Jazz Jazz

We miss you Jasmine Judy Hunt.

Jasmine was my cat that I got in college in Boone. During my senior year, I was at my condo alone during Spring Break because I still had to student teach. It was a nice day in the spring and I went out to get my mail. While I was out a cute black cat found me and started following me. She was super affectionate and I assumed that she belonged to somebody in the condo complex. I refused to let her in the condo because I knew I would love her and want to keep her. After a while I had to go outside to get something from my car and there she was still at my door. I finally let her in and she followed me all around the house. She sat on my lap and just stared at me like, "Okay, this is my new place." I decided to go back outside and see if I could find her owners. Of course, the cat followed me as I went to all the neighbors' doors. No one had seen the cat before and nobody wanted it. I let her stay the night and made a make shift litter box. I put signs up everywhere to see if anyone would claim her. No one ever claimed her. My roommate got back and said that the cat could not stay in the apartment so I took Jasmine home. She rode in the back of my Integra the whole way and was as sweet as can be. My grandparents and mom were totally fine with her staying. I went back to school to finish up the year. While I was gone, my mom took Jasmine to the vet....to find out that she was pregnant! So, that summer, Jasmine had several baby kittens and we gave them all away to friends and family. That fall, I got engaged. The next spring, I got married. Of course, Jasmine came with me. She was always the sweetest most affectionate cat. Isabel has loved having her and loved dressing her up. She's such a good sport.

As we planned our move to Texas, we took Jasmine to the vet for all her checkup. They said she was healthy and ready for the big trip. We loaded up the car and plopped Jasmine in the carrier in the front seat. She rode along pretty happily and curious. When we got to the very far edge of NC in the mountains we stopped at an awesome rest area in Clyde. It was beautiful. We knew we should let the cat out for some fresh air. Brian's mom had even packed a little leash for us. So, Isabel got to hold on to Jasmine with the leash while I got our lunch out of the car. Of course, the cat was nervous with all the cars but we knew she was on the leash and I had tightened so she couldn't slip it off. I picked her up and carried her over to the picnic table. As I sat her down, Isabel held the leash. I turned around to get the food out of the cooler. Then, I heard Isabel yell, "Mommy, help me!!" I turned around and Jasmine was trying to run off into the woods. Isabel was holding onto her with all her might. The second that I got to her, Jasmine's collar snapped. She ran up into the woods. She was afraid and wouldn't come down. I was afraid to go towards her because I didn't want to scare her off further into the woods. About that time, two guys from a family came over and offered to help. They went up on either side of her to hopefully get her to come back down. Unfortunately, it had the opposite effect. She ran further into the woods and up the mountain. Then, Brian and his dad arrived. They both went in to find her. They searched and searched for over an hour. She was gone. We waited and waited and prayed that she'd show up. We looked in every possible place. She was gone. We knew we had to leave because sometimes cats come back and sometimes they just don't. We knew we had to make it to Memphis before too late.

Isabel and I got back into the car in tears. We cried through most of Tennessee. We didn't want to leave her there but we didn't know what else to do. We called my grandma and she tried encouraging us. She said that a nice family would probably find her and keep her and that family must have needed a pet to love. We are choosing to believe that's what happened. It's still sad not to have her here with us. It's strange how a pet becomes part of your family.

We miss you Jazz Jazz.