Happy Tail: Jinx
Jinx, formerly Joni, was a feral cat visiting friendly strangers for food. Before coming into the care of Annex Cat Rescue, she was living outside in the cold winter days and seen crossing busy streets. She was placed in a foster home with ACR foster superstar, Sherri.
About the same time, Claire was going through a rough patch in the fall of 2020 when she decided to adopt a cat. The pandemic disrupted the lives of many, and Claire was no exception. She was living alone for the first time in her life, had lost her job due to the pandemic, and was looking for a feline companion when she found Annex Cat Rescue.
Claire originally wanted a younger cat that was no longer available. Everyone was adopted out, except for Jinx, a shy older cat still waiting for her forever home. At first, Jinx was extremely shy when Claire brought her home. She spent the entire first week in her new home hiding under Claire’s bed. But Claire found a purpose in Jinx: it was her goal to make her new cat more comfortable. Although Jinx wasn’t exactly a lap cat, she now sleeps with Claire in her bed, rather than underneath it.
Claire gushes about Jinx to all her friends and is always showing her off on social media. Claire describes Jinx as a tough girl who eats all her food immediately and has absolutely zero interest in going outside.
There was a mouse in the home once and Jinx didn’t even go after it because she was accustomed to having her meals prepared for her and did not want to hunt anymore. After a long life on the streets, Jinx has “retired” from that life and has fully embraced her new life as an indoor cat. She was named Jinx after Claire’s favourite person on Ru Paul’s Drag Race, Jinkx Monsoon, who Claire feels she resembles with her big echoing meows.
Jinx is definitely a diva with an attitude. She will meow if her breakfast is late, and she has male cat suitors visiting her. Another cat in the building named Charlie Brown goes outside onto the sidewalk and will stare up at Jinx’s window. Claire says they remind her of Romeo and Juliet.
Jinx isn’t too fond of generic cat toys, but she does have some custom-made catnip-filled toys and she does enjoy playing with paper or leaves. She also loves to lie on the radiator and just suck up all of the heat. Like most cats, she also enjoys being pet.
Claire feels Jinx’s tale is very inspiring. She had a tough life and is now enjoying the perks of being an indoor cat to her fullest potential. Claire is so proud of Jinx, who was adopted to her with a lot of anxiety but has become so much more trusting. Jinx has also been so emotionally supportive to Claire and has done wonders for Claire’s mental health. Claire says, “I really love her and I’m so happy with her. She’s my best friend.”
-Sandra Dania
