Sammy has a new home. After much agonizing, soul-searching and emotional torment, David and Tammy came to the difficult decision that they couldn't keep their cat. It wasn't like giving up one of their kids, but it wasn't like giving away a piece of furniture, either. It was painful, and it was even more painful when they weren't sure what was going to become of him.

If I could have pets, I might have taken him. If they needed me to take him, I would have anyway. But I took this place with the landlord's firm understanding that no dogs or cats would be living with me. It wasn't negotiable, and I was so anxious to get into this house that I didn't press the matter. I have my birds, and frequent visitors from other species (including cats).

Mom has been living alone since her beloved dog Rudy died a few years back. She's talked about getting another pet, but the timing was never right. Or maybe it's just that she was waiting to be needed. When she found out that Sammy (and David and Tammy) needed her, she jumped in and offered to share her home. It was traumatic for all involved, including the cat.

Sammy was delivered to Mom's mobile home today (by Tammy; David didn't want to say goodbye). I dropped by this afternoon to see how Mom and Sammy were doing, and they were not surprisingly doing fine, both of them. Sammy was a little nervous and restless, but he was adjusting to his new surroundings. Mom was getting used to having company, and I think she was a little excited.

The reason I believe this is going to work out is that Sammy is already following Mom around the house. He was lying on my lap at one point, but when she left the room he sat up and stopped purring. He settled back down as soon as she returned.

It's a little quieter than it was at his previous home, but he has a big sliding glass door to look through. What he sees is a porch with a bird feeder, so you know he'll be looking a lot.

It's been a difficult day for a few reasons, but seeing Mom and Sammy together eased my mind a lot. He'll miss David and the rest of the family, and David will miss him, too. The reasons behind the decision don't really matter now. It's done, and it should make things a little easier knowing that Sammy is going to be happy and well cared for in his new home.

While I was at Mom's this afternoon, it started to rain. Then it started to rain harder, and then it hailed. The sound of hail on a metal roof is startling enough for a human, but it was even more freaky for a Siamese just getting used to his new home. His eyes got as big as snow globes and he moaned a bit, but Mom told him it was going to be okay and he settled down quickly. A minute later he'd forgotten the whole thing. That's one advantage of being a cat, I guess.