The One and Only Mr. Jazz…
Everyone loves Mr. Jazz – and why not, he’s a snuggly, love-muffin, cuddly bear of a cat!!
By popular demand, the elusive, one and only Mr. Jazz will be the subject of our post today. Much like that seldom spoken about, never seen other daughter of the Osbourne’s (Aimee), that is what our Jazz is like. Quite frankly, despite being the sweetheart he is, he does not like the camera and prefers to keep the publicity at a minimum, unlike his feline cohorts who are such camera hogs that they can pose in their sleep!
I got Jazz as a Mother’s Day gift many moons ago and this darling boy has seen it all. He has lived with my endless parade of other cats, dogs, rabbits and guinea pigs. He has been through my divorce, single parenting, Dan moving in, home renovations, hurricanes, and now, the infamous Zee/Zoey reign.
Jazz was about 10 weeks when I got him and this was his first picture. You will note as is the trait of a Ragdoll, that his beautiful markings are not fully developed yet.
Throughout it all, he has an extremely devoted cat, especially to me. Even to this day, he will climb up my leg, asking to be held, and then will cradle my neck with his big bear paws. He does the same at night when he lies on the couch with us for a spell and he sleeps on top of me like he is attached with industrial strength glue when we go to bed at night. If I toss, he tosses, I turn, he turns.
Despite that Jazz is more of a loner, he still enjoys hanging out with his other feline housemates when it comes to catnip and toys! This picture was taken after I brought home loot from a BlogPaws Conference. You will see Zee looking terrified at his flat pet image, Zoey boldly checking out hers, Rolz looking typically bored as he walks away from everyone, and Mia diving into her favorite addiction, Temptations Treats!
He was a very sweet and social kitten and loved playing tennis with a wadded up ball of paper. That is still his favorite game and when he is not napping, he will enjoy a bout or two with us. He will make a very low feral sounding meow when he happens upon a wadded paper ball, which signifies he is looking for me and is going to drop it at my feet as a gift.
Jazz a couple of years ago when he enjoyed exploring a bit outside. He looks like a big ole bear!
This was last year – Jazz decided to come outside, but rather than explore, he found a comfortable cushion in the tiki to lounge on.
Right now, he is in his senior years and it is showing. He will eat a small breakfast then head back to the bedroom for a nap. He will nap most of the day, have a light dinner, do some computer work with me, watch TV for a bit, then head to bed to wait for Dan and I to come in so he can settle for the night. He used to enjoy going outside on the weekends with the other cats, but he now prefers to enjoy the peace and quiet of the household and will snooze while we are outside.
Rather than hound him with the camera, we give him his space. When Dan is taking pictures of the other cats, he is conspicuously missing of his own choice. If he happens to inadvertently wander into camera range, he looks at the contraption with a certain leeriness and quickly scurries away. It’s not that he is shy, scared, or untrusting. Quite the contrary. Jazz is an absolute sweetheart, lover, and happy cat. He is just old, grumpy, and ornery when it comes to certain things and his private life is one of them.
With the exception of lying on my chest at night, Jazz’s favorite place is the comfort of our bed to nap all day and night.
So, I know that you all want more of Jazz, but this is the best I can do. I respect his privacy and when I can share more, I will. Until then… it’s back to the status quo, i.e., those other darn seven cats who have no problems whatsoever getting within camera range!!
Oh, and as an update to last week, to follow is a picture of Peanut with her famous number “5” marking for those of you that could not find it as well as the answer to the who is who picture!!
Feeding time at the O.K. Corral – Peanut, Mia, Harley, Rolz, Zoey, Jazz, and Zee. This was years ago when the kittens were about 12 weeks old.
L to R – Peanut (darkest color), Mia (swirl pattern), and Rolz (lightest color).
i completely forgot you even have Mr.Jazz! He is a real stunner! He is the “Johnny Depp” of cats…….doesn’t like the camera and wants his privacy 🙂 Love that you respect his wishes!
