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Samantha's Story
McGee
Samantha awoke to find her Meowmie still in bed with her.
"Hmm, she thought. Meowmie has been sleeping a lot lately.
I hope that she is feeling well. Maybe she is tired from
all of the work of preparing for the two holidays Thanksgiving
and Christmas. She and Deowdie still have not finished
putting away all of the decorations.
Samantha thought and thought but could not come up with no
reason why Meowmie was so tired lately. Well, I had better
try to wake Meowmie because I am hungry after my long winter
nap on her bed. Purrs, mews and nose nudges did not awake
Meowmie for quite awhile. When Meowmie did wake, Samantha
noticed that she was very cranky. Hmmm, I better skedaddle
to my litter box and wait until Meowmie is in a better mood.
Somehow, I have to find out what is bothering Meowmie.
Peregrine Noel
Samantha jumped lightly off the bed and headed for the
livingroom. Instead of going to her litter box, she stopped
in front of the chair where her Deowdie was sitting in front
of the TV. He had the remote in his hand and was just sitting
there staring, with a sort of glazed expression in his eyes.
"Hmm, Samantha looked at the TV and noticed a program called
"news" was on. It was furry depressing as usual. Merawr,
this was not good. She had a cranky Meowmie and a dazed
Deowdie, and she didn't know what to do. She wandered into
the diningroom and leapt up on the table to look out of the
window. Just then a ray of sunshine broke through the clouds
and lighted on the red blooms of the poinsettia bush.
Suddenly Samantha had an idea...
Pupa Muma Aamose
"Flowers. Yes, flowers always seemed to cheer hewmins up.
Besides, Samantha always enjoyed poking her nose in a sweet
bouquet, or digging in the house plants. But how could she
get her hewmins to see they needed some flowers and plants
in the house?"
Quickly, Samantha jumped off the table and went back where
her Deowdie was sitting. She nudged the remote from his
hand and it fell on the floor. Then she stepped on the
remote. Whirrr. The channel changed. Then she did it again
and again until she came to a program about gardens. Ah, yes,
that was what she wanted.
Just then her Mewmie came out of the bedroom. Would she
notice the program on the TV? Would she get the idea? Only
you can tell.
McGee
Meowmie came into the livingroom and was surprised to see
Deowdie and Samantha watching the TV. "Oh, no, Meowmie
thought, they are watching the news. So depressing! Wait
a minute, she thought to herself, they are watching a gardening
show. I am so surprised! Meowmie then said aloud, "John, what
are you two watching?"
Deowdie stared at Meowmie and said, "The news. I always watch
the morning news."
Meowmie laughed and said, "I think not. You are watching a
gardening show. Hmm, that looks very interesting. Look at
those beautiful flowers! You know, I am still suffering from
S.A.D. like I usually do every winter. Some new house plants
will perk up my spirit. Why don't we go shopping for a few
house plants? The Pond Street Greenhouse is still open.
Let's go there after breakfast?"
Deowdie noticed Meowmie's enthusiasm and said, "Yes, we could
get some plants. Things are very dreary around here with
nothing but snow and dark days. Plus, our sunporch needs to
be used again. We haven't used it for a long time except for
storage. We used to have a lot of house plants out there.
Maybe the sunporch can be restored to it's old beauty.
I need to pick up some paint and empty the sunporch.
The exercise will be good for me and you."
Samantha was very pleased with herself. "Now I can check out
that litter box, she thought. She could hear Meowmie taking
a shower. Hmm, purred Samantha. I need another idea to keep
Meowmie from being cranky. The flower idea was very good.
She mentionned that she had S.A.D. I will use the computer
to look up what S.A.D. is when they leave and then I will...
Sam Says
I will look for good information about what S.A.D. is and
maybe I will even find some suggestions on how to help people
get over it. After all, it only lasts a few weeks of the year,
so it can't be permanent. Gosh, I sure hope it's not permanent.
No, I don't think it is because Meowmie was like this last winter
too. I know flowers and plants help. It even got Deowdie all
excited thinking about fixing up the sunporch for the new plants!
