Jamu
Jamu adores her sister Lamington, and loves the beach just before sunrise.
We asked her mum, Gretchen, to tell us all about her.
Tell us the story about how Jamu came into your family.
I wanted a bengal as I thought they might be good since I suffered from allergies and especially around cats. They have a unique coat of soft silky hair!
We were on the waiting list for quite a while for a bengal and ended up with Lamington first.
We almost thought about not getting a bengal after all, I'm glad we did because this is how Jamu came along!
Tell us the story behind your Jamu's name?
Jamu is the name of traditional medicine in Indonesia, a country we love and travel to a lot.
I was reading a book about Jamu one day and Rhys a book about cats when we were on a surfing holiday in Indonesia. He said we should call our bengal Jamu!
So Jamu had a name for 8 months before she even came into our lives.
What is Jamu's favourite thing to do?
Climb trees!
And play with Lamington, she really loves and looks up to her so much.
What kind of adventures does Jamu like to go on?:
Quiet places as jamu is a real scaredy cat!
Somewhere with trees and lots of things to explore.
Tell us about your most memorable adventure.
Getting down to our local beach and exploring the rocks before sunrise is our favourite.
Why did you decide to train Jamu?
Because she is high energy and we want to show her the world in a safe way.
How did you train Jamu?
It was easier having a big sister who was already a catexplorer so she just wanted to go where Lamington was!
If we didn't have her come outside with us she would sit at the door protesting so loudly we thought the whole neighbourhood could hear!
What has been the most rewarding part of having a catexplorer?
Seeing how happy they are, and they are so much more loving and affectionate towards us.
I love when they fall asleep exhausted at the end because you know they are fulfilled and satisfied.
What has been the hardest?
Dogs! Need I say more.
Jamu is terrified of them and had some bad experiences, I had to let go of her leash and let her climb a tree to get away from a large rottweiler that its owners couldn't control one day, that was pretty scary.
In hindsight, what would you do differently?
I wish we had a dog to expose her to more so she knows how to react to them and that she has more power over them than she realises.
What advice would you give other humans training their catexplorers?
Just take baby steps and be patient.
Its all about the cat when you are taking them and they go at their pace.
What are your favourite products for your catexplorer?
Waterless shampoo because Jamu hates a bath but she gets so dirty on adventures!
Is there another catexplorer that inspires you?
@amirathebengal She is Jamu's litter-sister and we love watching her live her best life also!
Follow Jamu and her sister, Lamington on Instagram (@lamingtonandjamucats)