Sammy the Chartreux Cat
by Joe Owens
(Tupelo Mississippi)
Sammy the Chartreux Cat
My friend Steve had a grey cat named Sammy who was the third generation of cats from a female that Steve also owned.
I'm not particularly a cat person but over time Sammy and I became closer and closer and he worked his way into my heart.
He gained weight as he aged. He was a long haired grey/blue cat with big yellow eyes. He loved to play but if you touched his back paws he would growl from a very low pitch and swat your hands.
You could point at his back paws and he would become alert. If you touched his back paws he would bite your hand gently but never to hurt you.
He was very independent. He would come and visit at bedtime and get on the bed next too me for some loving then after about five minutes of stoking him he would growl jump off the bed and go away.
During the night he would cry out due to loneliness and if I meowed back he would run in and jump on the bed and lay next to me or go to the foot of the bed and sleep for a while.
Sammy lived to be 18 years old and the closest he came to seeing the outdoors was toward the end of his life. I left the door into the garage up and he eased out slowly and cautiously then made his way to through the garage that was open to the side walk where he just looked around cautiously.
I asked him what he was doing and he immediately ran back in the house. Before that I would leave the front door open with the glass security door shut and he would sit or lay in front of it for hours watching over the neighborhood.
He would make chirping noises if he watched out the window and saw birds in the yard. If a stray cat crossed the yard he would warn you by hissing from the window. He loved to play or beat up on Precious the tuxedo cat that was much younger than him.
Sammy lived for 18 years and died on New Years day. We found him in the closet next to the bags of cat and dog food laying on his side like he was sleeping. He weighed about 18 pounds at death but looked larger due to his long hair. He was the best cat ever. He got along good with my miniature schnauzer Trusty.
Trusty was the alpha dog but as he aged Sammy took over as the alpha cat-and yes at times he would abuse his authority over Trusty and Precious. When he passed on I allowed Precious to see and sniff him and Trusty to do the same since they all were a family together.
I refused to bury him at the house I lived in that was up for sale. I took him down to another state where I grew up and buried him in the family pet cemetery from my childhood.
By the way Sammy was my friend Steve's cat but I think he loved me more or at least as equal. I'm a guy and I don't cry much but when I discovered he was really gone I did cry for him. Sammy was the man or should I say Sammy was the cat.
Joe
