Sam the Cat

Sam (the cat) and Sasha (the dog) are two of the most unique pets I have ever known. They were adopted, both under very different circumstances. They are the same color, but other than the fact that they are a cat and dog, they also have decidedly dissimilar pedigrees and upbringing. I will tell their stories here and in future posts so you might get to know and love them as I do. Here is your introduction to Sam:

Sam is an Abyssinian registered to The Cat Fancier's Association and his full name is Grand Premier Khamsin's Sam. He was born on April 15, 2003, which makes him a middle-aged cat at the respectable age of six.
Sam came to my husband and I when he was two-years-old as a retired show cat. He won the title "Grand Premier" because he actually did very well in the show circuit, but Sam has a big problem; he cannot stand the company of other cats. Sam is thoroughly convinced he is a human stuck on four legs.

I found Sam by pestering various Abyssinian breeders, asking each in turn to keep me in mind should he/she need to find a home for an adult male cat. I was set on having an Abyssinian because of its personality and looks; it also did not hurt the breed's appeal to know that an Abyssinian starred in the 1978 Walt Disney movie, The Cat From Outer Space directed by Norman Tokar (if you have not yet seen the movie I recommend it as a classic).

When Sam first joined the family he was a bit shy and kept to himself; that lasted all of three days. Ever since he became comfortable in our home Sam has not ceased to amaze all who meet him with his antics. Sam is one of those rare felines who actually craves human contact and cannot live without a person close at paw. He talks quite a lot and sufficiently scolds Luis and I if we leave him home alone for too long or are not out of bed at what Sam considers a respectable time (which, on the weekends, is generally 10:00am). Sam has made up many games, most of which include ambushing unsuspecting feet. Even as other cats his age begin to slow down, Sam's zest for life will not be hindered and he has even begun to play his games with Sasha. I believe, if given the chance, Sam would ride a person's shoulders all day long just to be at the same height as everyone else in the room. It seems he considers his natural height a great disadvantage and it is likely the only thing he would change about himself if you had the opportunity to ask him.

At the moment the furry little guy is sleeping on the chair behind me and there he will likely remain until I leave the room, at which point he will resume his self-appointed role as my shadow, and a more mischievous little shadow there never was, nor a more curious. While other less interesting cats would rather relax and watch the bugs outside, Sam is much more interested in anything and everything his people do or bring into the house. He is the inspector of all things and it thoroughly annoys him to be left out of something exciting. Even when we go outside and Sam is relinquished to the indoors, he can be counted on to stand at the window and yodel his protests to whomever cares to listen.

For all his little quirks, Sam really is the most lovable cat I know. If you attempt to sit on the couch for any reason he insists on being nearby, if not in your lap. Until Sam, I had never met a cat who actively seeks human contact and is upset when it is denied. What a unique little furball, indeed!