Jax is a three and a half year old neutered male who is finally ready for his forever home (see “Our Boys” for another picture). His unique story began in Bangkok, Thailand, where he was born as a randomly bred Siamese/Thai in an old gentleman’s garden. He and his sister (now a breeding cat in a cattery in Finland) were befriended by the old gentleman and then brought to the United States by breeder Cristy Bird of Sarsenstone Cattery in southern California. After a few weeks with Cristy, Jax went to a breeder in Florida, where he lived for a couple of years but did not sire any kittens, as had been the plan for him. When his Florida owner had to move to Europe in 2010, Jax came to us, and he sired litters a year or so ago with our girls Phoebe and Nala. Two of his kittens with Nala will carry on his Thailand lineage for him, which, combined with Nala’s German background, gives his son and daughter the ability to contribute critically-needed genetic diversity to our American Thais.

Once Jax had carried out his mission of delivering fresh genes to our American Thais, he was neutered and integrated into our household last spring, and now he’s definitely part of the family. He loves laps, belly rubs, and snoozing with Nala. We love having him around, but he deserves a home where he can be more the center of attention than he is in our house, with currently four adult cats, a two-month-old litter, and another litter due very soon.

As is typical of about half of cats native to Thailand (and was typical of many early Siamese imported to Britain from Siam a hundred years ago), Jax has a markedly kinked tail. His tail is normal for about two-thirds of its length, but then becomes tightly twisted into a clump. We consider it a mark of authenticity. It doesn’t concern Jax at all, of course. Also, Jax’s eyes tend to water, especially if he’s feeling stressed. This is most likely a result of having had an upper respiratory infection that scarred his tear ducts as a kitten in Thailand, where most cats don’t get vet care or vaccinations. That also means that Jax is probably very hardy and disease-resistant, because he comes from parents and grandparents that were survivors of the epidemics that periodically cull native Thai cats. His current vet says he’s perfectly healthy. He had a dental cleaning a couple of months ago and is current on his vaccinations. His litterbox manners are perfect and he has never sprayed.

Jax is available to just the right home for a minimal adoption fee of $100, mainly as evidence that the new owners are willing and able to spend as necessary on caring for him. He needs a home where he is an only cat, at least at first, so that he will not have to worry about moving into another cat’s territory; once he is sure of his new home he would probably enjoy having a companion, ideally a female kitten. He is perfectly comfortable around our dogs, and enjoyed playing with kids in his Florida home. Based on how he acted when he arrived at our house last year, I suspect he will be jittery and skittish at first, but with gentle handling, his innate desire to be petted and cuddled will surface before long, and he’ll purr and snuggle as he does with us.

If you think you might  be interested in Jax or want to know more about him, email me; be prepared for lots of questions. He’s a really special cat and I’m hoping for a home where his new owners will appreciate both his sweet nature and his story as a genuine native Thai.