Samson, my 21-pound tomcat, has been going through some pretty rough times over the last few months. Yes, he’s been a rather sick boy. So sick, in fact, that when I took him to see Dr. Alethea Gammage back in June, he had lost down to 19.6 pounds.

Now, how could I possibly discuss the exploits of my 21-pound tomcat if he no longer weighed 21 pounds?

On top of his weight loss, Sam has been losing his fur—along with some other worrisome symptoms. Time rocked on, and I thought for sure he’d bounce back, but like the rest of us, the older we get, the harder it is to just “bounce back” from being really sick. However, when Big Boy began sleeping on the carpet next to the closet door instead of at the foot of my bed, my fears went through the roof.

Let me go ahead and say now that I realize not everyone feels the same way about animals as I do, or as others do. I can only speak for myself. Having no children of my own, my pets have always been my “babies.” Plenty of you reading this know exactly what I’m talking about. They bring us much joy and comfort, whether we’re happy, sad, tired, or sick. And they just seem to know things—they know when you’re happy, sad, tired, or sick—at least Sam does.

And pets can bring a whole lot of entertainment into your world as well. The night I came in from work, flipped on the light and found Samson pacing back and forth in front of the entertainment center, only to soon discover there was a snake in my house proved to me that he was more than just a warm body that ate and slept all the time. Yep, he’s had his shining moments.

But, I took him back to the doctor again this month and had a whole battery of tests run, only to discover that he is now down to 15 pounds. Let me put your mind at ease—he’s being given medication, all of his tests came back normal, his fur is growing back, and he’s even got a little spring back in his paws. Plus, he’s resumed his place at the foot of my bed.

Actually, just this week, I noticed one really good thing about his weight loss—instead of clawing and heaving his way onto the bed, he simply hopped right up. I couldn’t believe it—I haven’t seen him do that—I don’t know—ever.

As thankful as I am that he’s on the road to recovery, however, one thing does get my goat—why do I seem to be picking up the pounds Sam’s been losing?

Oh, well….I’ll keep you posted.