sad Sunday catblogging: RIP Sam (1990?-2007)

Aw, I'm sorry MaryAnn. Losing a pet is always really painful (we had to have one of our cats put to sleep just a little while back) and it sucks that their lives are so much shorter than ours. You don't want to stop having cats, though, that's silly. People die too, and that's even more painful, but that doesn't mean you should cut off all ties with your family and never have any friends, ya know? It just means you need to make sure to enjoy the time you have, that's all.

"No more cats for me. It's too painful." always the first, and most heartfelt, reaction. i've said it myself. and believed it. but after a while, the thought of coming home to the emptiness of a house without a cat brings the right cat to you at the right time. i'll miss sam too -- he was such a presence in the house. watching tv without him sunday night, i couldn't help but think of this poem: In all thy humours, whether grave or mellow, Thou ’rt such a touchy, testy, pleasant fellow, Hast so much wit and mirth and spleen about thee, There is no living with thee, nor without thee. Joseph Addison sammy will be missed.

My cat Mischa was named after Barishnikov, because he would hurtle himself across the apartment, throw himself into the air and contort his furry self into a spasm of joyful twistiness when he was happy. After he died, I felt like I couldn't invest so much of my unguarded affection into something with such a brief lifespan, either. But cats will find YOU when they need someone. I'm hopeful that sometime you will be able to let some other fuzzball dominate and improve your days. *sniff* Tori

Aww, my condolences.

My deepest sympathies.

I'm very sorry to (somewhat belatedly) read about Sam. Many hugs from the Midwest.

Dang. Sorry to hear that Sam passed away. Our family dog Hero (the coolest Golden Retriever ever, in my opinion) passed away 13 years ago last week at the age of 13. Every time I see a Golden, I think of him... and every year I send e-mail to everyone in my family asking them to remember him and to give some extra attention to their current pets. They become family to us, but deep down we know they will never live anywhere near as long as we want them to.

I'm so sorry to read about the loss of your dear Sam. Losing these sweet creatures is an horrific experience. I still mourn for my Lulu - a sweetheart of an orange cat - who passed all the way back in April of 2003. Sometimes I still can't believe I'll never see her again. But please - don't give up on cats. Writers need cats, and cats need writers: it's a symbiosis, really. And cats need good homes that people like you provide. It was tough after Lulu passed, but I still had Ezri and Lila with me (and still do), but we waited a year to adopt our "rescue" kitty, Lilly. I'm so glad to have her join the kitty-cat brigade of the Muir household. She's helped make the house feel whole again. But I still miss my Lulu. I wish you all the best, and know that you are hurting bad. Just remember: you made sure that Sam had a happy and safe life. You cared for Sam through thick and thin, sickness and health. Who can ask for more than that? Peace!

I know Sam had been ailing, and I was being more and more fearful of reading your blog, knowing that his time was probably short. I'm glad his illness wasn't prolonged, and that you stuck by him even at the end, even when it was very rough going. In spite of being a big fat fuzzbutt, he also struck me as a distinguished and sweet elderly gentleman of a cat. I suspect he knew in his heart of hearts how big your heart is to have taken him in when his previous person could no longer care for him (and him already a very adult and portly fellow). I loved it (and still do) when you post photos of your beasties and your cactus, and maybe in a while we'll see some of the memories crop up here (both Sam and mad-for-the camera Mrs. Kennedy). No doubt, Sam is one of the Best Cats Ever.

Soooo sorry to read about Sam's passing. We lost 2 of our 4 cats this year. It is very difficult and painful for all involved. Sam was a beauty, and a wonderful "person" too, I'm sure. Hugs and purrs.

Losing a cat sucks like almost nothing else. You have my heartfelt sympathies.

My sympathies on your loss.

Hi, Mary Ann, I'm sorry about Sam. I lost my beloved tabby cat Horatio around this time 4 years ago. He was hit by a car at my mother's house during a weekend visit. I couldn't bear to go home without him so I drove over an hour to work everyday for a week. I returned to my mom's house on the first day after work to discover she had adopted a little orange and white fluffball kitten. He got along great with my girl cat Minnie, but I would have nothing to do with him. I couldn't believe my mother thought it was going to be that easy to get me over losing Horatio (who is to this day the most fascinating animal I have ever had the good fortune of getting to know). But sure enough, on the last day, this little, ignored, nameless kitty ended up coming home with me. He is now named Chaucer and is the new love of my life. He's a spoiled, indolent boy, but I'm so thankful to have him. Best wishes, Lindsay

Did I mention how much I like this picture of Sam? I do. Old cats just seem to have a natural bent for looking calm, confident and sweet (maybe because they've given up the whackies that younger cats have). I don't know if Sam was an intellectual powerhouse among cats, but he looks quite satisfied and at ease on the photo. Good old cat.

My condolences, too.