Sarah Slezak’s daughter, Samantha, immediately bonded with the then 15-year-old Archie when he came into their lives (photo courtesy of Sarah Slezak).
Sarah Slezak wrote and told us about Archie, a flame point Siamese who went to live with them as a wise 15-year-old after her husband’s grandparents could no longer keep him.
“We already had a one-year-old cat named Julie,” Slezak said. “We were hesitant to take Archie in, but my husband’s extended family really hoped we could make it work. So, on my first Mother’s Day in 2022, Archie came to live with me, my husband, Julie, and Samantha, our 4-month-old daughter.
“We joked that we would be Archie’s retirement home after years of hunting around his original family’s large property. We didn’t think he had much time left as he was thin and had at least two visible tumors on his body. But Archie quickly connected with Samantha, and she bonded with him. We were not surprised when her first word was “cat!” Archie put on some weight and while he is still a slow old guy, he is as healthy as can be for a now 18-year-old super senior.
“Now 3-year-old Samantha protects Archie from her 1-year-old brother, Theo (whose first word was kitty!). Samantha also reads to Archie and tells him about her day. Archie offers Samantha comfort and is a great listener. I never believed those photos and videos of babies and cats as best friends were real, but now I’ve seen in with my own child and cat, and their bond is stronger than anything.”
Is your furry, scaly or feathered family member the bee’s knees? Send us a high-resolution photo of your pet and tell us (in 200 words or less) about how they came into your life, their favorite thing to do or how they make your life more complete, and we may feature your story. Email editor@northcentralnews.net (subject: Pet Tales).
