It is a cute and funny story how Jazzy Jewel came to be my first male stud and found his way not only into my cattery, but into my heart. When I first started breeding in 1996, I purchased a beautiful seal point female by the name of Angel from Gail, my breeder mentor. I told her from the beginning that I only wanted one or two girls and did not ever want to house a whole male. I was living in a condo at the time so didn’t have space for lots of kitties or the appropriate space to house a whole male. The possibility of a male was really not discussed again after that. A year or so into my breeding program, I received a letter from Gail in the mail. In it, she stated that she had a beautiful seal bi-color male kitten. She had included some kitten pictures of him and said she had named him Jazzy Jewel after me (my DJ trade name is Jazzy Joyce) and when did I want to pick him up? Not even an option for discussion. And I guess I never really considered turning her (or Jazzy) down. And this is how beautiful Jazz came to be a part of my home and heart and how my cattery came to be named “Jazzmania.” He turned out to be perfectly marked, demonstrated perfect ragdoll “type” and had the perfect ragdoll personality – very loving and affectionate – adoring attention from anyone and always throwing himself on the floor at my feet for a belly rub. And a bonus……..he never sprayed, very unusual for a whole male, so I was able to always allow him full run of the house. As the years passed, he produced many beautiful and healthy kittens and almost without fail, when a customer would come to adopt a kitten, they would beg to take Jazz home too! It was always a joke that if I let someone adopt Jazz, how would I ever produce the beautiful ragdoll babies that everyone so loved?!?!?! And so it went………Jazz remained very playful into adulthood and would go on “tears” running through the house, stampeding up and down the steps or racing down the hall, growling like the devil was after him and then turning around to see if I was paying attention – he was so funny! He also had a most unusual “meow” and I could carry on a conversation with him whenever I wanted. And then there were the lazy winter evenings when I would curl up in front of the fireplace with him in my lap, covering my face with his wet, loving kitty kisses and purring like there was no tomorrow. Sadly, tomorrow came. In February of 2006, Jazz seemed a bit quiet but I didn’t think too much of it – he was 9 years old and I assumed he was mellowing a bit with age. One day when I picked him up (and he was BIG boy at 16+ pounds), I noticed that his belly felt hard and decided to take him to the vet for a check – I thought maybe he was constipated. After an x-ray and an ultrasound, there was no definitive diagnosis although there was something very apparently wrong and Doc recommended exploratory surgery. He called me with Jazz still under anesthesia and explained that cancer was rampant throughout his intestines and bowels and that the only humane option was to put him to sleep. All of this in 48 hours. I was just devastated and in shock – how could this be happening to my beautiful Jazzy Jewel who had been with me almost from the beginning? I didn’t have much of a choice and the decision ripped my heart out. To this day, there is a hole in my heart where Jazz was. Time goes on and there are lots of other wonderful kitties who have become a part of my heart and home but there will never be another like my beautiful Jazzy Jewel. I look forward to seeing him one day again……. at the Rainbow Bridge.

Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge. When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable. All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor. Those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind. They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent. His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster. You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart. Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together....  Author unknown...

JAZZMANIA ANGELS WHO HAVE CROSSED THE RAINBOW BRIDGE
Jazzmania Melia Danielle (aka Miss Muff)
Jazzmania Ariel Cheyenne
Jazzmania Melissa Darya
	Ragnarok's Cassiopeia of Ragstars, known as Cassie
Redrose Nikita Serena
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