Jack often came when he was called. He would follow me around and wanted to cuddle all the time. I believe he was already sick and starved for affection then and knew it, and soaked up all the individualized attention and love. Jack used to accompany me on the long nights when I was working from home, and also when I brought work back from Singapore. He would sit on my lap and snuggle up. His presence was comforting, especially when I've had a bad day or during difficult family circumstances. Jack senses my emotions well and reflects them in his body language. He does that too with 

Meanwhile, being an inexperienced cat owner, I did not pick up on any illnesses; apparently cats hide their pain very well as a survival instinct. Jack was eating, sleeping, playing, catching rodents just fine. When I began working in September and had to shift back from Malaysia to Singapore, poor Jack was distraught. He appeared really sad and downcast, sitting on my leg before I left, not wanting me to go. I recall coming home during the weekend and found that poor Jack had lost weight and was extremely clingy, which caused me some grief. More cuddles and hugs ensued; Jack gradually adjusted to my frequent absences in time and slowly became his old happy self.