“Until one has loved an animal, a part of one’s soul remains un-awakened.”
— Anatole France
Years ago, I had to euthanize my cat, Samantha, and it broke my heart.
“Sammy” was a beautiful orange tabby with a ringed tail and seven toes on each front paw. Barely two months before the end, we discovered she had quietly developed kidney failure. We did everything possible until her discomfort turned to pain. The vet ended it quickly.
I had raised her from a kitten. She grew into a great indoor cat, following me into every room of the house, sleeping with me every night during my bachelor days and then into my marriage, letting me hold her like a baby — and staring wide-eyed at me when we brought the real baby home from the hospital. I could just look at Sammy and I think she knew what I was thinking,
My daughter was only four when Sammy died. She wanted to know where Sammy lived and when we could visit her. I tried to explain that Sammy was high up in the clouds. A few weeks later, the family was packing for a long flight when my daughter walked into the room with a big smile.
“Good news!” she said. “When we’re in the airplane, we’ll be up in the clouds, so we can visit Sammy!”
I explained that while we still couldn’t see Sammy, she was in a special place.
I have other pets now, each special in his or her own way. Still….. it will sound silly to some people, but I really miss my Sammy.
INSIDE PEEK: Robert Peek 