sense of sight and smell was very good. He played “fetch” with my husband and me. We tossed toy mice and he ran fast to retrieve the pet mouse and return it to us for another toss.

One day I became ill with sudden severe headaches. I felt so bad I would stay in bed and sleep in a dark room hoping to lessen the pain. Buddy came to snuggle with me next to my pillow.  He studied my face very closely. I was in so much pain from the throbbing headache; I did not notice Buddy’s serious concern for me. As tears rolled down my cheeks, I suddenly felt a paw pressed against my cheek!

He gently placed his paw on my cheek as if to dry my tears! Was he returning the tenderness and care I’d given him when he was ill? He cuddled beside me throughout that day. I was amazed at his compassion and care.

In fact, as I battled with the severe headaches over the next few months, Buddy seemed to know before I did when a headache was coming. He would go to the bedroom door and meow and howl until I went to the bedroom.

Was he telling me to go to bed? When I got in bed he would snuggle beside me and put his paw on me as if he wanted me to rest. I would tell him he must have been a doctor in another life. It almost seemed as if Buddy’s mission in life became taking care of me.

Buddy’s most surprising gesture of love came when I returned from the hospital following surgery to remove my thyroid gland. I had a bandage on my neck. I went upstairs to rest in the guest bedroom where it was quieter. I woke up to feel Buddy climbing on the bed. He sat near my shoulder studying me with a look of serious concern. I watched him as he studied me. Then, he took his paws and ever so gently, one paw at a time, tiptoed up my chest stopping just below my bandage.  He cocked his head at an angle and looked into my eyes. If he could have spoken with words, his gesture seemed to say, “What have they done to you?” He seemed upset that his mistress was in such bad condition. I patted his head and reassured him. He snuggled next to me and we rested together.

I will always remember these tender, compassionate gestures of Buddy Jones. Buddy is now seventeen years old, and he has lost his eyesight, too. He bumps into walls and has to be helped onto the couch or on a chair. He uses his keen sense of smell to help him navigate the house. With all of his handicaps, he maneuvers considerably well. When I walk into a room, he wants to be near me and most often wants my lap.

Buddy and I have weathered many storms of life together. Yes, it was just going to be “for just one night,” that we snuggled, but thankfully he has been my true “buddy” for many days, nights, months and years. Hopefully, we have many more to share in the coming months. Although he is both deaf and blind, he is a truly special cat. He is loyal, loving, and the best buddy I could ever have.