‘Jeopardy!’ Fans Swoon Over Cat Who’s Addicted to Show

Kozaldir/Reddit

Jeopardy! fans are going wild over a cat who knows exactly when it’s dinner time during the game show. A Reddit user shared photos and videos of their orange cat and explained the story behind it.

“My cat loves Jeopardy! because he knows he gets dinner when it’s over. He really perks up when he hears the big ‘ding’ before Final Jeopardy, and also for the Jeopardy! music. (repost of my post from r/aww),” Reddit user Kozaldir posted.

“Thought this sub might like my cat too.” She then shared photos of her cat watching the game show while sitting on the dining room table. In the other, the cat looked over at their owner when they heard the buzzer because they wanted dinner.

The cat, named Jonesy, watched the Final Jeopardy question from Monday, March 24. “After leaving a religious group, John & Arlyn Bottom changed their family’s last name to this, to signify a rebirth.” The answer was “Phoenix,” referring to Joaquin and River Phoenix. The platform user said that the cat’s legal name is James Earl Jones, but everyone calls him Jonesy. But, he is also named after Ripley’s cat in the movie Alien.

“Since Jones is just a last name, I decided he needed a first and middle name too. It was down to James Earl Jones and John Paul Jones (the Led Zepplin drummer). Darth Vader won out,” their owner said.

Alison Betts, a five-time winner on Season 40, commented, “Your baby is so sweet! I think we should start a Cats of Jeopardy thread because I’m convinced the Venn diagram of Jeopardy lovers and cat lovers is close to a perfect circle.”

Joey DeSena, Champion Wildcard Participant, said, “My dogs are the same way. When they hear the FJ music going, they make their way to the pantry for pre-bed ‘cookies. ‘”

“My dog is triggered by either Ken’s voice or the Daily Double cue, because she literally has to go out and pee every time we watch J! And we watch on DVR, so it’s at a different time each evening,” wrote a Reddit user.

“Hilarious!” another said.

“I had a cat who would get treats during Jeopardy. He was always at the couch, ready for when it started. Your cat looks so sweet,” another fan shared.

The owner shared a video of Jonesy the following day. He sat on the table and tilted his head when he heard the Final Jeopardy clue sound. The question read, “A biosphere reserve in Michoacan is named for these creatures that turn the forest orange and black every November.” As the music played and the contestants wrote down their answers, Jonesy turned his head to look at his owner with an angry look.

The answer was “monarch butterflies.” The video cut off before the end of the show, but the owner promised that Jonesy got his dinner afterward.