This may be of interest to other cat owners, whose pets are their beloveds.  To some it may seem morbid but to me this story is about the most extraordinary gentlemen I ever met.  He touched my heart in so many ways – this is my way of keeping him with me.

We had named this extraordinary gentleman Sampson when we were lucky enough to have him join our little family.  But over the years he had gained a plethora of names ranging from the obvious to the funny; “Sammy”, “Wayne” because his meow sounded like Waynetta Slob calling to her husband, “Mr. Fuzzalops” (this from my daughter because he was so furry) and even “Elvis”, his upper lip would catch on his tooth sometimes and give us that famous sneer.

He was thin and ill when he came to us, but with loving care he grew plump and happy on treats of roasted chicken breast and the odd sausage end or two.  Now we have only photographs to look at, but each one of us knows every inch of his little face.  We know that his nose was like soft suede and that he liked to put his head down so that he could be tickled between his shoulders.  We know that he smiled when stroked under his chin and wrinkled his nose if you stroked it too much.

Sampson lived with us for just under six years and although we loved him and did our best to take care of him it was sometimes a struggle.  Sometimes there just wasn’t enough money for that trip to the vet for a check-up, for various reasons; one being ambiguity over his age and two lack of regular boosters we were unable to insure him, but we would go without to try and keep him happy and healthy.

However, time sometimes just catches up with you and for Sampson I could see that he was beginning to look not only older but old, he had trouble climbing up and especially down stairs.  Having developed gum problems in 2003 and following extractions he had only a few teeth left and still he wouldn’t give up his Whiskas biscuits with the cheesy nuggets – he still enjoyed them, even if chewing was a real problem. 

Sampson was a gentle, passive soul.  He didn’t chase birds or bring dead mice home to us.  The only time I did see him with a mouse my daughter said perhaps he was trying to give it CPR.  He paid no heed to the mice that shared his home, much to my daughters relief and he even seemed to draw some comfort from sleeping next to her hamster, Ginger, who came along when Ivory and Snowy (said mice of above) had passed on.  He mixed with the neighbours Arthur and Bonny, a black and white and all black brother and sister (I actually think he was having a last fling with the latter feline in his autumn years).

When family and friends came to visit Sampson would be there to greet them, with new laps to explore he still hopped up always keen to make new friends.  Oh yes there were some who didn’t like cats or had just had their trousers dry cleaned or conversely were just too noisy for him, as all the children who passed through our apartment wanted to hug him.  Sampson was just so loveable.

Oh I’m sure all cat lovers and owners feel the same about their feline friends, I can’t speak for them, I can only comment on the happiness that our stray friend brought us.

In March of 2004 Sampson began to go off his food.  This in itself was no real indication of his health, for a previous vagrant he was very finicky about what he ate.  But when we had tried all the cat food brands we could find and still he ate less and less and drank more and more water and began to look oh so thin we knew there was more to it than just a hankering for roast chicken.

I booked Sampson into the vets for a checkup.  I cried with fear for him and despair for our ever decreasing bank balance but I was prepared to do anything to get my Sammy well again.

Three days and over £500 later we awaited his diagnosis.  Chronic Renal Failure Medivet told me over the phone.  My heart sank and my husband and daughter knew how bad it was as my voice quavered and I told the vet that we could spend no more money as we had used every last penny.  I asked if we could bring Sampson home.

Sampson at first wasn’t sure how to feel about being home, he nosed around the lounge and then sat by the front door, I reached down and began to stroke him and suddenly it was like a light bulb had gone on over his head and he started to respond with a happy smile and a purring like I had never heard before, he was saying “I’m home, I’m home”, and I just felt so grateful to have him back.

I tried my damnedest to nurse Sammy and when I couldn’t get him to swallow his medication and trying to hide it in his food was a joke for this keen detective of all things veterinary I watered it down and used a syringe and even though he was hardly eating or even drinking at this stage he could still send that syringe flying across the room with one swipe of either paw; those lovely, big Tiger- like paws.

The vets thought Sampson might just make it through the weekend, but Sampson was no quitter, he made it into two weeks and still he wasn’t ready to leave us.  Fighting for just one more day, one more afternoon of lazing on the back of the sofa, one more cuddle on each of our laps, and one more night curled up next to my pillow.

We watched him diminish, becoming nothing more than a bag of bones and we couldn’t stand to see him hanging on one step from death.  None of us wanted things to end this way.  I had always hoped that this poor baby who came to us off the streets would just go to sleep one day and drift off to where all good cats go.  He had suffered a hard life and I didn’t want him to have to suffer a hard end and yet there he was in pain but clearly not wanting to leave the people and place where he had been his happiest.

Fate is cruel but hopefully we were kind.  Believe me, none of us wanted to sign a death warrant on our best friend but it was done as a final act of love and I pray that Sampson will forgive us.

The Ancient Egyptians believed in sending their kin off to the Afterlife fully prepared for what it offered and so my daughter and I carefully wrapped Sampson lovingly in white linen strips torn from one of my husband’s shirts, taking care that no part of him was left uncovered, kissing him before covering his face.  Then on the 16^th April 2004 we transferred his mortal remains to a terracotta pot. 

Along with him we buried his supper dish, a photograph of us; his chosen family, and some of his favourite snacks along with a scroll containing words from our hearts to his; making his last journey a dignified affair.  We may not have had a funeral barge or the Nile but believe me this family cried a river when our extraordinary gentleman left us. 

I have lived with and loved many cats in my life but there will never be another as beautiful and as loving as Sampson.  May he rest on the lap of Bastet until we all meet again.

The following page is for donations to the Cat's Protection League.  If you would like to make a small contribution to help the CPL with the brilliant work they do for strays and those needing re-homing I am sure they would be delighted.  We took Sampson in, not all strays are that lucky.  We have since adopted two cats from the CPL but they always need more help.  Even a little can go a long way.