Sam's Story - Part Two

Just a reminder, this story is of a cat I named SAM that I've been feeding for many many years on Short Street...  earlier this year, I noticed Sam was missing... like so many others in the 20 years I've been doing this, and its always sad because you never know what their fate was...  If you've read my blog religiously over the years you would know how long I tried to find a home for Sam, the cat that would greet me for his breakfast, and then run after me when I went to get in the car to leave each morning...  

A Guardian Angel Chapter 14 - Sam's Story Continues

  

  

…Who remembers Sam from Short street ? Sam has decided to stop waiting for a rescue from a willing human and go find one for himself ! …

SAM

  

Sam watched the human male approach, rising up off his haunches and flipping his tail straight up in the air. He tilted his head back and thrust his whiskers forward in front of his nose. This was how a cat "turned on the charm" when they were approaching another creature that they wanted to be friends with. It worked well on other cats (especially females) but Sam was not entirely sure it would work on a human. All he could do was try, so with all his charm indicators engaged, he walked slowly out from the alleyway and in front of the man. He added his best meow to the mix, and waited to see if the man would look his way.

He must have done something right - because the man stopped walking and bent his long human legs to bring his face down closer to Sam's. The man reached out a hand with deliberate slowness, so as not to startle him. Sam was greatly encouraged by these gestures, hoping that the man's cautious response meant that he would be ready to communicate with him. Sam stretched out his neck and cautiously inhaled a lungful of the man's scent, and was pleased to note it contained no traces of fear or aggression. The man made an encouraging sound - so Sam went for broke and side stepped closer to rub his chin glands (all cats had scent glands located along the sides of their heads to mark territory) along the outstretched fingers of the man's hand. The man made a gleeful sound and began talking to him in gentle tones. Sam was elated that he had found a receptive human on his first try, and pushed his whole body along the man's hand, ruffling the fur above his backbone and continuing back along his short striped tail. He turned and sidled himself back along the bottom of the man's hand again so he could watch the man's face.

The man looked very happy to be petting and talking to him so Sam immediately jumped to the next step in cat-to-human relationships and flopped over on his side, exposing his vulnerable undersides to the man. All cats knew that the ultimate sign of trust and friendly intentions was to show your belly to the prospective acquaintance. The man made some more encouraging sounds and gently stroked his sides and belly. Sam squirmed around in delight on his back, thinking that he would have it made if he could convince this nice man to take him home with him this very day. Sam purred his loudest and rolled back onto his feet, walking in tight circles and figure eights around the man's feet. The man stood up straight again, startling Sam just a little, so he jumped back and sat back on his haunches, gazing up at the man intently to see what he would do next. The man made a few human speech noises and began walking slowly up Goodman Street in the same direction he had been going when Sam had first spotted him earlier.

Sam was not about to let his best prospect for a new life off the streets get away so easily, so he bounded up on his feet and began to follow the man as close to his big human shoes as he safely could. He kept his tail up and his whiskers thrust forward as well, hoping the man would not ignore him and leave him here when he'd made such a great first impression. He also meowed in his sweetest voice up at the man as they progressed a few yards down the street.

"Please human, don’t leave me here by myself and hungry. I know you like me, you stopped and tried to be nice to me. I like how you smell. I want to come home with you !"

The man stopped walking and bent his knees again. He made more encouraging sounds to Sam and began to stroke his head again. Sam arched his back and pushed against the man's hand. Sam was so absorbed in the good feelings from the man's hand that he was not aware he was being picked up off the ground until he felt his feet lose contact with the cold sidewalk. His first thought was to panic and try to flee, but he fought that instinct and went limp in the man's hands instead, waiting to see if his gamble was going to cost him an injury or even possibly his life.

But his fears seemed unfounded, because the man made more encouraging sounds and lifted him up and snuggled him against the man's warm cloths, all the while making more of those soothing and encouraging sounds. The man turned around in front of the little alleyway and began walking slowly back in the opposite direction he had been going when Sam first spotted him. Sam snuggled deeper into the man's cradling arms, purring his loudest and thinking he must be the luckiest cat in the world to find such a nice human on his very first day of trying to get himself off the streets …

To be continued …

Have a nice day!