So there must be something else that will help too.
I know! I will accidently hit the print button and just leave
it there for Meowmie to read. I bet when she sees it she will...
Shetoo
I bet when Meowmie reads it she will feel better knowing that
light will brighten her days. I can even sit with her. Think
of how much better she'll feel with me for warmth and light to
chase away the drearies. I can just see my Meowmie now: feeling
perky, pestering Deowdie to finish the sunporch and puttering
with her new flowers. Why, I bet she might even...
McGee
consider planting some flower and vegetable gardens in the
spring. I noticed that to get over S.A.D. a person needs to
exercise because people tend to load up on "carbs" when faced
with winter "blahs". Meowmie has been eating a lot of brownies
lately. Gardening is good exercise. Hmmm, walking is good
exercise too. But, walking will take some time away from me.
I enjoy my times with Meowmie. I sound a little selfish. Hmm,
I had better make sure Meowmie reads that article on S.A.D. that
I printed for her. I just want Meowmie to feel better. She will
perk up in the spring. But, spring is three months away from
now. What can I do next to help Meowmie?"...
McGee
..."I know, I will find some great gardening links on the computer
and save them to her favs. Maybe I will print out some articles
for her too. But, I will wait until she comes home to do that.
Maybe I will do it when she's sleeping. I will wake at dawn to
see what I can find for her."
Just then Samantha heard the car in the driveway. The two humans
came into the house with some beautiful houseplants. A couple of
them were Cyclamen. Such gracious beautiful flowers.
"Put them on the kitchen counter for now, Meowmie told Deowdie. I
will put on the undercabinet lights for them. Oh, this is going to
give my spirit a lift" she said.
Samantha followed her humans into the kitchen and observed their
business. "Yes, flowers are a good idea, she thought to herself.
Such a change in Meowmie and Deowdie already. They seem back to
their old lively selves."
Deowdie dropped the plants on the counter and went back to the
car to get some more stuff. Meowmie just stared at her new
houseplants with a large smile on her face. The light glowed
over the flowers. Just then a ray of sun caught on Meowmie's
crystal hanging on the sink window and a beautiful rainbow
appeared in the kitchen. "Look, Samantha, Meowmie exclaimed.
A rainbow!"
Samantha purred and enjoyed the beautiful colors shining
throughout the kitchen. Then she thought...
GiGi
well, at least Meowmie seems to be feeling a little bit
better. I wonder what I can do next to make sure she
continues to improve."
"Hmmmmmm, I know! I will turn on some of my charm. She
cannot possibly stay sad when I am rolling all over the floor
and acting cute! I may be an older kitty-but, I am am still
adorable, if I do not say so myself. So then, Samantha...
McGee
rolled over the floor where the sun shone on her tummy.
Meowmie laughed and said, "So, you are enjoying the sun too.
I had forgotten how cats like to lay in sunspots. When
Deowdie and I get finished with fixing up the sunporch,
I will make room at a window for you to enjoy the sun,
birds and plants." Then Meowmie patted Samantha's tummy.
Deowdie found them both together in the kitchen. "You two
girls want to help me move stuff out of the sunporch? We
are going to let the sunshine in. Also, I bought a couple
of plant lights to hang from the ceiling for when the
weather does not cooperate."
Samantha and Meowmie followed Deowdie out to the
sunporch where they saw a...
McGee
brilliant red cardinal in the tree next to the deck off of the
sunporch. "Oh, my, isn't he beautiful, Meowmie said. All
three stared at the bird until he took off from his perch. Then,
Meowmie said again, We should also invest in a bird feeder to
attract these beauties so that we can watch the birds eat
from it."
Deowdie said, "I will put that on my to-do list."
Samantha thought to herself, "Now why didn't I think of getting
a bird feeder?"
The three of them proceeded to clear the sunporch of cartons
that had been stored on the sunporch. Then Meowmie said...
