According to the most esteemed, scholarly, news feed of it's kind, Cuteoverload.com reported yesterday, that it was officially Black Cat Appreciation Day. Someone failed to notify me in time!
NOT that it matters much. If you ask Jacques, every day is Black Cat Appreciation Day! duh.
My sweet baby, who knows he is SO handsome.
The best Craig's List find, ever!
When I first decided I needed a cat in Philadelphia, there was no doubt in my mind - I wanted a black, male, cat. All of my experiences with them had been wonderful. They are quite the personality-plus little guys. I had just finished cat-sitting for two black kitties, Ezekiel and Nico, and knew that's what I wanted. 
Nico, (left) little butterball, with the LOUDEST purr I have every heard. Sweet - just wants love, scared to death of his own shadow, used to wake me up in the morning by bumping his wet nose against mine when the snooze went off. This usually took about an hour.
Nico, (left) little butterball, with the LOUDEST purr I have every heard. Sweet - just wants love, scared to death of his own shadow, used to wake me up in the morning by bumping his wet nose against mine when the snooze went off. This usually took about an hour.
Ezekiel, who sadly has gone on to the happy hunting grounds, was so miserable the entire time I was watching him. Used to being able to roam a neighborhood, the confinement of a two-room apartment, though large, was tough on him. He showed his love by butting his forehead against mine and just held that pose for a while. He was a really neat cat. Sure of himself, he introduced himself the first time I met him by hopping right up onto a chair until he was almost eye-level, expecting to be noticed.
The cat I had to leave behind in California - Baghira - was also a great big fluffy black ball of sweetness. Baggy was so sweet, I never had to put him in a cat carrier to take him to the vet. He always knew what was up, but he never ran. He just stuck to me like velcro until we were sitting, and then stuck his head under my arm. He never realized that the rest of his 16lbs. of rump was still sitting on my lap in full view of anyone!
Baggy played his cards right. I caught him as a tiny kitten. He fit into my hand. Someone had burned his paws with cigarettes - you could see the burn marks on the pads. He was like one of those little "pills" you throw in water and they immediately expand into some giant sponge or something. We added food and within a week he tripled in size. My mother, the dog lover, was not in favor of keeping this little guy. But every time she would go out to the patio (where he was staying), he would be the biggest love bug. After four weeks she said, "I guess we have a cat now." We had to juggle "schedules" between Max the wire hair Dachshund - who HATED cats - and Baggy (named for Baghira in the Jungle Book). But we made it work. Sadly this was all long before the age of digital and so I only have film images of sweet Baggy. You'll just have to take my word on all of that.
I found Jacques after a long search on Craig's List.
Five months old (approximately) and skinny, the little guy came reluctantly. He was very nervous at first and so I just let him be. I was working from home at the time so we had plenty of time to bond and get used to each other. He developed into quite a character. Sometimes, it's almost as if he is trying to have a conversation with me. 
Jacques has put up with all kinds of my antics. Trying to entice him to bubbles, 
Playing Harry Potter dress up.
But not working too hard.
Snow, by the way, is really not his favorite season. 
As if I needed any more evidence, I was trying desperately to find a picture of me and Melanie's sweet kitty MJ, who was another great little character. I know I sent her a picture of me and MJ, but now I cannot find it! So I hope she doesn't mind too terribly that I stole an image from her website. Lots of TLC needs to be sent to Melanie because her sweet baby, MJ, passed away this spring, tragically and suddenly. He was a very sweet, attentive, young, inquisitive, sometimes devious, but always innocent! little guy. Always with his mommy Mellie. Here he is in his usual place of occupancy, Melanie's lap as she worked in her studio.
PS: just so you know, I edited considerably! I have oodles of Jacques pictures. This post could have been miles long. In fact, I'm considering making a post titled, MINE. I need a place to post all of the images of Jacques sitting on my stuff, as is his right, because it's his anyway. I'm just staff.
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