Jade
by Sid Wing
(Duncan, Oklahoma)
Jade and Jasper our 10 year old Foundling
We moved into a house in rural Duncan, Oklahoma in 1993, bringing with us 2 cats and 2 dogs. Shortly after we moved in (within a few weeks), we began to notice the presence of a Very Big, coal black, tomcat.
Several times we witnessed him living off the land. He was a terror on the local cottontail rabbit population. As the first summer here turned into fall, we saw him venturing closer and closer to the house.
One unusually cold fall day, he was laid out in our driveway sunning himself. I very slowly walked up to him, and to my surprise he didn't run away.
He rolled over in the dust and showed me his belly. I reached down to pet him and he stalked off a few steps but did not run. He was back the next day.
We gave him some water and a bit of dry cat food and that was it, we were his!
Soon found out that he had very few in the way of house manners regarding toilet and getting along with other cats. We decided to name him Jade because of his Green eyes. He has been with us for 7 years now and still can't be trusted in the house for any period of time.
In the winter he sleeps in a box of old bedding in the garage (supplied with food and water and a litterbox which he uses when it pleases him).
He will spend cold nights in, but anything above 40 degrees he wants to be out. I mentioned that he is a Big Cat. His last trip to the Vet he weighed 23 pounds. Vet said he's not fat, he's all muscle. He likes all of our dogs and even tolerates a tongue washing from our silky terrier who is smaller than he is.
Sid
This is where Duncan, OK is:
