I recall how Sam,our large grey cat, came into our lives almost 12 years ago. He was the reward for my youngest daughter completing a year's worth of assigned work. We went to the Humane Society on Miller Street "to look" ~ and we ALL know how that always ends!
Sam was not really a friendly kitten or cat. He was just fine when he was with our dog,Sparky. But people ~ not so much. He was called "the grumpy cat" by all who knew him. And on top of that ~ Sparky was allergic to him. So, we put up with him but it was hard to bond or hold him for long. He thought he was a dog (seriously ~ he came to a whistle!) and a loner dog at that. The only thing that really seemed to make him happy was wrestling with Sparky. We have two broken tables and a downed Christmas tree to prove that!
After Sparky died (Aug 2010), Sam was grief stricken. He no longer ate and hid even more. I felt really bad for him but he didn't want any of our human companionship and,it seemed, even less of our pity. We had acquired two more dogs ~ Scranton (rescued Jan 2009) and then Sadie (brought in Oct 2010) but Sam really wanted nothing to do with them. It didn't help that Scranny thought it was hilarious to chase and corner Sam.
Christmas of 2010, I decided that I was really worried that Sam was going down hill. He was that depressed. I really was at a crossroad. So, of course, I got a kitten to keep him company. Our lovely Maria, from Bulgaria, was staying with us over the holidays and kept the sweet calico in her room for the first couple of days. In honor of Maria, we named her Sofia after the capital of Bulgaria and Lauren for ...well, figure that one out.
Sofi has been an welcome addition to our household. Affectionate and unafraid, she takes on the dogs, the kids next door and anyone else who crosses her path! She is a doll. And she has brought Sam new life. He loves her. Really. And because she loves US,he does too now. One day, Sofi was being chased by the dogs around the house. They had her cornered (they were playing). Sam didn't seem to agree with this assessment and jumped on the dogs,wrestled Scranton to the ground and allowed Sofi to escape. I have witnesses (I am looking at you,Lisa)
Sam has become so affectionate and so active, so integrated into our household that,yes,okay. I get a little misty!
