Jamie

the calm

Gentle
Self-contained
Protective
Loyal at Heart

Spring–Summer 2008 — born as one of ten kittens
August 2008 — visits from the neighbor’s ginger cat Garfield (2008–2019) inspire the decision to adopt again
Adopted from the local shelter with brother Mylow, the same place Carry once came from
August 29, 2008 — first day home
From day one, frequently choosing the round scratch toy with the wire spring as his seat — a habit that stays into old age
First encounter with Garfield — hisses erupt on both sides, fur bristles, tension rises — Garfield is brought back outside
Playful yet gentle in early months — practices fighting to understand strength and limits
The living room and the basement bar become his playground with Mylow — the bedroom their wrestling ground.
When playing with humans, begins while Mylow jumps in to take over; in adulthood the roles reverse, and in old age the pattern quietly returns
Time and again, found in uneven positions — upper body on a blanket while the lower body stays on the sofa, or hind legs on the first step and front paws on the floor
Through kittenhood and early adulthood, often sleeps curled up with Mylow — groomed by him more often than he returns the favor
Hears Mylow trapped in a nearby garage and leads his human mother there
In early years, hurries to the front door whenever someone returns home — eager to inspect every bag and new scent; over time, the ritual slowly fades
Jamie is larger overall than Mylow — broad head and strong build, bigger paws and a thicker tail
Eyes shift over time — amber as a kitten, clear yellow in adulthood, returning to deep amber in old age
As kittens, Jamie and Mylow discover claws and jump strength — their humans teach them where scratching and jumping are allowed and where they are not. Jamie understands the rules well, yet in younger years occasionally drags his claws along the sofa when he wants something, fully aware of the reaction it will provoke. The habit gradually disappears with age.
Remains at ease being carried at any age
Spends much of his early life close to Mylow — playing and sleeping together — grows distant over time, yet still intervenes when Mylow is in danger, driving other cats away — even though Mylow constantly provokes and annoys him
As a kitten, fearless toward strangers — later withdraws and follows Mylow; inside, almost always hiding together beneath the basement stairs, only rarely elsewhere; outside, keeps distance and hides separately
Excellent hunter — focused, efficient, and purposeful
Lies still during closeness — calm, grounded, unmoving
Paws notably soft — almost velvety to the touch
Uses his voice sparingly — in younger and middle years only when he wants to be let outside, where his meow turns firm and demanding; otherwise soft and restrained; in old age, becomes almost completely silent
On one memorable occasion, after repeatedly meowing to be let out through the patio door and being ignored, jumps onto the sofa, looks directly at one of his humans, and delivers an especially firm and demanding meow as if insisting the request be taken seriously
When young, tries to catch his own tail — most notably on the stairs inside the house; later, he never actively uses it, and when lying awake, it develops a quiet life of its own with irregular, subtle twitching
Strongly oriented toward his human mother
Likes resting on backrests — in younger years on the backrest of an office chair, later mostly on top of the large sofa cushions, gradually pressing deep hollows into them
Has many different sleeping places and makes regular rounds through them each day in a familiar sequence, changing preferred spots with the seasons both outside and inside the house — outdoors, one recurring favorite is the firewood stacked above the basement stairs, where he likes to sleep either in front of it or directly on top of it
Prefers sleeping outdoors whenever conditions allow, a habit that remains unchanged throughout all stages of life
During hot summer days, frequently changes sleeping positions in the garden and rotates between several spots in short intervals; in extreme heat, sometimes squeezes himself into the narrow space between the patio door and the garden bench standing directly in front of it
While grooming, sometimes twists a front paw into such an unusual position that it looks broken
When a standing human plays with him using a long string or similar object gliding across the floor, he repeatedly throws himself around the person's feet and darts through the person's legs, as if the one holding the toy belonged to the chase itself.
Occasionally, he sits in seemingly backward positions, facing directly into corners and narrow angles — the space between the patio door and the wall, or the gap between a bench's backrest and armrest — quietly gazing into them as though they were the most natural place to look.
Defends his territory mostly without fighting — his voice alone is usually enough to make other cats leave; only once, after a recurring black tomcat keeps returning, comes home exhausted and disheveled, with a tiny piece missing from his right ear — and the rival is never seen again
Outside the garden, he often explores the surroundings while Mylow stays behind at the garden gate, quietly keeping watch until he returns.
If he does not feel like being petted, he usually lets out a brief, quiet little sound, gives an annoyed look, or simply gets up and walks away.
Enjoys quietly peeking beneath the garden gate and through the fences on either side to watch what is happening around the neighboring gardens
Among his many sleeping places, one stands apart. Whenever he returns home exhausted after a fight or simply does not feel well, he withdraws into the enclosed lower compartment of his small cat house, where the surrounding walls seem to give him the sense of safety and protection he seeks.
From 2015 onward, after years of freely sharing the whole house, a lasting territorial pattern gradually emerges: Jamie makes the ground floor his domain, Mylow claims the top floor, while the first floor remains shared territory between them.
In bright sunlight, his black coat reveals a subtle reddish shimmer, though less pronounced than Mylow’s; in very old age, the end section of his tail develops an especially strong reddish tone
Spends most of his outdoor time in the back garden and prefers to be let out directly through the patio door. When no one opens it for him, he takes the less convenient route downstairs and out through the cat flap.
When young, often spends time on the open-backed stairs inside the house — lying on the steps and peering through the gaps between them; the habit disappears completely as he grows older
The neighboring gardens are part of his wider roaming territory, though he ventures into one of them far more often than the other and visits less frequently as he grows older. When unusual activity at home, such as visiting workers, drives him outside to hide, the bushes in this favored neighboring garden become one of his retreats. Once new neighbors with dogs move in on the less favored side, he abandons that garden altogether and continues roaming through the other neighboring garden.
In younger years, climbs along the fences marking the property boundaries on either side of the garden, though much more frequently on the side where a single large plant covers the entire fence. From there, he sometimes continues all the way up to the balcony, but also stops on the plant instead, where he has a good view over the entire garden. When he stays below and spots one of his humans on the balcony, he often looks up and meows repeatedly.
His purr is unusually loud and deep; when especially content or excited, a second, higher tone emerges above the deep base, giving it a distinctly layered sound.
In summer, also likes resting on the garden lounger, though less often than Mylow. It is one of the few resting places regularly used by both brothers.
Whenever his human mother takes an afternoon nap, Jamie joins her — he knows the routine and regularly waits for her to lie down so he can nap with her.
In younger years, when the yew tree in the garden is still small, Jamie regularly jumps into it and settles on one of its branches — the moderately sturdy branch gently swaying beneath his weight.
When it rains, he occasionally sits outside with Mylow on the doormat beneath the shelter of the balcony — one of the rare situations in which Mylow never teases or bothers him.
When his human mother sits at her desk, Jamie likes to jump onto the desk and settle down to be petted — usually directly in front of the monitor, blocking the view, or on top of whatever printed papers happen to be lying there.
Likes resting beneath the balcony on the garden storage box holding the chair cushions; when the box is eventually replaced by a bench in the same sheltered spot, the bench becomes one of his regular resting places instead.

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