|
 |
|
| Name: |
Samurai
|
Age: |
Three years, four months old
|
| Gender: |
Male
|
Kind: |
Oriental shorthair
|
| Home: |
Summerville, South Carolina, USA
|
Samurai
came to live with us just after New Year 2004. My sister works
at an emergency veterinary clinic in North Charleston, and one night in
December, a tiny little kitten on the brink of death was brought in and
turned over to them. The owners thought that he could not be saved, as
did most of the staff and doctors there. He had a terrible respiratory
infection, caused we think by the Feline Corona virus, and had not eaten
for days. Being only five weeks old at the time, he was severely
dehydrated and immuno-compromised, barely breathing when he arrived. My
sister and her colleagues worked round the clock to keep him alive. For
two weeks, he was kept in intensive care and had to have surgery to
repair an intestinal issue caused by parasites, but he then slowly began
to get better. My sister approached me about adopting him, but warned
me that at any time, his condition could worsen and he could pass away.
I came to the clinic to see him, and he was so tiny that he fit in the
palm of my hand. Because of the dehydration, his third eyelids were
closed, so he couldn't really see. But he held his little head up and
meowed at me, and I knew that was it.
After a few more days with my sister to further stabilize his condition,
he finally came to his new home. For two weeks, he had to be fed from a
syringe and went everywhere with me. There were moments of despair,
when we thought he would not make it, but he just kept fighting. Then
one night he sat down by the bed, yelled at me to pick him up, curled up
in the crook of my arm with his head on my chest, and that is where he
has slept ever since.
Almost three and a half years have passed, and I don't know what I did
to deserve such a gift. My partner Greg and I are constantly amazed at
how lucky we are. Samurai is one of the most affectionate and loving
cats that I have ever known (unless you are Dr. Dorsam, his vet, who is
convinced that he's a demon). He talks to us and is waiting for us at
the door when we come home. He loves to be held and carried round the
house on Greg's shoulder, and he especially likes to be cradled like a
baby. He really loves to play hide and seek, and when Greg or I go and
lurk round a corner, he will quietly sneak up on us. Then we scare him
and he runs and jumps on the bed, postures and jumps sideways three or
four times to show us how ferocious he is. Greg and I were both actors
at one point, so we make big gestures when we talk. This annoys
Samurai, so he will launch himself up onto Greg's leg and try to climb
up to his arms to stop them waving around. He also likes to sharpen his
claws on your thigh, usually while you are wearing a nice pair of
trousers. However, he will stop anything that he is doing, if he hears
the shaking of the treat package. He is also very fond of our visits to
the grocery store, because he always gets a shopping bag to climb inside
and lick repeatedly. We have spoiled him, and he gets everything he
wants, but we think he deserves that. A few months ago, we adopted a
sister for him named Sable, another oriental shorthair. At first, it
was a bit tough, as Samurai is very territorial, but she won him over in
just four days, and now they are fast friends and love to run and play,
usually at about 5:46 in the morning. When his friends from next door
come to visit, Samurai will run and alert Sable, then they both come to
the door and talk to whoever is on the other side. We feel so grateful
to have Samurai as a part of our lives, and we wanted to share that with you.
|
|
|
|
|
