Java's Story

       Yesterday we lost our pet cat Java. Of all the pets we’ve had over the years, Java was the one who was an enigma.

       Java joined our family after our dog Lucky was hit by a car. (I know, not so lucky.) In their grief following that heartbreaking loss, the kids said they never wanted another dog.

       One day after Johnny visited his friend Dave, they came back to our house and said that Dave’s neighbor’s cat had just had a litter of kittens. They were Manx kittens with just nubs for tails. They went over and played with the kittens whenever they got a chance.

       And the begging began. Dave’s mother said they couldn’t have a kitten. I said we couldn’t have a kitten either. We already had a cat, Velvet, who had been abandoned under our house as a kitten. Dave’s mom held her ground. I didn’t.

       Johnny chose the kitten he wanted. We had to wait until they were old enough to be weaned. When the day arrived, we went to pick up the kitten. At the last minute, Johnny changed his mind about which one he wanted and chose another one.

       We came home with an adorable, calico Manx. Johnny thought the gray, and tan speckled kitten with white paws and a white bib was a male. The naming process began. 

      I thought Freckles would be cute because of the cat’s coloring or Nubsy because of its bobbed tail. Various names were nominated. Sarah’s suggestion, Java, was chosen. I didn’t think it fit. This was not a black cat and it wasn’t overly active, but when three kids (Dave was involved too) decide that “Java” is a cool name, you go with it. After all, I’d already caved into getting another cat, when I’m not even a cat person.

       We took Java to the vet for a checkup. That’s when, to his dismay, Johnny found out that Java was a female not a male. The vet said that calico cats are almost always females. Who knew? Obviously not us.

      As the days went by, Johnny’s girl cat decided she wasn’t Johnny’s. She was Sarah’s. She slept on Sarah’s bed and it was Sarah the third grader who carried Java around petting her and introducing her to her friends.

       We called her our ditzy blonde. It took her a long time to figure out that her name was Java. She also had problems figuring out what a litter box was for. Velvet, our black (or brunette) feral cat hadn’t had these issues. Velvet wasn’t keen on Java. The feeling was mutual.

Java studying hard so we'd stop saying she was ditzy.

       When we took the two cats to a mobile vet that was microchipping cats for identification, we warned them to be careful because Velvet was a feral cat. At pick up, they told us that Velvet hadn’t been a problem, but Java, our little domestic cat, had gone ballistic.

       Java was always a tiny thing. She never got heavier than 10 pounds. Manx cats have an interesting build. Their hind quarters are taller than their front. They also run like bunnies. Their two front paws hit the ground at the same time, and their two back paws come forward at the same time on either side of the front paws.

       Their nubby tails are a genetic mutation that are actually a spinal defect. They are missing vertebrae. We found out very quickly that Java’s nub was extremely sensitive.

Why yes, I can fit it this basket full of papers.

 

If you touched her nub, like an unwitting vet tech who tried to take her temperature, she would let out a growl and snarl like a cougar, claw at you and clamp that nub down denying any access. For a tiny thing, she could put up a heck of a fight.

       I’d like to say that Java got along with all the pets that came into our house, but that would be a lie. She tolerated them at best. She looked at our dogs as if she thought they were the most disgusting, ugliest cats she'd ever seen. She really should have been in a home where she was the only pet. I don’t know if that’s a Manx trait, or just a Java trait.

       Her go-to reaction to overly friendly dogs was a lightning fast jab to the nose. If that didn’t work, she would turn on that bunny run and scramble under a couch. That strategy was a success until she encountered our dachshund Suzie who had no problem following her under low furniture. Java was shocked!

       Our other two cats, always tried to escape from the house whenever a door opened. Java, true to her domesticated roots, didn’t understand the allure, except once. One morning I opened the door to get the newspaper and was shocked to see Java calmly sitting on the front porch. She had been out all night. She mewed at me as if to say, “Well, it’s about time! I have no idea why that other stupid cat always wants to go out," and then she sashayed into the house. 

 

       As the years went by, Java had health problems. I rushed her to the vet one day after she had a seizure. She had kidney issues. Because of her spinal defect she was prone to constipation. We had to sprinkle a laxative on her wet food to help her bowel movements.

Java with bandaged leg after having an IV.

 

I called Sarah at college to break it to her that 10-year-old Java might not be around much longer. Ditzy Java had other ideas.

       Dave, Java’s other favorite person in the world, graduated from college and came to live with us for awhile because his parents had moved. Java was a happy, purring kitty with Dave in the house. Years later, Dave came to visit from California with his new bride and Java looked at him with adoring eyes.

       He noticed that she was more friendly. She had been aloof to everyone but Sarah and Dave when our house was full of kids. After the nest was empty, she warmed up to John and me.

     

       Cats live longer than dogs. But another surprise from Java, was that even though she had these chronic health problems, she outlived two dogs, and Velvet who was only a few years older than her. She met two “new” dogs, and trained them to approach her with extreme caution. 

   

      The average lifespan for a Manx is 8-14 years. Java, the enigma, lived her quiet, lady like life for 18 years. We will miss the soul searching stares from her golden eyes, her feather light steps, her distinctive trills, and gentle purring.

Laura Keolanui Stark can be reached at stark.laura.k@gmail.com.