free sammy!

A friend needed a new cat. A cat needed a new home. And while what we did was probably slightly kind of illegal, it appears that everything is going to work out.

At some point earlier this summer, a neighbor apparently decided she didn’t feel like taking care of two of her three cats, and put them outside — without food, without water and without worrying that we live on a busy street. We felt especially bad for one of them, because he is clearly the nicest of the bunch and because he really seemed to miss the affection of his people.

That’s why it was heartbreaking to see him trot off hopefully when he heard his former owners outside, only to be told to go away.

If we could have kept him, we would have, without hesitation. But our friend Missy has had a pretty rough summer, which included having to go through the torture of having to put her cat to sleep after he became ill. Missy talked frequently about missing her cat, who was especially affectionate; we thought our new porch guest would be a good fit in Missy’s family.

I’ll let her tell you more about the details — the catnapping, and the adjustment at his new home — but it appears Sampson, as he has been re-named, is fitting in well. And I think I can safely speak for The Wife when I say we’re thrilled that Sammy has the kind of home he deserves.