VILLAGE PET PAGES 

Ja’mie & Wayland, Neighbor Cats

By Joy and Brian Pape

Since cats don’t get out much, it’s hard to find ones we can write about. Then we remembered, sometimes the treasure is in our own back yard. In the Village, that’s more like across the hall, like our neighbors, John and Zack, who have two cats.

Our neighbors told us, “We adopted Ja’mie in 2009 and Wayland in 2012, when each was just a few months old. When we first brought Ja’mie home, we thought our cat Maggie would love having a companion. But she never took to him and he just pestered her. In 2012, shortly before Maggie passed away, we adopted Wayland, and he and Ja’mie quickly became fast friends.”

Ja’mie was adopted at Kitty Kind in the Union Square Petco, and Wayland from a shelter on the UWS. Ja’mie was named after a character on an Australian TV show, Summer Heights High. The character is a little spoiled social butterfly who loves to be the center of attention, and loves to have an entourage. Never mind that the cat is a boy, and the character is a girl (played by a male actor).

John and Zack said, “Our late cat Maggie’s nickname was Madame, and she tolerated (but never loved) Wayland when he arrived. We thought they conjured the comedy duo of Wayland Flowers and Madame.

 “They have distinct personalities. Ja’mie is more personable and talkative and Wayland is more attentive. Ja’mie loves to be the center of attention, and is happiest when he’s napping on the heater, or on someone’s lap, or slumped over their shoulder. He also has a lot of say. Beyond the incessant reminders that it’s time for his dinner, he will respond verbally if you ask him a question,” said John and Zack.

Wayland is a bit more sedentary, and is happiest when he’s napping or spending the morning on the couch. Maybe that’s why he put on some extra weight. But he’s trimmed down some now that his diet has been adjusted. He’s playful in the evenings and he is an avid hunter of flies and bugs, and loves to chase his laser pointer. Wayland reminds John and Zack when it is 9:30 pm, because that’s when they get their treats. 

Ja’mie loves to greet company at the door and makes a great first impression. Wayland is a little more stand-offish with people he doesn’t know well. Once he warms up to you, he’ll run up against your ankles and purr loudly.

They’re inseparable. In the mornings, they’re frequently stay next to each other on the couch, and a couple of times a day will wrestle or chase each other around. Even though they have their own beds, they’ve been known to snuggle together in one bed.

“They’re both very precious to us,” said John and Zack, “Especially when we were home during Covid, I think they loved having us around all the time.”

Mateo—Proud Preservation Poodle of Greenwich Village 

I first heard about Mateo from Brian, who attends meetings of CB2’s Landmarks Preservation Committee. Mateo spends a lot of time there too. Brian shared photos showing a mound of cinnamon-colored curls tucked under the committee’s conference table.

No, Mateo doesn’t come by himself. He brings a Village architect, Anita Brandt, who’s an expert on historic buildings. So, we set up an interview with Mateo at the January meeting. Naturally, Anita came along. When Mateo saw me, he rushed forward excitedly, pulling Anita behind him. Mateo is obviously King of the Room. He greets the committee regulars with full two-year-old puppy energy and they return the love. 

Mateo is stately and much taller than I thought. “I’d expected a much smaller Mateo, a doodle,” I said to Anita. She laughed and replied, “No doodle, a Standard Red Poodle.” She described the street gaggle of teenage girls who once squealed, ‘Look at him a GIANT miniature poodle!’

When asked about his name, Anita points out she was given a Spanish name and she’s passed that on to her dogs – Pablo, Hector and now Mateo. Besides, she adds, “Try hollering the name out loud: Mat-e-oooooh! That Harry Belafonte rhythm is perfect for recall.

“Mateo loves shmoozing with Village familiars near his Bleecker Street home – the doormen Eddie and Dominic who slip him treats, those dog-pals he tumbles with, and the friends he visits on Cornelia Street.”

But life’s not all play. He has a job to do. Mateo is already a true architect’s dog. He is protective of Anita on her daily work rounds of old buildings, lofts, client consults and construction sites. He’s been in, out and around, visiting projects all over the Village, Soho and their adjacencies. One day, it’s Our Lady of Pompei. The next day, it’s Vesuvio Playground. Longer walks include West Chelsea to attend to the restoration of Louise Bourgeois’ home and art studio and Ladies Mile to check up on a loft renovation. Standard Poodle breeds are historically working dogs. Behind his groomed curls, this pup’s brown eyes are gentle. And yes, he is sweet, for sure. “But don’t be fooled,” Anita warns, “Mateo doesn’t like sudden moves. Gotham can be a rough city and Mateo knows it. Right under the surface, he stays frosty alert, streetwise and ready.

“I get protection, while I protect our landmark structures and restore some fancy ironwork. At CB2 debates, when glib corporate shills threaten our historic buildings and human-scale streetscapes, you can see young Mateo stir and glare at the enemy.” That’s proud Mateo, a hard-working architect’s companion, doing an important job for us all. And a shout out to the CB2 committee working to preserve our Village character.