The Tips of Two Tiny Ears - My Little Sammy

by April
(USA)

This will probably be a rather long story. I should start out by saying that I grew up with all manner of animals - our Field Spaniel was abandoned in a neighbor's basement when they moved. She was just about eight or nine weeks old and my dad's words were "she can stay until Monday, then she's going to the shelter".

We had her for 17 amazing years, along with a Dalmatian, birds, cats, fish, guinea pig, rat, toad, turtles and a number of stray cats that came and went. We eventually sadly lost all of them (except the turtles).

Years later my sister brought home a kitten and a year or two after that we rescued two others who had been abandoned across the street from our house. I haven't lived with any cats in over seven years since my sister moved away with her three, and although I feed the strays and I have taken in three, given them names and found them new homes I've never thought about adding a cat to my house.

Until about a month ago. I was taking my turtle outside to enjoy his pond, when I noticed my dogs sniffing and digging at the barrier between the sheds. We do get semi-large lizards but there's also been a skunk and possibly rats so I shooshed them away from it.

They kept on sniffing and digging so I looked but I didn't see anything. This went on for around five minutes. I had looked three times, and finally the last time I leaned over further and saw the tips of two tiny ears. Putting the dogs inside I moved the barrier to get a better look and this tiny white kitten was sitting there staring at me with these amazingly blue eyes.

It had been completely silent the entire time until I leaned down and clicked my tongue, then it started crying and ran to me. I picked it up, checked the gums, cleaned all the leaf pieces off of it and grabbed a small wire kennel and gave it food and water. It was just skin and bones. My mom and I ran out and picked up a cat box, litter, toys, and kitten food. We then discussed how on earth we could tell if it was a boy or a girl.

With my love of needing to know things, I did my research and found out "it" was actually a little boy and that night he snuggled in my arms like a baby and slept until I put him to bed in the bathroom.

I did as I normally do, and tried to find an owner. When no-one came forward I contacted shelters and every one was so full of cats, kittens and pregnant mama cats that they couldn't possibly take another one in. After a week of playing, snuggling, and sleeplessness on my part due to kitten cries which made me feel horrible it was decided he was going to stay.

All the cats I've taken in, or even just fed, I've given names like Oliver Twist, Mrs. Pickles, Dr. Watson and Sykes, to name a few but this little guy was stumping me. My sister liked the name Jamie, my other sister said Pete (one of our cats who looked like him was named Pete) and I liked the name Roxas.

Nothing really suited him, and two weeks had gone by when my mom and I were talking about him and we decided on Sam Axe (a character from the show Burn Notice played by the ever so awesome Bruce Campbell.)

We decided to try that. I hadn't told anyone the name when my boyfriend texted me and asked how Sammy was doing that day. So apparently we all had the same thought and now Sammy is a permanent fixture in our house. It's worth noting the backyard is privacy-fenced and we have no idea how he ended up back there unless someone dropped him.

I've always loved the Siamese breed. My grandma had a seal point, my niece has a blue point and my sister has a blue/lilac point (daughter of my niece's cat) and they are all amazing cats. I never knew there was a red point, I stumbled on this site trying to find a breed and his blue eyes gave it away being at least part Siamese.

I started reading everything on the website along with others stories about their cats and it was crazy! I never thought I could love a cat this much but there is something about Sammy that I can't help but adore.

He's a huge talker, he sits on my shoulders while I cook watching me as if he's going to learn how to make the same things, he loves to snuggle in bed or on my lap, he insists coming into the bathroom with me at night or during my shower and just waits for me.

He is now a little brother to Casull, a five-year-old Chihuahua, Rein a thirteen-year-old Pitbull/Lab mix and Eevon (Eevey) a fifteen-year-old Norwegian Elkhound mix. He is trying very hard to be friends with Casull and they run around the house and stalk each other. Casull actually gets down like a cat and pounces after Sam, it's hilarious! Sam plays fetch with wadded up receipts (the noisier the better) and he waits for you to throw them so he can bring them back.

This website has been such a huge help to me and I couldn't help contributing to it. I've never understood how people could throw animals out but I'm glad he ended up here. It's crazy now to think I actually was looking for another place for him to go because I can't imagine him not being here and it seems much longer than only a month.

I think it's safe to say he's left tiny Siamese prints all over my heart and I'm hooked. Thank you again for such a wonderful informative website!

Reply from Caroline:

Thanks so much, April, for sharing Sammy's story with us (and for your lovely comments about this website!) Siamese cats do seem to leave footprints in our hearts, don't they? And red points, which are also known as flame points in the States, are very often the most loving of all, and often seem to get along well with dogs. I wonder whether he'll end up bigger than Casull?

Sammy was so incredibly lucky that you found him when you did - thank goodness for the turtle. (Incidentally, I love that you have a turtle you take outside to his own pond!) Like you, it astonishes me that kittens like Sammy are abandoned or dumped, but as you say, the shelters at this time of year (kitten season) are often full to bursting.

I hope Sammy has a long and happy life with you, and that he's always as lucky as he's been so far.

If you enjoyed this, you may also like:

• My Handsome, Lovable Little Terror
• Jazz, The Flamepoint Siamese Kitten
• Flaming Flash

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