Tribute To Jimini

If you read my Mom's blog... you'll be following along... This is my favorite Jimini picture.

Poor old Jimini. I had him since I was in college and he was 5 years old when I got him. A friend of Amy's gave him to me. Anyway... we became fast friends. He went straight to the top at our house. He ruled over the dog and sometimes even me I think. At this time I lived at the parsonage at Manchester RP Church. That has too have been almost 10 years ago now.

Anyway, I would bring him home with me every weekend to stay with my folks. He enjoyed the car rides and was very obedient in that regard. He was allowed to rest on the front seat beside me, and touch me with his paw, but he was NOT allowed to be under my feet or on my lap. I eventually moved back home with my parents and he took up residence there too. He brought a sort of fun side out in Charmin. He played with her and she would let out a "he's hurting me!" type wimper to which he would roll on his back beneath her and be completely submissive to her. It was hysterical!!! Charmin had his number!

Later Charmin passed on... and Jimini took over as the man of the house. When Booger arrived, he was not real pleased with the added intruder in HIS house. They played, but not quite the same as before.

Shortly thereafter I married Keith. Jimini let him know where he belonged.... if Keith did not hit the sack at the same time as me, he may as well get the couch. Jimini would growl and hiss at him for moving him from his comfy bedtime spot.

The last year that we lived at the farm house we had a mouse problem. UGH!!! One night I sat at the dining room table working on something and Jimini is just meowing under his breath over and over and over and over until finally I looked at him and said "What do you want?!?!?!" Then I noticed as he stuck out his chest... he was SO PROUD that he had caught a mouse and was bringing it to me. Y I K E S !!!! It wasn't even dead! He was just holding it for me!!!! He dropped it and I jumped and it went behind a boom box on the floor so I smashed it against the wall... and that stunned it!! Then I scooped it up in a can and gave it a toss outside.

That was only the beginning. He caught several after that. He never ate them... thank goodness!!!! But he always brought them to my attention. One night, in the middle of the night... I could feel him moving around at the foot of the bed. All I could think of was... he's old... he's having convulsions... he's gonna die... the poor guy. It was about 2AM. I sat up, leaned forward, and squinted as hard as I could to see him... when I realized in a fit of terror... "THERES A MOUSE IN THE BED THERES A MOUSE IN THE BED THERES A MOUSE IN THE BED!!!!!!!!" I was out of bed in a second flat!!! Keith was up, groggy at best. Jimini was oh so proud. He would set it down on the bed and when it would move he would pounce on it - and this is what I thought was him on his death bed!!! (he was pretty old) I can't remember exactly how I got rid of that one, but you can bet your last dollar that I was a pretty jumpy sleeper for weeks!

As it goes, my good old pal met his demise about a year ago or so. We were living in Wilmore, Kentucky at the time. He was about 15 years old, which is ancient for cats. He was rather ill and it was heartbreaking to watch him decline. We finally took him to the vet and that was a very sad day. We borrowed a shovel from our neighbor, Monty, and buried him in the back yard. What a sad sad day it was.