Mimi and Jordan

VITALS

• Names: Mimi and Jordan
• Gender: Female
• Birthday: July 14, 1993
• Hometown: Visalia, California 
• Jo Died: October 11, 2010 (17 years, 2 months)
• Mimi Died: May 8, 2012 (18 years, 9 months)
• Status: Jo adored Fido, following him everywhere. After Fido passed away, Jo relied on Alex. Mimi was less attached to other cats. She loved her humans.

OCCUPATIONS

• Mimi: Singer, especially late at night!
• Jordan: Explorer, official greeter and hostess

FAVORITES

Mimi

• Food: Anything, everything.
• Treats: Soft or crunchy, it didn’t matter.
• Toys: “Fishing pole,” laser light, sparkle balls, flies, shoelaces… anything that moved!
• Beds: Any warm lap.

Jordan

• Food: Picky eater, Jo preferred small kibble, crunchy dry food.
• Treats: Catnip! Yeah!
• Toys: Nothing beat a laser light, unless there was a bug to chase.
• Beds: The couch or on the bed next to Susan. For years, bed was anyplace next to Fido.

SPECIAL

• Mimi was a dainty sweetheart who loved to cuddle in laps and sleep on pillows.
• Jordan loved people, even complete strangers. She was afraid of no one, because she thought everyone would love her.

Two Belonged Together

When Scott was teaching at a private business college, a pregnant stray cat was taken in by the receptionist. When the litter was born on July 14, 1993, the receptionist posted descriptions of the little ones. Kirby was a little orange tabby vacuum cleaner, for example.

There were two black calico females. Susan has since discovered the were not “calico” based on their color patterns: they were technically tortoiseshell and white. We were ignorant when we started calling them our “calico girls.”

Tiny little things, eager to explore and play, they loved people. One was named Mimi by their foster mother and the other was not yet named. The plan was to pick a single little girl, a new playmate for Fido. But, where one went, the other wanted to go. It seemed wrong to separate them — they belonged together.

When Susan came home that night, instead of a single little handful, she was greeted by two bundles of energy — which were called “The Demon Spawn” by our friend Pete. Jordan, in particular, wanted to climb up legs to reach laps. She loved attention from people, even complete strangers.

It is still hard to believe they are no longer with us. We loved our girls.

Mimi the Queen

Mimi was unquestionably the Queen of the Pride. She could be more than a little demanding, especially when she wanted a lap. Mimi, despite being smaller than the boys, pushed past anyone to get to the food plate. She was in charge of the house and knew it.

Mimi was more reserved than her sister from kittenhood. She was delicate, even dainty. Even at the age of 17, Mimi remained athletically kitten-like. It was only in her final months that she abruptly stopped jumping and playing.

As a kitten, Mimi found the toilet paper roll irresistible. We gave up keeping toilet paper on the normal roller because she would unroll and shred the paper. It wasn’t until she was 15 that we stopped placing the rolls out of reach.

Loving, Trusting Her People

If you were sitting on a chair, resting on a bed, or anywhere else Mimi could climb, she would try to reach your face. If you weren’t careful, she’d kiss your face and groom your hair. She was particularly attracted to ponytails. “Mimi kisses” on the chin were special signs of her affection.

Mimi loved to snuggle up next to someone, or between a person and a computer. How dare anything else get attention when she was present! At night, Mimi would crawl under the covers and sleep next to one of her people.

She loved to be held and carried about the house. Mimi was extremely trusting, letting you hold her in almost any position. She just wanted attention — as much as you might give to her.

Searching for a Throne

Every queen needs a throne, and Mimi had an affinity for chairs. She’d jump onto a chair the moment you stood, so you had to be careful not to sit down on her. It wasn’t one chair she loved, but any and all chairs. Mimi would race you to the dinner table because she loved the chairs so much, especially if they’d been warmed for her.

Mimi and Jo would share a chair, too. They would barely fit on an office chair or a dining room chair, but they made it work.

Weakness for Treats

Mimi’s weakness was treats. Not any particular brand, not any particular flavor. When treats started shipping in small resealable bags, she was soon running to the sound of the bags opening. As a young lady, she ran when she heard the can of “Pounce” treats being taken from the cupboard.

In general, Mimi simply loved food. She’d eat wet food, dry food, treats, and if you weren’t careful she’d try to eat your Cheerios. Thankfully, she never developed Alex’s love for “people food” or Mimi would have been unstoppable at dinner time.

We purchased a kitty water fountain for the kids, and Mimi loved it. She really liked it if we added a few ice cubes.

Like Fido, Mimi appreciated running water. We bought a Drinkwell pet fountain for her, and she enjoyed it. She would test the water with a paw before drinking.

Quiet, but Loud!

Mimi would seldom “speak” in more than whisper if you could see her. She had a quiet little voice, as delicate as you might expect. But, if she was out of view she could cry like no other cat. Mimi let you know when she wanted attention. The moment she knew you could see her… back to the dainty meow.

