Jessi “Jamz” Colón & Meowcolm Jamal Warner
I adopted Meowcolm Jamal Warner while working for a big shelter here in New York. I had been on the prowl for a new member of our family and had an eye on him because he was hilariously rambunctious. He got adopted by another family, but a day later he was returned for being “too big”—he was only 7 months old. I went for the adoption right away and brought him home on July 3, 2011. Once he was home, he levitated out of the carrier and has been running around the apartment nonstop ever since. He is challenging to live with because he is a genius, and it takes a lot to keep him stimulated. He knows how to sit and can open every cabinet. Once while a catsitter was staying over, he learned to open the fridge and ate a whole package of “pork carpaccio” (bacon). He also has a congenital hole in his heart, which is reflected in his unbridled pouring of love into everyone he meets.
Meowcolm is a true superhero, both solid and spritely. When running down the hall, he might scale the wall for a couple prances, just for fun. He is a devoted companion, sitting at my feet for the whole workday. He prefers to lay across differing textures—a foot and the rug, the wood floor and a shoe, a leg and the couch. He is all black, with red highlights in the sun. Now 10 years old, he has a few white hairs here and there. But still, everyone that meets him comments on what a dapper guy he is.
Since we were featured on GATC last year, our whole lives have changed. We welcomed his first human sibling and began spending about ⅓ of our time at my mother’s in Connecticut (he hates the drive and loves the country). His brother, our sweet Henry-Widget, passed away. We moved apartments. I feel a lot of sadness that so much has happened to him so quickly. I hope every day that I’m still a good enough mom for him, that I’m giving him as much as he is giving me. And, I feel so much gratitude for his perseverent joy, closeness, and embracing of our new home and way of life.
Watching him interact with his new baby sister is extraordinary. She’s a wild one and has started with the chasing, wanting to grab, and once went for a mouthful of fur. He holds his boundaries with peace and patience and frequently comes close for interaction on his own terms. Every night, he gets in bed with us and the baby, and he snuggles up with the whole family. If he paws my face in the night, I sit up and do an enthusiastic snuggle massage. On a few occasions, I’ve woken up to find Meowcolm and the baby having a full play and headbutting session, which is suboptimal for everyone’s sleep, but still a delight for me.
Jessi “Jamz” Colón is a native New Yorker, a dancer, a movement teacher, and a member of the Brooklyn Cat Cafe family.