Many of you have probably seen Chester over on my Instagram, but most of you probably don’t know much about him besides the fact that he is one of the most photogenic cats ever. I love when other bloggers share a bit more about their pets, but I have never shared that much about mine!
So let’s go way back to the beginning. Really it all began in December of 2009 when we had to put my childhood cat Tiger to sleep because he was ill from diabetes. We still had Tiger’s sister, Zoe, but we thought she was probably lonely now and we needed another cat.
So my parents decided that once summer break came around after my 7th grade year we would adopt a new kitten. I spent that spring literally counting down the days and I had never been so excited to see summer come.
One of my mom’s friends fosters kittens for a local cat rescue, so when she got a few at the beginning of summer, she told my mom that there was one she thought we would like. Of course, as soon as we saw him we fell in love!
We also found out how he ended up at the cat rescue. A semi truck driver had stopped at a truck stop in a nearby town, and when he got out of his truck he heard meowing. He then found Chester in the battery case of the semi! So we have no idea how far Chester traveled that day, and it’s a miracle he made it out alive!
Once he was old enough, we were finally able to bring him home on Memorial Day weekend in 2010.
Much to Zoe’s dismay she was not living the single cat life anymore. (Little did she know that 5 months later two more kittens would join the Jones household!)
Don’t let the picture above fool you though. Chester enjoyed snuggling up to Zoe and she tolerated him as long as he stayed asleep.
I have never seen a kitten with so much energy. He would play and run until he was panting like a dog! That first summer he was home I also began leash training him so he would be able to go outside! He loved it immediately and still enjoys going out on his leash. I always find it funny when people drive by and do a double take to make sure it really is a cat they saw on the least!
#ClassicChester
Once he got older, we started letting him into our backyard without his leash since it is completely fenced in. Sometimes we would go out to check on him after 10 minutes and he would be gone. He was sneaky and often dug under the fence to get out, but he never went far. One time I even walked past our front door while he was out back… except he had escaped and came around to the front door and wanted in!
A few years after we got him, we discovered that he is probably part Turkish Van, which is a cat breed that is mostly white with just a few spots and a colored tail. This probably explains his adventurous spirit and how smart he is!
When Chester was only 1 or 2 he began vomiting a lot and became lethargic, which was very unlike him. Then we found a lump in his stomach, so we took him to the vet. They said the only option was to do exploratory surgery to figure out if it was a tumor or what was happening. I had to go to school the day he had his surgery, and I was so nervous the whole day because I thought for sure it was going to be a tumor or something else that would be incurable.
But it ended up that he eaten 14 round bands somehow (they looked like hair ties except bigger) and they had gotten stuck in his stomach! We could never figure out what he ate, but we also weren’t too surprised since he loves to eat (and throw back up) hair ties. To this day, he hates when people touch his stomach though, and he has been that way ever since his surgery! Also, needless to say he does not go outside without supervision anymore since we think that is where he ate whatever got stuck in his stomach.
Chester loves:
– kitty treats
– catnip
– going outside
– being around his people
– cheese, olives, ice cream
-“supervising” while the tabbies get their claws trimmed (aka he knows treats come out afterwards to reward them so once he hears the clippers he is always runs in)
-sitting on the highest perch on his cat tree
Chester hates:
– being brushed
– car rides
– being covered with a blanket
-when his food dish is empty
We also call him our dog cat since he used to fetch sticks, greets us at the front door when we come home, and since he walks on a lease!
We also joke that he is bipolar, because he can be the sweetest cat you know what minute and then turn extremely feisty the next. He is always on his best behavior around guests though, so most of my friends don’t see Chester’s “alternate ego” that we have dubbed Mr. Whitey. Mr. Whitey usually only comes out when he is ready for bed at night (and wants his nightly food) or if he is chasing the tabbies around the house.
Chester has learned a few tricks over the years. I have taught him how to shake, high five, and
how to ring a bell for a treat! He was absolutely terrified of the bell at first, but within 10 days he was ringing it like a pro. #proudcatmom Basically, he is just very motivated to get treats, so if he has to ring a bell to do it, that is okay with him. But our other two tabbies at not nearly as food motivated (or as smart) as Chester, so they can’t be persuaded to do this.
If you want to see a video of him ringing his bell, checkout my Instagram and go to my animals story highlight!
He is also currently working on learning to jump through a hoop this summer! He loves the treats and it keeps him a bit more active!
So that is the story of how I got Chester and a little bit more about him! Let me know in the comments if you enjoy reading more about bloggers pets as well!
xo, Scarlett