It is very interesting to know why pets are called the same names as
people. Not only cats and dogs, but birds, horses, cows and other pets
are given the names of people. Many times these names are given because
of fondness for the pets and love for those after whom they are named.
The lady who told me this story of Sammy also told me why she called
him this name. She had met a very attractive young man while visiting
in another town and when she came home she did not forget the new
acquaintance. In a few days after she returned from the visit someone
gave her a little kitten which she named Sammy for him. She never
learned whether the young man felt honored because of this, but the
kitten was well cared for.
Sammy was a beautiful Maltese kitten but his young mistress did not
know where he was born nor anything about his mother, sisters nor
brothers. He seemed like an orphan kitten and was given the best of
care. In a little while he was satisfied in the new home and seemed to
be perfectly happy.
As the months rolled by, Sammy and his mistress became very fond
of each other. One day something happened which changed the course
of events. The young lady made another acquaintance--this time of
a young man who had gone into business in her home town. Sammy was
afraid of all strangers and would not play with any of the boys in
the neighborhood and would not make friends with any of the young men
who called on his mistress. When the nice looking business man began
visiting the young lady Sammy also became acquainted with him. From the
first visit he seemed to like the new acquaintance and soon they were
close friends. When the young man called at the home Sammy would always
meet him at the gate and accompany him to the door. When his mistress
would allow him to do so he would go into the house so that the young
man might pet him.
Sammy was never trained to catch mice and was never given one to eat.
It is often a good thing to have a cat that will catch mice, but
sometimes it proves very fatal as mice are often poisoned and thrown
out or die where the kittens can find them. Sammy was not allowed to
eat meat either, especially raw meat. Feeding raw meat has proven very
costly to many valuable cats as it has made them of vicious or cross
disposition. The mistress of Sammy was very careful to cultivate in him
a kind and obedient disposition.
In the yard of the home there was an old tree in which Sammy spent
many happy hours in the warm sunshine. Not many feet from the ground
the tree forked and this made a very desirable place to get out of the
reach of dogs and to rest or sleep. This had been a favorite resting
place for Trilby, a kitten that lived in the home long before Sammy
was born. The lady said that both kittens had used the old tree for a
resting place and that she had often regretted that she had not taken
their pictures. I am sorry, too, as I would like to have shown you the
picture of Sammy in this book, but we will have to imagine how peaceful
he was as he slept in the warm sunshine.
One beautiful autumn day in September, the young man whom Sammy loved
and who had been going to the home very often, went to take Sammy’s
mistress away. Sammy was pleased to have the young man there although
he did not understand why so many people were there and what it all
meant.
A few days after the couple were married they moved to a little cottage
in another part of town and took Sammy along to live with them. In this
new home he seemed perfectly satisfied and never tried to go back to
the old home again. He spent many happy days in this home and every
evening he would go down the street to meet his new master. The young
couple became very much attached to Sammy and gave him the best place
in almost everything. Have you ever heard of a spoiled kitten? Sammy
was like some children who are allowed to have their way for he became
a spoiled kitten later in life.
On another day, many months after the beautiful autumn wedding day,
a little baby came into the home to live. Sammy did not know what
to think of a baby crying and to see everyone making over the new
daughter. In those days he felt somewhat neglected as he was not petted
as much as usual but he soon became attached to the little one in the
crib. He seemed to love the baby as much as anyone else and at last he
became so jealous that he would try to protect her when anyone would
lift her from the crib. He would almost fight the young father or
mother to keep them away as he seemed to think that they should not
fondle her. He must have been afraid that they would hurt his little
playmate, although the baby never got to play with Sammy except to coo
at him from the crib. He became so cross and so jealous that he had to
be given away.
The father saw a man in town one day who lived in the country and he
told this man about Sammy and of how good he had been until he became
jealous of the baby. Sammy was given to this man and he went to live
on a farm. I have wondered how much he missed the baby but probably
the farm life attracted his attention so much that he did not grieve
very long over the change. He lived to be seven or eight years old and
proved to be a valuable cat on the farm. He never got to see his little
baby mistress again but after she grew older she was told of Sammy’s
fondness for her. She is now three or four years older than Sammy was
when he died but of course she can remember nothing about him except as
the parents have told her.
Sammy is buried on a farm not far from Liberty, Missouri, and those
who knew and loved him will never forget the story of his life.
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