An Unexpected End

As we were moving into our new house in Pennsylvania, it was obvious Mimi was getting tired. We moved her in a carrier with Misty Kitty, and the pair stayed next to each other throughout their first night in the house. Wednesday and Thursday, she remained in a little kitty bed in the corner of the “kids’ room” of the new house. On Friday, we took her to the vet to see what might be wrong.

She had lost some weight. Lab works showed her kidneys and heart were fine, but she had something wrong with her liver. The vet kept her over the weekend, to feed and hydrate her. The lab work improved significantly, but Mimi seemed tired when Susan brought her home on Monday afternoon.

Mimi passed away about 8:25 a.m., Tuesday, May 8, 2012, at the new house. It was raining lightly, after a long night of storms. During the night, Mimi had walked, taking many breaks, from the kids’ room to a spot near Susan’s side of the bed. Mimi wanted to be with us, right until the end. She died Scott’s arms, exhausted.

She went from jumping up to our bed to being unable to walk in less than a week. It was heartbreaking. Losing Mimi and J.C., both after moves, really hurt.

Jordan, Princess of People

Jordan was the social butterfly of the pride. She loved everybody, even Fido. Jo would burst out a room and down the hall when a door opened, bumping into anything and everything along the way. She wanted to greet anyone entering her house.

Jo would help visiting repairmen without the slightest fear of strangers. She trusted people to find her irresistible.

If Jordan was sitting by the water dish, that was her way of saying, “Where are the ice cubes?” She liked her water cold.

Attention on Her Terms

Unlike her sister, Jordan never liked to be carried or held. If you tried to hold her, she would squirm free. Yet, she loved laps and adored cuddling up next to people. Next to you, she’d try to nip your chin and nose, purring.

Hide-n-Seek with Jo

While living in our small Visalia apartment, Jordan discovered the cupboards were easy to open. At first, she limited her exploration to the “food pantry” cupboards, climbing in with the cans of soup. Later, she started climbing into more dangerous settings: under the kitchen and bathroom sinks. We had to install plastic safety latches to stop her explorations. Somehow, Mutt also developed a curiosity for what is behind doors.

When Susan bought a nice oak entertainment center for our television, it wasn’t long before Jo learned to open the two small doors directly below the TV. She would climb in and sleep on the manuals and coils of unused cable.

Jo (and Mutt) would seek out hiding places in closets, under tables, and even in dresser drawers. Open a drawer to put away clothes and soon Jordan was curled up looking at you from atop socks or pants.

Let’s Play Light!

One day while Susan was in the Visalia apartment’s “master” bedroom, which had two windows, light reflected off her watch and onto the closet doors. Jordan shot from the bed to the floor and started jumping as high as she could to catch the light. Soon, we were entertaining Jo, Alex, and J.C. with regular games of light spot.

Susan brought home a laser pointer and Jordan was ecstatic. She loved the laser pointer. Jo would raise her rear, paws outstretched, and pounce on the light as it approached. Alex is the ultimate laser spot chaser, but Jordan loved the game almost as much as her buddy.

The Minnesota Years

We moved to Minnesota in August 2006. We spent the first year in an apartment across from the Mall of America. Then, we purchased a small home.

After Fido lost his battle against cancer in October 2007, Jordan still searched for him. She would sit by the tub and cry, sleep next to the empty cat bed/box in the living room, and sometimes she simply seemed lost. Thankfully, Alex became her new companion. Alex was a great friend and loyal companion to Jo right until her final hours.

In Minnesota’s cold winters we discovered that Jo loved heating vents, space heaters — anything radiating warmth. I think if we had a cat-sized “reptile rock” she would have curled up on it and purred.

By 2008 Jo’s ability to jump was starting to wane. We now had steps for her to take up to the bed. Jo even went gray before Mimi. Everyone ages at a slightly different rate.

With Her People

Jordan began losing weight in May 2009. It turns out, her kidneys were losing function. She received additional fluids every night and was on a special diet. She was tired and sleeping more — which is saying something for a cat.

Jo liked to go under covers and curl up next to a warm person. It was tough knowing she was exhausted. We did all we could for her and hoped she was as comfortable as possible. She seemed content, especially curled up next to Scott in bed.

Young at Heart

On October 11, 2010, Jordan lost her year-long fight against age. That morning, she struggled to walk more than a few feet at a time without collapsing and crying. She seemed to be a great deal of discomfort and panic. Scott spent from noon to 3:30 on the “kids’ bed” with Jo snuggled up under his arm. Next to her people was still her favorite place on earth.

She was put to sleep between 6:10 and 6:15 p.m. at our vet’s office in Minnesota. It was difficult because you could see glimmers of the younger, energetic Jordan seeking any affection — and moments later she would be unable to focus or stand.

Jordan was loved, deeply, by us and by Alex.