The “Johnny Depp” of cats!! Cute, Caren! We fondly think of him as a combination of a grumpy Walter Mattheau and the distinguished Sean Connery!
What a beautiful boy! Thanks for sharing him with us today.
My pleasure, Ingrid!
Mr Jazz is beautiful. I see the number 5 on Peanut now when you point it out.
Yes, having the arrow pointing at it, really helps, Sue!!
Mr. Jazz is certainly one handsome dude!!!
Yes he is, Brian!!
Mr Jazz is a very handsome boy.
He sure is, Eric and Flynn!
We love your posts so much with your beautiful kitties. Jazz is such a handsome boy with those stunning blue eyes. We’ve had many elderly cats through the years, and we know the habits of napping and keeping mostly to themselves. What a treat for all of us to have today’s post. The kitty feeding photo is also particularly wonderful. Purrs and hugs from the kitties at http://www.thecatonmyhead.com, Lily Olivia, Mauricio, Misty May, Giulietta, Fiona, Astrid, Lisbeth and Calista Josette
Thank you Janet. I have had many senior cats myself, and they truly are special. I am so glad you enjoy the posts and I love the feeding photo too – it’s a madhouse in person!!
Oh I am so glad we got to see more of Mr. Jazz. He is so handsome. He looks like such a nice cat too. Glad he got to be on the blog. Take care.
We were happy to feature him today, Marg, and I am glad you enjoyed seeing more of him!
Thanks for taking our suggestion to heart. We love wise, old Mr. Jazz !!!
Layla, I know you have a soft spot for the old, wise ones!!
Mr. Jazz is just so beautiful! We’re so blessed to have feline companions through our years and all the ups and downs. He definitely deserves a lot of respect and love which you and Dan are wonderful at.
Thank you so much, Wendy. We do respect his wish for privacy – he provides us with so much love and devotion, it’s the least we can do!
Jazz is beautiful and so very special. I’ve always been drawn to the “look” of the Ragdoll cat although I have never had one myself.
Thanks again for the photo for the RPO blog. I had a good laugh at your comment!
Julia – the Ragdoll is such a sweet and docile breed and they make wonderful companions for those who want a kitty who likes to love and snuggle!
I always wondered about him. I see him in your blog header and at the bottom but don’t see many photos or information. How old is Jazz? He is a most beautiful cat. And thank you for making his senior years comfortable and for giving him the space he needs. paw pats, Savannah
I post about him now and again, but he clearly prefers his space. He is 15 years old, Savannah NanaMo.
Mr. Jazz sure is a good looking guy!!
We love that photo of him in the Tiki hut!
Oh and wow did we ever miss the “5” – we thought it was totally somewhere else! HA!
Jazz is a beautiful boy! So floofy and soft…oh so pettable! Lucky you 😉
Wow–Peanut really *DOES* have a purrfect 5 on her back–amazing!
Oh we love Mr. Jazz! You all are so beautiful and spectacular over here and gorgeous website! This is my Human’s dream come true: maine coons, bengals and ragdolls…fabulous!
Jazz reminds me of Hissy Old Licorice. He was a very private cat and did not enjoy the camera, but his nightly cuddles were what we lived for.
Jazz – You Rock!
Ciao
Nellie and Mommy
I am sure Jazz doesn’t appreciate being in the limelight, but he certainly is a very beautiful boy. Thank you for sharing about him xx
DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD !!!! way awesum ta see ya front page N center & in de spot lites buddy… thanx for chillaxin for a wee few minits in front oh de camera…grate pick sure…dai$y saw pick sure one N swooned…~~~~~ we willna keep ya two long with conversayshun sew ya can get bak ta sleepin, snoozin & nappin N trust uz, we noe all bout ree spectin sum pri vacee…hope ya got sum cases oh flounder for all this pic ture taken pozes kinda stuff !!!
=^..^=
Oh tabbies!! Even though we didn’t say it in the post, you know we did it just for dai$y!!! Jazz is very pleased that he has such a sweet fan!!