NOTE: This blog post was one written more than a year ago. Maybe longer.  I didn't publish it for some reason. Maybe because I knew that my sweet Sabi was aging and that I only wanted positive thoughts and comments about him. Maybe because I thought that maybe no one would be interested in his story.  I don't know specifically why I didn't publish it ... but here it is. Sabi's story summarized. :)  I had to say "see you later" to my sweet boy on Jan. 11th of this year. I miss him so much but I smile at having had him in my life.  I may have rescued him but he was the bigger blessing to me.

Sebastian Robinson is his name but we call him “Sabi The Cat”. He's also known as "Sab-Sab" and "Sabi-Wabi". Sabi came into my life as an abandoned kitty in my neighborhood.  It was the middle of winter and it was cold!  I noticed him hanging around my house and trying to keep warm by curling up on the hoods of cars. I could tell that he was friendly and used to people so I couldn't understand why no one was looking for him or why he didn't at least have a collar.  Now keep in mind that I had a ten year old dog (Nory) at the time who was used to being the "one and only"!  Eventually I let this little abandoned cat into the house to #1, give it some water and food and #2, gauge how Nory would respond.  The sweet boy made his way under my bed where he slept for four hours straight! I'm sure he was exhausted from his outside adventures of surviving on his own as non-feral cat.  When he ventured out from under the bed, I gave him food and water.  After eating, all he wanted was to get out of my house ... LOL!  So reluctantly I opened the door and off he went.

The next day I get home from work to find him waiting for me at my front door. So I looked him and said "OK, but if I let you back in, that's it. No more going outside".  I don't know that he understood, but he happily ran through the door and home he was. UNTIL he scratch Nory on the nose!  At this point I put him OUT! "No no no .... you don't scratch Nory! "This is his house!" I told him as I put him back outside.  I hated to put him back outside , but I couldn't have him scratching Nory.  I had spoken to my neighbor who had two cats already in hopes that she would take him.  She declined.

So low and behold he's waiting for me to get home the next day :) I looked at him and sighed. I think said something like ... "We'll try this again. But no more scratching!" So I opened the door and in he ran. He was home. He and Nory shared a "partner in crime", brotherly relationship until 2012 when Nory passed away. At this point Sabi was now 10 years old. The same age as Nory was when he came to live with us.

Sabi is now around 15/16ish years old. We've been through quite a lot together. Two years ago it was discovered that he had a brain tumor. I was given two options ... brain surgery or make him as comfortable as I could for the next 3 or 4 more months before having to say goodbye. It was a very scary and heartbreaking time but I prayed about it and relied on my faith. Ultimately I decided to give him the best chance at a happy and more comfortable life. In this case that would be surgery.  I realize that a lot of people don't understand or recognize the power of the bond between people and animals, but for those who do, I know you totally get it.  What I decided in this situation may not have been the right decision for someone else' situation. But when you have a bond with an animal that you've raised it's whole life, you only want what's best for him.  In this case, I decided that the risk of surgery and all that it would entail outweighed the other option. I'm so glad I took the risk. Although recovery was quite a journey ... Sabi is thriving.  I know that he's 15ish and I that I don't have forever with him, but giving him the best life I can give him, will leave me with no regrets. I'm so thankful to God for answered prayers.

In the meantime, I'm going to keep enjoying his little personality.  Sometimes he's a grumpy old man who yell's at me when I'm trying to get him to do something he doesn't want to do. Other times, he's the sweetest little snuggle buddy you could ever want. But that's a cat for ya. You get whatever they decide you get! :)

Sending you Love & Light!

Photos courtesy of: Kimberly Michelle Gibson Photography