In my entire lifetime, I have had three pets. Each pet was so different than the other. One dog and two cats. Every pet owner knows the depth of the bonds we can make with these furry friends that we share this earth with. Our pets hold a special place in our hearts. Here is the story of my three companions.

Sam: My Blind Dog

Sambo was my first pet ever. He was a part of the family before I was. He was the friendliest wiener dog! My parents told me that before I was born Sam would lay up against my mom’s belly, almost as if he could sense that something special was in there. When I was born, I was told that he became very protective over me.

As we grew up, it’s sad to think that Sam became blind from cataracts. Since he grew up in the house we were in, he never had trouble finding has way around because he already knew where everything was from memory. Occasionally he would run into things, but he became accustomed to his inability to see. Sam could roll over on command and he could even bark “I love you.” His blindness hardly hindered him.

When I was four, we moved into a new house, and poor Sambo never fully adapted to his new surroundings. He would get lost, fall down the stairs and just could never adapt to the new house. It was very sad to watch him bump into furniture and walls with his nose stuck to the ground trying to sniff his way around. We had to keep him safe, so we limited his walking space around the house when we weren’t around.

Sam lived until he was 14 years old. A tumor had developed and we knew he was in pain. We had to let him go. To this day dachshunds hold a very special place in my heart. I would love to have another dog like him.

Cupcake: My Deaf Cat

I received my first cat for Christmas a few years before Sam died. One day when I came home from school he was waiting for me in a wrapped up box. I had been telling my parents that I just really wanted a girl cat that was all white and had blue eyes and that I would name her Cupcake. Luckily my grandparents had a neighbor who had a kitten that fit the description. The only catch was that the feline was a he and was born deaf (which is a very common occurrence in white cats with blue eyes).

I welcomed Cupcake into my life with open arms. He was beautiful and so fluffy. He didn’t need to hear me to be my companion.

I always thought that it was really special that my family owned a black dog that was blind and a white cat that was deaf at the same time. They were complete opposites, but while Sam was still alive, they became best buddies. It’s like they understood each other through the absence of their blindness/deafness, but the other’s superior strength. Often times you could find them napping snuggled up together.

After Sam passed away, Cupcake was my only pet for a while. We was a pretty chill cat. He was always supportive. I was sad when he passed away. I always look back at his photos and smile at his beauty.

Cindy: My Rescue Kitten

My next “dream cat,” or so I called it in my childhood, was a golden tabby cat. I really wanted it to be girl this time and I was going to name her Cindy. I never went searching for Cindy though, she practically fell right into my life. One day a guy from our church was standing outside guarding a box filled with eight small kittens. He said that he found this box kittens on the side of the road on the way into church! They were meowing and climbing on top of each other and my heart melted at the cuteness these kitties had. I had founder her. The golden tabby whose name was to be Cindy. She was so small she fit into the palm of my hand, and she had a small scratch on her eye.

It didn’t take much pleading with my mother to bring her home. We nursed her back to health. The vet said that she was just under 6 weeks old, assured me the scratch on her eye had no effect on her vision, and that golden tabby cats were rarely female. I knew Cindy was special. Out of the 8 kittens that were in the litter, at total of only 3 survived.

We loved Cindy. Soon she learned how to play fetch with toy mice and she began ruling the house. Cupcake liked Cindy too. They kept each other company until Cupcake passed away.

Even though her official name is Cindy, my family and I came up with pet names for her own pet name. We began calling her “Tinny.” From Tinny it changed to “Ninny” and then from Ninny to “Ninners.”

Cindy continues to be in my life. Ninners is going on 12 years old now. She brings so much joy to my small little family. Even when she draws blood from her scratches, or she throws up all over the floor, and even when she bangs on the doors and meows really loudly at 4:00am, I couldn’t imagine my life without her.

Believe it or not, pets have a huge impact on our lives. My motley collection of furry friends will always be in my heart.