A man who never thought of himself as a cat person found himself falling for a feline with a grumpy expression, chubby cheeks, and sad eyes.
Bob and El Jefe
Jo-Anne
Bob never saw himself as a “cat person” or having a feline companion due to his allergies. However, everything changed two months ago.
Upon returning home from their trip, Bob and his wife, Jo-Anne, heard about a cat who had been saved from the harsh winter weather, covered in snow.
“Our friends told us about this amazing grumpy-looking cat with big cheeks, droopy eyes, and no neck. Bob said, ‘Well, he sounds just like me,'” Jo-Anne shared with Love Meow.
When Jo-Anne arrived at Shuswap Paws Rescue Society, she was taken in by a cat named Bob who had been rescued and given medical treatment. They were looking for a temporary home for him. After agreeing to take Bob in, Jo-Anne and her husband were surprised when the confident cat strutted into their house and started rubbing against them, showing no signs of nervousness or shyness as they had expected.
When they first met, Jefe immediately plopped down for some belly rubs from Jo-Anne. With his commanding presence, he earned the nickname El Jefe, which means The Boss in Spanish. In front of Bob, he confidently strutted around and then invited him to rub his belly.
Bob was pleasantly surprised by how friendly the cat was and how quickly he warmed up to them. “I can already tell that this is going to be a good fit. I’m almost emotional. I don’t even usually like cats,” he said, holding back a tear.
Jefe made the decision to sleep among his people at night.
Despite having some frostbite wounds and needing dental care, Jefe was happy with a roof over his head and a loving family that valued him. “As soon as we saw him, we knew we wanted to take care of him,” Jo-Anne revealed.
That night, Jefe snuggled between the couple in bed and drifted off to sleep. “My husband used to move around a lot, but now he takes allergy medication before bed. The next night, Jefe was sleeping peacefully between our heads.”
He trails Bob all over the house
Jo-Anne
With a determination to win Bob over, on the fifth night, Bob woke up to Jefe smoothing his hair, caring for him as if he were his own. “That was definitely a sign of affection and love for Bob.”
Jefe became Bob’s constant companion and insisted on accompanying him wherever he went.
Bob and Jefe exhibit similar characteristics and routines. As Bob worked on refinishing a table in the garage, Jefe rested underneath without flinching even when the noisy compressor was turned on right in front of him. Bob’s partner mentioned jokingly about getting rid of Jefe when Bob was sneezing a lot, but Bob quickly shut that idea down with a firm ‘No’. Jefe is a permanent member of their household and will always have a home with them.
They even nap together like best buddies.
Jo-Anne
Jefe accompanies Bob on adventures every day and hardly ever strays from his side.
“He stays near Bob as he chops wood outside for our fire pit. He has joined us in my husband’s old pickup truck. Bob’s beloved old dog, Reggie, used to ride in that truck for house repossession jobs all the time, so Bob enjoys having El Jefe as his companion.”
Jefe is like Bob’s shadow, always by his side and mirroring his actions and behaviors. Wherever Bob goes, Jefe is sure to follow closely.
Bob often wakes up in the middle of the night to find his cat Jefe snuggled up next to him, but he wouldn’t trade their closeness for anything in the world.
Hey there! Feel free to spread the word about this heartwarming tale with your buddies. For more adorable stories, check out Shuswap Paws Rescue Society on both Instagram and Facebook. And if you enjoyed this story, be sure to read about the cat who showed up on a balcony and ended up becoming the cutest little supervisor!
