Jazz (Feral – Adopted / Updated April 1, 2022)

We got a call from Eleanor, a lady who lives in our community, about a cat she had been feeding. We had another feral, Lobo, at the time, so we could not take in another adult feral. A few weeks after Lobo was adopted, Eleanor called to say the cat was outside and crying because it was so cold and miserable. It was during the day, and Bob went over to see what was going on. Then he came back to get me and the drop trap.

So, there was this aggressive, agitated black cat standing next to Eleanor’s patio. Eleanor had been feeding him, so he trusted her enough to go to the food she put down under the drop trap. It took about 10 minutes to catch him. He was extremely frightened and hissy, but we transferred him fairly quickly to a transport cage and got him home.

Our vet, Dr. Hill at Southern Paws Animal Hospital, got him in right away Monday morning. He needed a lot of work and testing, so he stayed overnight. Dr. Hill said he appears to be five to six years old. By Thursday morning, we were able to give him a washcloth bath. Once he got over the initial fear, he has proved to be an amazingly affectionate little guy. Unfortunately, Jazz tested positive for both FeLV and FIV, which means he either had to be adopted as an only cat or in a home with another FeLV+ cat. It can be difficult enough to find homes for healthy black cats, but my sister adopted this very special guy. Jazz now lives two doors down from us, and we can still be part of his happily ever after story. And he is always happy to see us when we walk in the door.

Post Script: The last week of March 2022, during a routine vet checkup, Jazz’s bloodwork indicated he was severely anemic, which was most likely a consequence of being FeLV+.  Jazz declined rapidly from there and was euthanized the first week of April. Jazz was dearly loved. He brought many people joy.  His life had meaning, and he is missed.