Farm Chef Blog

 

One day last month, what started out to be a very ordinary day ended with an incredible twist. I spent most of the day working in my office, on a Cowichan Bay Cittaslow brochure, until I go a call from the Animal control office on Herd Road in North Cowichan. “is this Mara Jernigan?” they asked me.

 ”Yes”, I replied.

“We have your cat”, they stated.

“Which cat?”, I asked, having only two outdoor cats, both of whom had been crying at the back door for food no less than an hour ago.

“Jasper!”, they told me.

I paused, in disbelief. Jasper was our orange tabby that  disappeared more than 5 years ago, in 2005, the year I moved from Engeler Farm to Fairburn Farm. My son Julian bought Jasper as a tiny kitten for $5. at the Duncan Farmer’s Market, where he sold fresh squeezed organic lemon aid as as child. He was an adorable kitten who grew not only to be a worthy farm cat with great hunting abilities but also a highly social cat with a great personality. He had run away twice before. The first time was the day we moved him from Engeler Farm to Fairburn Farm. When we arrived and I let him out of his kennel, he took one look at the Archer’s dogs Izzy and AJ and bolted off. After posting his photo and asking around, we found him about a month later back at Engeler, eating liver pate in the kitchen of the farm’s new owners. He had found his way back and crossed the  very busy Trans Canada Highway, an incredible feat. When I brought him back home I established his territory at the front of the house, on the verandah, far from the dogs and the other two farm cats we had acquired to replace him when he ran away. It was warming up by this time, and Jasper enjoyed lounging around the verandah, charming the guests. His new location suited his aspirations to become an indoor cat and he convinced many guests to let him in the front door, until I started to tell everyone who arrived not to let Jasper in. However this did not stop him. One morning, as I was serving  breakfast, some guests told me what a great sleep they had had with Jasper! He had climbed the pear tree on the verandah and snuck in their bedroom window and on to their bed! The shenanigans continued for the summer but as fall came it grew colder, the guests stop coming and I went away for 6 weeks. A friend of mine who was not exactly a cat lover house sat for me. She dutifully fed the cats but did not show Jasper the affection he was sure he was deserving of and his chances of getting in the house as the days grew cold and rainy diminished. When I came back from Europe I was told he was gone. Julian and I felt sad, but I was sure Jasper had survived and found somewhere else more agreeable to live.

 

Although we did often recall what a funny cat Jasper was we never thought we would see him again. And then the call came. He had been given a tatoo in his ear by the vet, who had me registered as Jasper’s owner. We went right to the animal control center where we found him, as friendly and social as ever. We are quite sure he remembers us. He is back on the verandah this summer, a little older and lazier but just as charming as ever. But PLEASE….! Don’t let him in the house!

 

 

 

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