McGee
after we finish this chore, let's take a break and put on a
funny video to help me unwind from my S.A.D. disorder. We
haven't watched a funny video for awhile. I need to keep
my sense of humor. I just have to remember that spring is
just a few snowfalls away."
Deowdie laughed and said, "How about watching the Three
Stooges?" Meowmie threw a newspaper at Deowdie and laughed.
Samantha thought, "Those Three Stooges are just plain silly.
I would rather watch a Garfield video. Now, that cat is funny
with all of his sayings. I wonder just what they will watch
for a comedy. Hmmm, maybe they will watch..."
Shibui
...Animal Planet's Funniest Animals. Meowmie and Deowdie
always laughed when they saw that show. Everytime they
watched it, they said, "Oh, if we only had a video camera.
We could make a video of Samantha and submit it!" As if her
Meowmie read her mind, she said, "Instead of watching a video,
why don't we see what's on Animal Planet. There is always
something interesting on that channel."
Deowdie turned on the TV with the remote control and entered
the channel number. A program about cat shows was just ending.
As the credits rolled by, he remarked, "I'm sorry that we missed
that program. I hope they repeat it." When the commercial came
on he muted the sound and put the remote on his TV tray. When
Samantha realized the commercial was about the Funniest Animal
show, she jumped onto the TV tray and hit the mute button with
her paw. As the sound came back on, Meowmie laughed and said..."
McGee
"I wish that I had a video camera going right now. Samantha,
you are an amazing cat. You didn't by any chance change the
TV channel this morning to that gardening show? Hmmm, I think
I smell a "Cat". Thank you if you did click on the remote. You
really care about me, I know. Actually, you did me and Deowdie
a great favor by getting us interested in flowers. I cannot wait
until spring to plant a garden. If you are a good kitty, I will
even plant some catnip for you. Or, better yet, we can have a
small plot for you to plant in."
Deowdie came into the room with a large meat pizza for their
lunch. Animal Planet had started when Meowmie was speaking
to Samantha and she was intently looking at the screen because
it was about cats and how they lived with their humans. At
that moment a cat was in the bathroom unwinding toilet paper.
"What a lot of fun, Samantha thought. I remember doing that
when I was a kitten. Now for fun, I...
Sam da Man
will just casually go into the bathroom and open the cabinet
where Meowmie keeps the toilet paper. Then, I will surprise
her and Deowdie by giving my best hunting call when I find
a roll. I'll carry it right out into the living room where
they are and I'll attack it like crazy and roll all around
the floor teasing my prey. Then I will shred it because I know
that will make them laugh. They will laugh even more once they
start remembering and talking about my antics when I was a
young kitten. They will laugh and laugh and say..."
McGee
Samantha was such a high energy cat when she was little.
Remember when she unrolled the toilet paper. Every time we
put on a new roll of paper she would unwind it and it was
all over the bathroom and hallway. We used to scold her for
doing that but to no avail. One day she just stopped on her
own. Maybe it was because she found something else to do.
Remember when she...
McGee
used to run and scatter the hallway rugs? We tripped over
them more than once. Finally, we had to tack the hallway
runners down as she was such a high energy cat. Samantha,
remember that? Samantha, where are you? Oh, no, Samantha
has a roll of toilet paper in her mouth and she is headed our
way. Now what is she doing? Why, she is rolling it across
the floor. We need a video camera." Meowmie laughed and
laughed and Deowdie then began to laugh too.
McGee
As both of her humans were enjoying a good laugh at
Samantha, she finished playing and was wondering what the
sunporch would look like. She got a good picture in her mind
because she remembered what it used to look like years ago.
"Hmm, Samantha thought, time spent with my family is time
well-spent even if Spring is just a few snowfalls away."
Just then, the sun shone throughout the entire room.
Samantha found a nice sunspot and fell asleep.
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The story of Samantha was written from 01 January 2002 to
03 February 2002 and is dedicated to Chata Gai, a beautiful
siamese cat who was an active member of CLAW and the OCS.
Chata Gai passed over the Rainbow Bridge in July 2001.
Older Cats Society
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