Samantha "Sami" Adams Hurley 3/20/1997 - 12/30/2009

Hitler


Devil

B**ch

Evil B**ch

Lucifer

Psycho



These are just a few of the evil, unkind names I had for Sami. She and I have had a somewhat tumultuous relationship. It all started just before Easter 1997. Brian and I had been together just about a year and he was now living in New Haven. I was living out by Boston and I felt like Brian should have a "friend" to keep him company. After checking out several shelters and each one said the same thing. "Kittens go quickly..." One cold, rainy afternoon I made my way into Arlington for one last ditch effort to find a furry friend for Brian. The shelter was above Main Street, small and clean and quiet. There were about 20 cages in a small office. This particular shelter was a cat rescue and had recently been brought a feral mother who'd been hit by a car. She was about to have her kittens when it happened and the vet had been able to save the kittens but not the mother. The kittens all survived without their mother due to the dedication of the shelter workers and most had found permanent homes with the staff before there were even weaned. Sami happened to be the sole remaining kitten from that litter and she was living in a cage with another cat. Sami was still at the shelter, unadopted because she was full of piss and vinegar and determined to live by her rules. I guess, now that I am a mother, I would not bring home an animal the bit. But she was the cutest ball of fur I'd ever seen and I kind of liked her "spunk". She bit and scratched and did her damndest to show me who was boss for the next several days. When Brian arrived to spend Easter with me he was greeted by a black and white puff of fur that was all whiskers and looked like she'd stuck her paw in a light socket. She had black cow spots on white as snow fur. She had fur growing out of her eats and between the pads of her paws.  I always said that she had a goatee, but Brian thought it looked like she'd stuck her little face in ink. He was not sure he wanted a cat and she stayed with me for about a month. She did not however, bite Brian once! She was in his lap or next to him all of Easter weekend.

A month later I made the drive to New Haven with Sami in tow and dropped her off at her new home. I have been told that from that night and for the next two years Sami slept every night on Brian's pillow with her paws hanging down on either side of his head like a pair of ear-muffs. Meanwhile I was still trying to heal scars from her teeth and claws. Brian and Sami were clearly meant for each other and became thick as thieves.

When Brian took the job in Houston and made the long drive to Texas, Sami rode shotgun and co-piloted from an open cat carrier. She was snuck into motels under cover of darkness and I am sure was loving life with Brian all to herself. It would be about 6 months before Mac and I made the move to Houston and Sami and Mac would share time between my apartment and Brian and Mike's place. It would not be long after my move to Texas that Sami and Mac were dragged to the vet to be declawed. Brian and I were concerned that my 4+ year old fat cat might struggle with the procedure. Fully aware of the risks we were taking with Mac's life we picked a vet we trusted and held our breath. It was late the afternoon of the procedure, and we were growing concerned we had not heard from the animal hospital. When we were finally able to get the doctor to call us back he advised that we come right down to the clinic. The surgery did not go as planned. Panicked we few to the hospital expecting to be told Mac did not make it. On the contrary, Mac had come through the surgery like a champ and was chewing on his bandages and shaking his paws like crazy; spraying blood all over his self in the process. Gross, I know! It was Sami, she had a reaction to the anesthesia and had gone into cardiac arrest on the table. It took them several minutes to revive her and when they had she was a lump of fur. Blind, mostly paralyzed and laying in a pitiful heap of fur. They advised us that the most humane thing to do would be to put her down. They had attempted to purge her system of the anesthesia all day in the hopes that she would regain motor function, sight, etc... She had not improved at all and they had no hope that she would. Brian and I did not know what to do, what to say, how could this happen? She was only 2?? We expect fat Mac to have trouble, not Sam. Somehow we asked if we could take her home. They said yes and we did. For two days she sat unchanged and we prepared to say goodbye. On the third day she leapt off the bed at something. Hit her head on the night stand, but she moved! Then she spent the day stumbling around, walking into walls, but she was walking by day 5 she seemed to be better. She was walking, eating, seeing, responding.... A miracle! I swear she was never the same and I am convinced she held me personally responsible for the drama and subsequent declawing, but she was alive.

A move to California and five sunny Southern California years later and we were expecting a baby. Once again Sami was packed up and moved to Arizona. Not long after the move we lost Mac to renal failure, cancer and old age and Sami was the only cat again. She seemed truly down about the loss of Mac for a while but perked right back when she re-discovered life as a solo cat. That life was short lived, there soon was a new baby, new house which meant another move and a whole new beast to deal with when the baby began to crawl and found her feather duster tail to tempting to ignore.
The arrival of two babies was hard on Sami. Her anger was growing more and more apparent and then “Handsome Hal” entered our lives. Sami had reached her breaking point... Last night Sami climbed into bed with us for the last time; Curled up next to Brian, for the last time; Slept warmly and happily with her master and best friend, for the last time – Then this morning Brian placed her in her carrier, the one that took her cross the country and part way back, for the last time and took her to the vet and said good-bye, for the last time. Her ashes along with her buddy Mac’s ashes will be buried under the willow tree in our backyard.

Sami, you and I had our ups and downs; we clearly had a power struggle over who the woman of the house really was… But there is no doubt that I miss you already and I will always hold a special place in my heart for you. Sleep sweet Sami, tell Mac I miss and love him and take good care of each other. I am sorry that I called you all those evil names, you were a really good cat... to Brian.  Rest in Peace...