Dear supporters of Sammy,

My new mantra for April is, “if at first you don’t succeed, don’t be afraid to try everything else.” If you’ve been reading about Sammy for the last few months, you can probably guess I’m referring to my most recent obsession: to lure Sammy out of her cubby in Adoption Room #2 so that she feels comfortable enough lounging around on the chair or the ledge overlooking the lobby.

A few months ago, I thought I’d found the answer: a magic grooming tool that Sammy seemed drawn to. She seemed to love being groomed. But during the the last few weeks, Sammy has been more and more reluctant to leave her sacred space in the cubby and come out into the open.

A few times, it is true, I entered the room and found her close and cuddly with Max on the chair, but those moments cannot be guaranteed.

I was at my wit’s end.

Desperate times called for desperate measures. First, I decided to change grooming tools. I chose a more comb-like implement. Then, I decided to enter the adoption room and play hard to get. That’s right. Rather than seek Sammy out, I would pay attention to all the other lovely kids in the room and wait and see how Sammy would react.

Although Sammy was in her cubby with her eyes closed when I entered, I suspected she was only catnapping. Sure enough, the moment I moved toward the center of the room, her eyes popped open, and she began to track my every movement. Perfect, I thought.I walked over to Max, who was a willing victim. He loved being groomed, and was very obliging in turning right and left and even purring. Anxiously I glanced over to Sammy, hoping to see her leap from her cubby and demand to be groomed, but no such luck.

Swiftly I moved to Tux and spent a great deal of time grooming his slightly matted fur. Again, Tux immediately began to purr, and when I glanced over at Sammy, she watched my every movement with interest, but she made no move to leave her cubby.

I sauntered over to Nyota, a long-haired beauty, but she was a bit finicky, and before I could check to see if Sammy was reacting, Nyota decided she’d had enough.

Long story short, despite all my efforts, Sammy remained in her cubby, so I went over and groomed her, all curled up in her safe spot! I could hear her softly purring, and I thought, So what. As long as you’re happy, Sammy.

Sammy and I thank you for your continued generosity. With spring now upon us, we wish you many sun-filled days!