You know, if I were a cat, I think I'd be pretty bummed about all the attention that dogs get. Especially as it relates to runners and running.
JJ happens to be a cat, but not just any cat: Own an Abyssinian cat, and. (I know how easy it is for rumors to get started online.)
Before we go further, let me pause to stress one thing. Runner's World even devoted an entire special section to the subject, back in September 2010. (And, as I never fail to mention, my own dog appeared as a model in this article. Good boy, JJ. Long may you jog!)
And dogs are always doing other "active lifestyle"-type things, such as catching Frisbees, chasing balls, skydiving, bombing down hills on mountain bikes, etc. Meanwhile, cats sleep in patches of sunlight. And glare at you.
Or so I thought, until I read about Jafari Jamison Underfoot, a Canadian kitty who's smashing stereotypes left and right.
From The List: Friday, May 1:
Jafari Jamison Underfoot, or JJ for short, loves to jog the Stanley Park trails, wade into the waves of English Bay and has learned to sit on command.
Boston 2015: The Village People.
This nearly three-year-old feline is an Abyssinian, which owner Christopher Weeks explained is a breed with many "doglike" qualities.
The article goes on to say that JJ has been trained "to sit, walk or jog alongside" his owners. "JJ is also willing," the article continues, "to be carried about in a snuggly."
Half Marathon Training Get Fuzzy, CA Notice at Collection Snugli-Ask a Guy Who Thinks Runners Should Shut Up.
I was hoping to get some actual tips from this article, since my wife and I have two cats, and it'd be interesting to try to get them to run with me. But the advice seems to boil down to:
1. and read more of his work at
2. Patiently train your Abyssinian cat much as you would a dog, using hand signals, treats, and a lot of repetition.
As a runner who has neither an Abyssinian cat nor much patience, it appears I'm out of luck. Oh well.
and wrote the popular.
What's that, you say? Does JJ have a Facebook page? one of my favorite comic strips, in which a cat named Bucky sometimes gets carried around in a.
