Ch. Jacnjan Jarrah (aka Jabba)

a very special cat
9 March 1995 - 20 January 2011
I know you shouldn't have favourites, but sometimes a special cat comes along, steals your heart and that is it!  Well Jabba was that cat.  We had an uncanny love for each other, call me a mad cat woman if you like, but it was almost as if we had known each other in a previous life, his intuition for my feelings was always spot on and the way he looked at me with his beautiful amber eyes just told me he knew my deepest heart feelings.
Born in my bedroom, like all my kittens, he was one of five kittens, one of his sisters (Gr Ch Jacnjan Jasmine owned by Pat and Dave Desolla) was the first to be picked and Pat named her Jasmine (all the Jacnjans had names beginning with 'J'), so 'floral/plant' names were to be the theme for the litter, but when it came to naming Jabba I had to find a suitable boyish name and came accross 'Jarrah' a mahogany coloured eucalyptus tree, well his beautiful chocolate coat had a mahogany sheen to it, so it was a very suitable name.  Jabba was booked at 6 weeks but over a weekend was a little unwell, as kittens often are, but after spending the weekend in 'mummys' bed and being spoilt he soon rallied round, but it was then that I realised that I couldn't let him go, thankfully his new owners to be understood and chose one of his sisters instead and so that was it, he was determined to stay.
Jabba's first show was the Rex Cat Club show in June 1995, he didn't do particularly well, as his coat at that time was so short and had no curls, he looked more like a little mole, but two weeks later he was at the Kensignton Kitten & Neuter Cat show and he was awarded Best in Show Foreign Kitten - his coat had come in beautifully and he was a real show charmer.  He continued to do well in his show career and managed to make his Championship status in three straight shows.  At his last adult show a lady approached me and pleaded with me to let her buy him, she and her husband had fallen in love with him and couldn't bear the thought that he might be a future stud cat and have to live outside in a cattery.  I assured her that he wasn't for sale and that he was booked in to be neutered the following Monday and that he would be staying with me for ever as my much loved pet.
Jabba was duly elevated to Top Cat in the house and all of the girls loved him, he was always to be found with his little 'hareem' laying with him on my bed, or anywhere he chose to sleep, and so it was that my lovely little silver Devon Rex suddenly developed a nice plump tummy (obviously this was before Jabba had been neutered) and produced 4 of the prettiest silver chocolate box kittens you could wish for (naturally all straight coated as the Devon and Cornish genes are not compatible), all of the babies were found loving pet homes and that was Jabba's one and only time of fatherhood.
Jabbas life continued with being spoilt, he never went into the cattery, I tried it one lovely sunny day, thinking he would enjoy laying in the sunshine, but no, he wanted to be near me and didn't want to go outside even for half an hour!  If I had to be away from home I always worried about him, as I knew he would miss me, and when I returned home I would always go and find him for our special cuddles, even before I took my coat off.  He loved to lay in my arms whilst I was on the settee or in bed and he would put his little face up to mine for his nose kisses and then settle in the crook of my arms and purr himself to sleep, he knew how to relax and to make me feel relaxed.
And so the years rolled on and my beautiful boy started to go a little grey around his muzzle and then the weight started to come off - he was knicknamed Jabba after Jabba the Hut in Star Wars, as Jabba did like his food and was a nice big boy to cuddle, and then I realised that my boy was not going to be with me for much longer.  In Nov 2010 Dave Desolla informed me that he had lost Jasmine and I knew then that my Jabba's time was also going to be limited, he had had his geriatric check ups at the vet and they always commented on what a strong heart he had for a cat of his age - I knew he had a strong heart because he had a BIG heart, full of love, but in January 2011 Jabba stopped eating and I knew I had to make that trip to the vet, I had arranged with a friend to take me at the weekend (I had had surgery to my hand and couldn't drive), as I wanted to get everything prepared, when I lose one of my cats, this may sound morbid but..  I bury them in a planter in the garden, choosing a specific plant that means something for that cat, then whenever I decide to move, my cats come with me.  Sadly, I came home from work on the Thursday to find my darling boy had collapsed, a phone call to my friend had us at the vets within 30 mins and sadly I let him go, I had held him throughout the process,
So Jabba is now laid to rest in a tub in the garden, in the spring I will plant a eucalyptus tree in it, but for now he has some pretty spring flowers to brighten the tub, I say hello to him everytime I pass to visit the outside cats.
The hole in my heart will eventually heal but he will always be there, my very special boy.