Jonah’s Story – The Fellow Behind the Floppy Ear
After Micah’s passing the thought of adopting another cat was almost unthinkable. Jake was in shock and grieving. He’d just been diagnosed with CRF a few weeks earlier and was doing well with his new treatment but when Micah disappeared from his life, Jake stopped eating. We weren’t sure if he was sick, grieving or just depressed. He was looking for Micah everywhere so we started thinking about a new cat more and more. We wanted to help distract Jake and I wasn’t sure how long it would take me to find another cat since it had taken me 3 years to find Micah. I hoped to find another Siamese but it was difficult to find the “right one”. I’d noticed that if Siamese cats aren’t acquainted with other cats from a young age they can become territorial and require being “only cats” later in life. I had been looking for almost a month and getting pretty discouraged after visiting a few rescues and meeting a few cats and was starting to get worried because none of the cats seemed “right”.
Photo of Jonah that was posted on www.sbacc.org in 2008.
His adorable face and floppy ear are what sold me.
Photo of Jonah that was posted on www.sbacc.org in 2008.His adorable face and floppy ear are what sold me.
It was then that I received an email from a rescue woman with a link to Jonah! (then Mocha) I read Jonah’s story and right away I felt I was meant to adopt him. He was the one. I called the number on the listing. He was posted on the Seal Beach Animal Shelter website as a courtesy listing. I spoke to his mom who informed me that she’d tried to rehome Jonah for a month and finally took him to Long Beach Animal Control. YIKES! I was panicked. I didn’t know if he even still alive! Long Beach Animal Control is not a kill safe shelter. I hit the internet and was able to track him down to the SPCALA Long Beach. Due to his sheer cuteness he was transferred there. The problem is that it was a Mon. and they are closed Mon. and Tues. I tried emailing them to find out if Jonah was still there and available for adoption. They got back to me on Tues. night and said he was still there, yipee! Meanwhile Jonah’s old mommy emailed to tell me that someone else had called her inquiring about Mocha – uh oh! I was determined that I would be the one adopting Jonah so I rushed down to Long Beach on Wed. when they opened at 10 AM. It was the day before Thanksgiving. I thought, how busy could it be? Well the place was swamped! Luckily for us no one else had show up for Jonah and we met with him briefly in the “get to know you room” where he communicated his need to get the heck out of there ASAP. According to the rescue workers he’d been hiding under a blanket all week terrified of being there. We took him home with us that very same day! He cried for about 15 minutes in the car then settle down and fell to sleep.
Jonah’s accommodations when he arrived.
Daddy was impatient for him to explore which he did in his own time.
This is a classic example of “funny face” Jonah in his characteristic “belly up” pose. He loves to sprawl out on his back when he plays, relaxes or takes naps. He manages this pose in the most unlikely places – across your legs on the couch, off the cat tree or on the bed.
Jonah’s accommodations when he arrived.Daddy was impatient for him to explore which he did in his own time.
Jonah is the sweetest little boy. (Probably second only to Micah. Jake is the smartest.) We weren’t sure what his name was going to be for a couple days. He started out as a Jessie but it didn’t seem exactly right. Finally we decided on Jonah. His nickname is Joan Bear. When Jonah first arrived home he hid behind the toilet for a few hours them moved into the cat tent where he promptly pulled the sherpa pad over his head to hide. Eventually Jonah did venture out… to hide under the guest bed for 2 more days. Jake and Jonah’s relationship continues to get better everyday. It wasn’t as instantly magnetic as with Micah but they’ve grown to be buddies despite the 10 year age difference. Jonah is a rambunctious 3 year old boy with tons of energy but he does tend to be the most shy of the bunch. He’s similar to the way Jake was before he came out of his shell. This has been changing though as Jonah becomes more sure of himself. Jonah is one of the most playful cats I’ve met. He is ready to play anyplace, anytime. It’s almost an addiction for him. There isn’t a toy he met that he didn’t like. He especially loves the laser light and String-ama-Fling but he just plain loves playing with mommy and daddy whatever it is or chasing his sister Fionna around the house. Jonah has so much energy that I felt it was necessary for us to find him a playmate closer to his age. Jake has never been very playful and having his kid brother chase him was downright annoying.
This is a perfect example of how handsome Jonah is. He has the loveliest dark mask and I love the way the color changes from a light creamy color on his chest to a dark chocolate brown at his feet. It looks like he was dipped in chocolate! I can understand the fascination with Siamese cats when he strikes a pose like this!
This is a perfect example of how handsome Jonah is. He has the loveliest dark mask and I love the way the color changes from a light creamy color on his chest to a dark chocolate brown at his feet. It looks like he was dipped in chocolate! I can understand the fascination with Siamese cats when he strikes a pose like this!Jonah is originally from Arizona. He was adopted there by his first family and moved with them to Seal Beach, CA. After 3 years they couldn’t keep him anymore due to a housing situation. If you’re wondering about the story behind Jonah’s floppy ear it’s a result of aural hematoma. Aural hematomas are quite rare in cats but more common with dogs. Jonah had surgery performed when he lived in AZ. The surgery involved making an incision in the ear and reducing the swelling by draining the fluid. When a hematoma is surgically removed it often results in the severing of cartilage in the ear. Our current vet said that they offer laser surgery for this procedure which helps to prevent the ear from flopping while still relieving the blood clot. We wouldn’t have Jonah any other way though. We think his floppy ear adds to his personality and “signature” silly look. Otherwise Jonah is a perfect example of the Tradition Applehead Siamese popularized in the 50s and 60s. He’s a perfect example right down to his crossed eyes, bowed front legs and kinked tail which were once considered desirable!
This is a classic example of “funny face” Jonah in his characteristic “belly up” pose. He loves to sprawl out on his back when he plays, relaxes or takes naps. He manages this pose in the most unlikely places – across your legs on the couch, off the cat tree or on the bed.We love Jonah to pieces. It’s impossible to look at him and not think you’ll explode because he’s so stinkin’ cute. His silly personality and quirky habits like sleeping on his back, hanging upside down, stretching out so he hangs off furniture, signature moans and priceless facial expressions make us smile and helped to get us through a very difficult time in our lives. His personality perfectly matches his mischievous, silly look. He has ants in his pants and can’t sit still no matter what. He’s always ready to go at a second’s notice. I know he was sent to us especially by Micah. Micah knew what we needed to help us open our hearts again.
Meraviglioso ed adorabile !