Editor’s note: Dear hearts, you are in for quite a treat. No, better yet: you are in for the first in a flotilla of treats.
Welcome to “Stories from Home,” our new series of interviews with our Awesome Adopters.
Our beloved volunteer Mary will be sharing these updates on Tabby’s Place alumni regularly. So get some popcorn, ready your Kleenex, and prepare to stand up and cheer…and remember that you helped make these miracles happen! XO, AT
Marisa was scrolling on Instagram in early March 2023 when she spotted a handsome tabby cat on a Tabby’s Place post. “Though he looked happy, there was something about his eyes that drew me in,” said Marisa.
She found him on the Tabby’s Place website and learned he had feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), which may weaken a cat’s immune system. Could she handle a cat with FIV? After a bit of consideration, her response was a resounding “yes.” Marisa wanted to give the boy with the sad eyes a good, loving home, so she completed an application and scheduled a video chat to meet him.
Shishito (his name at Tabby’s Place) was picked up by animal control in the summer of 2022, frightened and suffering from a painful congenital eye condition and dental disease, until he found a haven at Tabby’s Place, where he received surgery to eliminate his pain.

“He was not a fan of video and hid from us. But the more I learned about him, the more I fell in love,” Marisa said. “He came to Tabby’s Place in bad shape, and I wanted to give him the best life possible. I may have gone a little overboard buying him things before I even brought him home.”
His formal name is now Jinx Mattell, but he goes by – and responds to – many nicknames, including Jinxie, Jinxle, Jinxie Boo, Ham and Monkey (reserved for when he has the zoomies). Though he was shy initially, spending much of his time hanging out in the bathtub, his personality has blossomed in his new home.
According to Marisa, “he now greets visitors and, once he gets to know you, will allow you to pet him and scratch behind his ears.”
Marisa’s wife, Grace, and her cat, Stella, moved in last year, and they adopted another cat, Olive. Jinx is smitten with his people and younger feline sisters.
“Jinx was so patient with his sisters and helped show them the ropes as they adjusted to their new home. He is the most loving, nurturing and comforting cat, and very intelligent. He just knows things,” said Marisa. For example, when Marisa’s father passed recently, Jinx was extra cuddly and slept on top of her to provide protection and comfort.
“He’s also very vocal. He likes to meow and pretend he hasn’t been fed. And he’s a lazy play fighter. He will pretend he’s going to attack his sisters but will mostly lay on his back with his paws stretched out. I guess you can say he’s a bit of an actor,” she added.
Jinx’s favorite spot is anywhere next to Marisa and Grace, and his favorite toy is Mr. Kitty, a long cat toy with a ball attached to it. “He has no teeth, so he gnaws at it and kicks it around,” laughed Marisa.
When asked what she would share with other would-be adopters, Marisa encourages, “Just follow your heart and help a cat that maybe hasn’t had a great start in life. They’ll bring you so much joy and many cherished memories.”
When you fall in love with a special cat, there’s no going back! Yay for these wonderful people and the cats they cherish!