Jonah the Runaway. (2026 Edit)

Hello and welcome back to another Stormy night in the shire my loves! Tonight’s post is going to be another dive into the Archives but also a tribute to one of my most treasured memories on this planet. So rather than giving notes on it, I’m just going to update the grammar and spelling where it’s essential, and I’ll add more at the end. So, here’s to the past.  I hope you enjoy it.

March 13, 2021 (Original Post)

Hey Loves!!! ❤💘❤💘❤💘

I know it’s been a bit. I hope you all are doing alright!?! Today we are going to talk about how Jonah got his name and well if you do not already know this Jonah is my 3rd eldest fur baby my second eldest cat. So, let’s dive in!

Twas a stormy day in Citra back in June of 2013. My brother and I were home alone and at the time we lived at the church, my family had our own lawn care biz 😂. Well, mumsy and dadzy were working and my brother and I were home chilling. He was on his PS3 (I know that was ages ago, right?) with the guys and doin’ his thing whilst I was playing with my barbies as any queen does at that age; and it so happened that I needed to use the little queens’ room and get a drink. When I was doing so, I heard the tiniest little “meow” and of course I had to see who it was because it did not sound like Jazzy or Milly, so who could it be? I opened the door and I saw nothing but the grill cover was moving a teensy bit and I heard that tiny sound again and lifted the cover and saw him! He was standing on his hind legs so tall yet so tiny and such big eyes and that lovely tuxedo coat slick as can be. We locked eyes for a moment and this tiny little kitten with huge “Bug” eyes had stolen my heart in just a moment, but also in that moment the little angel was gone. Of course, I called my mom and dad at once and told them, and we were due for a storm soon at the end of June and beginning of July. My brother and I were also (little did we know at the time) about to embark on a journey to West Virginia with our Uncle without our parents, how exciting but nerve wracking! Anyways got a bit off track… The first spotting of this lovely kitten was about two weeks before June ended? We would see him on and off and he was most definitely wild because other strays would allow you to come near but he wouldn’t dare. He always ran. And at the time we were going through the book of Jonah the runaway prophet in Sunday school so my dad said that if we ever caught him that Jonah is what his name would be. Jonah. Well he held to that promise and named my kitten Jonah. We caught him the night my brother and I left for West Virginia so when I got home I had my very own runaway and boy oh boy did he live up to his name!

To elaborate, Jonah was never completely tamed? He was semi-social with our family, but his bond was/is strongest with me (he really believes I am his birth mom lol). He also has/had always had kidney issues from the very first time I picked him up out of the trap. We had to trap him to catch him and like I said we caught him the day/night before our trip with our Uncle. As wild as he was my mom knew we (I) would have to tame/civilize him well I am/was that one person as I was the one who wanted to keep him and rescue him. He ended up being an inside cat as he was to spazzy and plus his health. He would randomly get out of the house and be under the house for days on end because he would get scared so scared in fact it seemed like he was WILD again and we would have to trap him or stay outside for days on end to convince him to trust me again. Sidenote I was the first person to touch him after we caught him, my mom took care of him while I was in West Virginia that week. Anyways back to the subject his yearly run and hide aways are what made him live up to the “Runaway Prophet” nickname. His beautiful Big green eyes landed him the nickname Bug Eyes. Nearing 8 years old my Baby goes outside daily without running away he hangs out in the yard and even hunts. He randomly started doing that about a year ago. He went outside one day, and I don’t even remember when or why but he went out and came back for the first time and then it just continued. My Bug grew up and matured. Now he goes in and out daily and hangs out with his siblings. 

I hope you all enjoyed this post and have a lovely day/night whenever you’re reading this and as always stay safe and I love you all!!!

Hailey Marie

Back to the present day. Sadly on March fifteenth this year, Jonah will have been gone for two years it’s insane to think that my little kitten has been gone that long. To be honest, there was so much to his story that I could go on for years and years about how when he had first started going outside, he would bring back lizards and frogs consistently as though to say, ‘Look mom! I came home? I know you worry about me but see I brought a lizard back! I’m fine!’ It was always the funniest. Or how he’d always bite my nose so hard I was convinced he was trying to peirce it! Or that he’d rarely let other people hold him, and the one time he let my brother hold him? He peed on him! It was so funny. Jonah was more possessive over me than Roscoe is and that is hard to do. I remember his little chirps. And how his purs were the best sound to fall asleep to. He loved laying on my chest when I was doing school work or writing. 

Jonah lived up to his name, but he taught me so much along the way. I always say he was the greatest lesson of patience and love. Every one of those weeks, sitting waiting for him with cans of food, quiet. A lesson of resilience and never giving up on those you love. As much as I never gave up on him, that cat never gave up on me. The worst days, he was there. The best days he was there. Every sleepless night? Jonah was the one there. He had my back more than most humans ironically. And the year where I slept my life away? I barely remember any of that year but I remember that cat being in my bed, and being everywhere I was when I was awake. Honestly I should have listened to him about that guy too…just saying. Jonah knew what was up. He was the glue to our little pack. But we’ve slowly started to find our pace again. It’s just important to hold onto the memories. 

I know this post got heavy, it was meant to be a celebration of life though and that’s what I really hope it comes off as. But I just want you guys to know that your feelings are valid if you’ve lost a pet and you still have heavy feelings you know, I feel like we talk enough about those kinds of things. Even if it was ten years ago. You’re allowed to miss them. They were a part of your family you know? It’s okay. Talking about them keeps them alive though. But that’s honestly all I have, I hope maybe this made one of you feel a little less alone.

But I hope to see you all this Friday for our next post! Also don’t forget to follow me on my socials for new updates during the week and post on Sunday’s where I’ve started a “Storytime Sunday” posting a random story from the week prior! And I’ll work on the clever name for Wednesday’s social posts but it’ll be announcements/just something fun? Maybe something to do with my pets? Still working on that, but anyways, have a lovely day or night whenever you read this and drink some water or Gatorade, please?

As always stay safe, love hard and protect your peace ❤

xoxo Hailstorm