A Girl and Her Cat

By Melissa on February 9, 2011 in Down syndrome

We have a cat named Jax. He’s quite the unique little cat. We picked him out from the shelter to be a best friend for a cat who is no longer with us. “Give us the friendliest cat you have,” we said. “Give us the cat that never wants to be alone.”

That’s exactly what we got. Jax is the friendliest, sweetest, happiest-to-know-you cat I’ve ever encountered. He doesn’t bite or scratch. He likes to be with us. He never runs and hides – typically he even meets you at the door for a pat on the head and he’ll lick your hand.

We also have another cat, Milo, but…well, he’s not quite as friendly.

So we had absolutely no worries about this cat and our baby. We knew they would be best of friends, and so far, we’re right.

It all started the day we brought her home. The instant we put her car seat on the floor, Jax was there to meet her.

Jax Meeting Rowenna

Rowenna has been enamored of Jax since the beginning. He was the first thing (besides hubby and I) she turned to watch. From the start, Jax loved to curl around her head for a snuggle.

Snuggling with Jax

Jax is the first thing Rowenna intentionally reached out to grab. She had previously waved her arms around until she landed on a toy, but one day we were sitting on the couch and she looked Jax in the eye, stuck out a chubby little hand, and grabbed a clump of fur. Jax’s response? He flopped over and started to purr.

Happy with Jax

When she started to coo and babble, the sight of Jax set of a long string of elated “oohs.” When she started to smile, Jax walking by caused the happiest grins. When she started to sit up, Jax was the reason to straighten up and reach out. When she started to roll, Jax was a reason to roll more than once in a row.

Now that she’s working on her fine motor skills, her interactions with Jax are even cuter. She runs her fingers through his fur. She affectionately pulls his whiskers. She pats him on the head. She sucks on his tail. Seeing Jax results in a very excited “ma ma ma ma ma ma,” a huge grin, and completely forgetting what she was doing before. I firmly believe that when she learns to crawl it will be to find Jax, and when she learns to walk it will be to catch Jax.