He was a big surprise to us. We had told our daughter, in no uncertain terms, that we would not *ever* be getting a kitten. She was 8 years old then. We had two cats and a dog. That was plenty. It was funny then, that we should walk into an antique store while our daughter was at knitting lessons, and fall in love with a little kitten. He came out of nowhere, climbed in my lap and started playing with my zipper. Jeff and I looked at him, and were hopelessly charmed. He had feet that were so big for his tiny body that it looked like he was wearing boots. His eyes were too close together. The ear hair coming out at least an inch past the ears was priceless, and the extremely long tail cinched it.
We jokingly told the person at the counter we would take the glass we had found and the kitten. They said, “Ok”. And we learned they were hosting kittens from Tabby Town, a no-kill shelter/foster system for cats. Wow. Later that day we brought our daughter to the antique store, which she was not too thrilled about. When she realized we were adopting the kitten she had been holding, she was stunned.
In the car, with the little furry guy beside her, I remembered how we had told her we wouldn’t get a kitten. And I explained how I realized this must be a *big* surprise for her. She nodded and began weeping for joy. It was the dearest, most tender event I had witnessed of a baby animal and a young child. She is now 11 years old and he is 2 1/2 years old. Samara and Wesley love each other so much. These pictures show you, that he has an inkling of how his presence in her life made her heart break and grow all at the same time. He can be a funny clown, a stinker, a wise furry buddha and a cuddle button, but mostly – he is such a prince of a cat.
Samara and Wesley, Jan 2011. He is holding her arm so dearly. His eyes are so loving and proud, aren't they?
Wesley smiling at Samara, January, 2012.
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