Angry Mouth When Kate Perillo came across Sam’s images online, she was living all the way across the nation in Tucson, Arizona.
The Siamese cat had a particularly distinctive appearance, with larger-than-average lips and crossed eyes. When Perillo couldn’t stop seeing Sam, she decided to take a chance and reach out to her about the cat, which profoundly altered both of their lives.
“I’m really not a superstitious person, but I always thought adopting a pet just had to feel right,” Perillo told The Dodo. “And when I saw Sam’s picture, I got that feeling!”
Sam, who lived as part of a feral cat colony with Poet Square Cats, had eosinophilic granuloma complex — an allergy triggered by food or environment. In Sam’s case, it caused her mouth to become inflamed.
“With a steroid shot, an antibiotic and the move indoors, her mouth healed within a couple of months,” Perillo said. “She’s missing three of those little teeth in front, but that doesn’t bother her.”
Siamese cats were a part of Perillo and her mother’s childhood, so when the last of them went away in 2015 and her mother passed away in 2017, Perillo decided it was time to adopt. She noticed Sam’s pictures at that point and promptly took a flight to see her from Massachusetts.
Perillo admitted that it took her a few years to feel ready to begin a new chapter with a new furry buddy. “I knew the moment had come when I saw Sam’s silly little face [in the photos]. I adore her so much.
Sam is acting more like herself now that she’s feeling better, which is positive. She adores observing birds out her favorite window and taking in the sunshine from Perillo’s covered balcony. But she also enjoys playing a lot.
She is highly intelligent and outspoken, prepared to engage in back-and-forth dialogues with others and express her needs, according to Perillo. She will meow, direct you to the feather wand, and then use both paws to grip and raise the wand by the handle to demonstrate what she wants you to do.
After everything Sam’s been through, she’s finally living the life she deserves. And, according to Perillo, Sam’s presence has an even deeper meaning than companionship.
“They say pets are good for you, especially your mental health, and I can confirm that’s been true for me,” Perillo said. “After my mom’s death, having Sam feels like a small way of keeping my mom alive, too.”
