06/09/2021
It is with a heavy heart that I must inform you all that Jazz has passed over the rainbow bridge. In the very early hours of Saturday morning he lost the use of his hind legs and had difficulty getting around the living room - he was not in any pain but seemed very confused as to why he couldn't get around as he should. He was taken to the vets and was diagnosed with a sudden onset of ataxia, with something in his spine affecting his central nervous system. Due to his age, any surgery that could have been attempted had a very poor prognosis, so I made the decision to have Jazz put to sleep, thus preserving his dignity and preventing any further distress on his part. He was in my arms as he went to sleep for the final time.
Since moving to Lowestoft, my life has not gone at all the way I hoped or planned, in fact I have had some of the hardest times of my life here. However, from the moment I met Jazz and he took enough of a shine to me to start coming to my house (leading to him becoming my cat), he has been a constant source of light and happiness. I have never known a cat like him and shall never know another. In many ways he was almost human. It upsets me greatly to know that I will never again have him riding up on my shoulder, or following me to the shops, or running halfway down the street to meet me, mioawing his head off all the way. There are so many things he used to do which I will never again get to experience, but I am forever grateful that I got to experience them at all.
Jazz was well known and loved by many who live in the local area, and he was an exceptionally sociable cat to anyone who happened to pass him in the street. So, I would like to say a heartfelt THANK-YOU to anyone who ever stopped and gave him a fuss or gave him some sort of treat - he would very much have considered you a friend, and I'd happily bet real money he put a smile on your face and brightened your day. Thank-you for being kind to him, thank-you for being his friend. As I struggle to come to terms with his passing, thinking of all the interactions he had serves as some comfort to me.
My most heartfelt thanks to the staff of The Vetinary Surgery, Alexandra Road, and to the staff of Rainbow Bridge Pet Cremation Services, Great Yarmouth, for their support, empathy and professionalism.
This page will be left up in remembrance of Jazz.
- Robert M. Cassidy