Jack (Kitty) Malseed August 1, 2001 - November 7, 2005

It is with great sorrow that we announce the passing of our precious kitty friend, Jack.

When I found Jack, he was in a cage at the Humane Society with a bunch of other kittens. He was so small, that he had to climb into the bowl to eat his food. My roommate at the time, Michelle Vogel, had persuaded me to 'just go look'. We came back with two baby kitties that day, Jack and Jake. I named Jack after my Daddy because he had said, 'no more cats!' and I knew that if I ever had to move back home, I better have a way to get Daddy to like him. Jack and Jake wreaked havoc in our little apartment, and we enjoyed watching them grow up so much.

I did move home a few months later, and Jack Kitty and Jack Daddy quickly became good friends. Jack Kitty would wake Daddy up every morning at 4:30am with his cold, wet nose. He would put his nose to Daddy's nose again and again until Daddy got up and fed him. One day, Jack was missing. We couldn't find him anywhere. I remember that I had walking pneumonia and was really feeling awful. After church, I went back outside to call for him again. Faintly, I heard a pitiful meow. What a blessed sound! I ran around to find him...I looked up...At the top of a huge tree (at least 50 feet up) was my baby kitty hunched up against the trunk. I ran as fast as my sick self would take me to get my dad. I couldn't even breathe when I got to him. Daddy got the ladder, and at a risk to his own life, climbed the tree and rescued Jack. Even this experience didn't deter Jack from chasing squirrels.

Jack and I moved to Mt. Pleasant. We lived in a great neighborhood without much traffic. The kids all loved Jack. He would let them pick him up, pull his tail, pet him. He was so gentle. He quickly became the neighborhood mascot. One day he was missing...three days, 100 fliers, and many tears later, I got a call from a neighbor who said that he was at their house and asked if they could keep him! what? no way! I quickly retrieved him. I was the one who got the 4:30am wake up calls, but I didn't mind much at all. After he ate breakfast, he would always sneak back in my room and cuddle up next to me and purr until he fell asleep.

We moved again. Jack was a master at being flexible. This time, there were two white fluffs who ruled the house. Jack was most gracious to Bailey and Tucker. They became buddies, partners in crime. It was normal to see them running around the house together. Jack loved snoozing on the jacuzzi top in the back porch and walking the fence.

One thing that was a particular love/hate deal with Jack was his attitude towards car rides. I don't blame him for being freaked out, but incessant meows for two hours frequently got on my nerves. Sometimes I would meow back at him. He'd stop, and with big eyes look at me and we'd talk together for a little while. I tried to give him sedatives from the Vet, but he was so smart that he'd take them and spit them out when I wasn't looking! Then on the car ride, I would wonder why he wasn't getting tired.

After Brandon and I got engaged, I had to take Jack back to Columbia to live with my parents. It was a hard thing to do, but I knew he was in good hands. With the hopes of going to seminary in California, I knew that Jack wouldn't make the trip very well, and besides that, we couldn't have pets in our apartment. Mom and Dad joyfully took in their grandkitty, and it was no secret that he had captured their hearts.

My time in California has been so good, but one thing that I have really missed on a daily basis is my Jack Kitty. He was such a good friend to me. When I was living at home in Columbia and didn't really have any friends or any direction in my life, Jack was often times the one I would talk to. (I know it sounds crazy.) His sweet demeanor could brighten up even some of my darkest days.

Jack was such an awesome cat that people who hated cats would always say, 'I like Jack' after meeting him. He was laid back and easy to get along with. He never bit or scratched anyone. He would let anyone hold and pet him, and was just a lovable guy. He loved to lay out in the sun and under the furniture on our back deck in Columbia. Brandon and I were just talking this weekend about how our kids will know Jack. We joked that if we wanted to ever name our kid Jack, we'd have to make sure he wasn't confused with Jack Kitty.

This morning, Jack was found in the road and looked like he was sleeping. He had been hit by a car. Daddy is going to build him a little box and bury him.

Please pray for us. Mom, Dad, Brandon and I are all sad to say goodbye so soon. We loved him very much and one thing that we know is that he never had a chance to think otherwise. I know that many of you knew and loved Jack Kitty as well.