Mickey and Jeter
(Jeter: December 15, 2005 to December 9, 2023)

Mickey and JeterThese are our cats, Mickey and Jeter (Mickey is the little one on the left). We got Jeter, along with his brother, A-Rod, on St. Patrick’s Day in 2006 from the Animal Humane Society of Hennepin County. They had been born around December 15, 2005, the same date that our previous cat, Ponce, died. On August 27, 2011, A-Rod died of acute heart failure. We were planning on going back to the Humane Society in late October to find another kitty, but then one found us. Mary Tan, a friend and colleague, had a friend, Katie Porath, whose folks in Big Lake had taken in a pregnant cat that had three kitties on Monday, August 15. Mary posted pictures of them on her Facebook page, and Brenda and I couldn’t resist the one pictured below. Katie said the one we were interested in was Jerome, her favorite among the three. We had decided that our new cat would be named Mickey, but we decided to keep his original name, so he became Mickey Jerome.

Jerome (later Mickey)

Mickey in the carWe went to Big Lake and got Mickey the evening of Wednesday, October 19 (which, coincidentally, was the eve of the 80th birthday of Mickey Mantle, our new kitty’s namesake). As we drove back, Mickey crawled up my arm and stretched out between my shoulders, sleeping on the back of my neck as we listened to the opening game of the 2011 World Series. I found out that Mickey enjoys riding in the car, and I take him for rides. He likes to perch on my shoulder, the way A-Rod also did. Mickey and Jeter have been getting along pretty well. Mickey is the aggressor, trying to get Jeter to play by clawing his tail or jumping on his head. Sometimes Jeter walks away, sometimes he hisses at Mickey, and sometimes he wrestles with him, usually with some restraint. Despite being five times the size of Mickey, Jeter hasn’t completely shredded him.

Mickey and Jeter

 

Mickey October 19, 2011 Jeter Watching Mickey
Mickey and Jeter on October 19, Mickey’s first day with us.

Mickey watching the World Series Mickey
Jeter and Mickey in the window Jeter and Mickey in the window

Mickey and Jeter in the window Mickey
Mickey and Jeter Mickey at the vet

Last picture of Jeter - December 9, 2023

Last picture of Jeter, Saturday, December 9, 2023, 3:15 p.m., an hour before he died.

 

Click here to see A-Rod and Jeter.

Click here to see our former cat, Ponce.

Back to Stew Thornley Home Page