Yesterday morning I told Dad, “I wish Sammy would come back around so I could give him that food.” I pointed to the 4 big cans of cat food I bought especially for Sammy. He was a stray who started coming around last year. He would come and go but seemed to always end up at my house. I’m not going to let an animal go hungry so he got fed when he was here. I knew he wasn’t going to go hungry because cats are superb hunters, but still… I felt bad when I fed my 4 furkids, knowing that Sammy was just outside the door, maybe wondering why he couldn’t come in and eat, too. So, me being me, I bought some big cans of cat food; cheap stuff my cats won’t touch with a 10-foot pole.

Sammy was a black cat, sweet as could be. He let me pet him, pick him up, brush his fur, and even apply topical flea and tick medication. He was short and stocky with a thick black neck so I’m pretty sure he could kick some cat-butt. In fact, he may have been the one Jack fought with December of 2018 when he was injured because soon after that Sammy showed up.

It rained a lot last year and feeling sorry for Sammy being out in the cold, wet weather, I bought him a medium-sized doghouse. That was mid-June. I secured it to the table on the side of the house so the wind wouldn’t blow it away. Putting it up off the ground kept it up away from critters like opossums and skunks, too. After I bought the doghouse, Sammy never came back. I figured he probably met his demise somehow, most likely a wild animal got him. It became very peaceful out on the “catio” because Sammy wasn’t there to antagonize my cats anymore. They didn’t like him but they were separated by chicken wire, thank goodness.

Around 7:30 yesterday evening I heard a horrific commotion. Cats screaming and fighting is not a good sound, at least not to my ears! My first thought was that Jack found his way out of the catio and he’s being attacked by a wild animal. I was mortified. I went out the door to the catio, and Jack shot in the house through the cat door, fur in a big ol’ fluff. Alice and Honey were out there trying to get to something. I grabbed the flashlight, and lo and behold, there was Sammy. After all these months, he came back!

They were all growling at each other. Jack wanted back out but I made him stay in and rounded the other 2 up and made them come in as well. I closed off the cat door so they couldn’t go out there and get hurt trying to get to Sammy or find a way out of the catio! Either scenario wouldn’t have been good. Kitty sat in the living room all bug-eyed and alert but she never ventured out to the catio. I bet she was thinking what I always say, “I’m too old for this shit.”

My furbabies were pissed at me for keeping them inside all night. Every time I walked that direction they ran to the door. They would just sit there, pouting with their ears cocked. When I went to bed, well after midnight, they were still pouting but had given up on going outside for the night. they settled in for the night and I never heard a meow or scratching all night long. This morning, there was no sign of Sammy so I opened up the cat door. Jack and Alice seemed to smile at me as they pranced out the door.

As I type this tonight, Sammy is nowhere in sight. Honestly, I hope he has gone back from whence he came because obviously, he lives somewhere. Let his owners feed him! I guess I should be careful what I wish for next time. (What a coinkydink ‘eh?!) I was only half-joking about wanting him to come back. It’s nice to know he’s ok but my furbabies don’t need to get so riled up all the time and I’m getting too old for this shit!