Jen Hurd, Jackson & Jemma
Left to right: Jackson, Jen, and Jemma
I have always loved cats, but really started to become a "cat lady" with my first cat as an adult—Juniper Pearl. She was a silver tabby and she adored my husband. She loved to sit on people's shoulders and would drool when she was happy. We thought she could use a little friend to perk her up, so to the Humane Society we went! We saw a tiny blue tabby named “GI Joe” and we were so disappointed that another family had already put a hold on him. Much to our delight, the other family never came back, so GI Joe came home and became Jackson Oliver. Jackson did his best to become Joon’s best friend, but she was kind of a grumpy old lady, and she would sometimes grudgingly allow him to snuggle up or play.
We lost Juniper when she was 12 to a very quick battle with kidney failure. Our whole household was devastated. We weren't sure how to move forward, and six months after we lost Joon, a friend of my mom’s had a cat with two kittens. One of them was the tiniest little silver tabby girl. We needed a new kitty, Jackson needed a new friend, and it was the right fit for everyone.
“He’s also a bit of a weirdo; he loves aggressive pats on his booty, and one of his favorite things is getting drummed on with paper towel tubes.”
Jackson is a hissy boy with new people, but when it’s just us, he’s a total snuggle bug. We think he’s really a dog on the inside. He runs to the door when we get home and loudly flops over and waits for belly rubs. He is SO sweet, and when he’s sleeping in his beanbag, I can walk up and talk to him; always sweet nothings about what a good boy he is and how much I love him. Without even giving him pets, he turns on his motor and makes biscuits. He’s also a bit of a weirdo; he loves aggressive pats on his booty, and one of his favorite things is getting drummed on with paper towel tubes.
Jemma is the curious one of the two. She’s got a pink nose that we call her “mood ring.” It ranges from a pale pink to a bright, strawberry candy pink based on how chill or excited she is. She’s the one who knows she’s getting into mischief and doesn’t care. We’re frequently getting her down from on top of a door, the kitchen cabinets, the china cabinet—she keeps us on our toes.
There’s a very specific meow she does that is a good signal for incoming mischief, and I find myself replying with “don’t do it!” She also loves to cuddle, and she loves fleece blankets—they are the surest way to get her to calm down. Put her on a fleece blanket and she goes into a biscuit trance. One of my favorite things is that she likes to snuggle up with us under blankets. There’s nothing quite like a lazy Sunday morning with a purring kitty under the covers.
Jackson and Jemma are best friends now, and we're so lucky. They snuggle together, play together, wrestle for our laps. They're so sweet and cuddly. As I'm writing this, Jackson is loafing on my lap. He has had a furry sack (we call it his binky) since he was a kitten, and he drags it around the house and howls. He’ll bring that and a tiny stuffed pig (named Mr. Pigglesworth) to us to show us what a fierce hunter he is, yowling the whole way. He has taught Jemma this hunting method, and her favorite toys are the cheap furry mice. She now carries them to us and howls her way through the house. They get constant reminders of what great hunters they are and how proud we are of them. Jackson will also send Jemma into our bedroom in the morning to let us know it’s breakfast time. I can’t say I’m totally pleased to be woken up by a cat paw in my mouth, but it is effective.
You may have noticed that all of our cats have been tabbies; we’re quite partial. Because of this, our home has been known as Club Tabby for nearly 10 years. I can't imagine a house without cats, and they all have left such an impression on me. Through major life events—death, marriage, mental health struggles—they’re always here. They’ve provided me so much joy, love, and laughter, as well as comfort when I needed it most. I think they can tell when I’m having a tough day and will come snuggle up. Jemma is a decisive cat, she just plops herself on you. Jackson is a little slower and takes him time to circle up, but they both look at me with such love in their eyes. I’m so grateful for them. I still struggle with the concept of unconditional love, but they’ve taught me a lot about that, and I think I’m getting closer to it every day.
Jen Hurd is the Oregon Coffee Board president and the West Coast sales manager for Genuine Origin (a green coffee importer) and works to support and provide resources to coffee professionals. She was born and raised in the Willamette Valley and married her high school next-door neighbor. I love an 80s aesthetic, live music, karaoke, cats, cocktails, and coffee!