Sam Elliott Johnson

"Sam Elliott was only barely 1 year old when I had to make the awful decision to let him go. He had gotten into string of some kind back in the fall of last year, and nobody knew. He started losing massive amounts of weight and I took him to the vet. After 2 emergency vet visits and 3 regular vet visits over the span of four months (and multiple tests), no one could figure out what was wrong with him. Finally, a vet in February said she saw something unusual in his abdominal x-ray but that they could not be certain unless they did exploratory surgery. She suspected a linear foreign body. Sam Elliott had the surgery in early February. The doctor called me and gave me the news. Sam Elliott had a really bad linear foreign body that had perforated multiple places in his intestines. He said he could put him to sleep or take out the majority of his intestines. The doctor said there was a good chance for Sam to have good quality of life, but would have stomach issues due to his short bowel syndrome. I wanted to give Sam a chance. I told him to continue with the surgery. The Sam Elliott that came home to me was not the same Sam as before the surgery. He was unable to be full and had horrific digestive issues. He did not play or lay with his cat brothers. He would not play with any toys. The only thing that remained the same was his extremely loving nature. It seemed to get worse and worse. It was no way for him to live. The vet said it would not improve over time. I was falling to pieces with the weight of the decision that I knew I was going to have to make. I agonized over it for weeks. I finally made the decision on May 8 to have Sam go to sleep, to let him be at peace. I am heartbroken. We got Sam Elliott and Seth together (littermates) in May of last year. They were about 7 weeks old and were the kittens of a stray cat that was on a friend's property. I immediately thought of the actor Sam Elliott for Sam because of his moustache. The cats' personalities are the same: extremely affectionate and playful. Sam and Seth, as kittens, would sit on my chest and purr while I was sleeping and lick and bite my eyes and nose and mouth. Sleeping on my chest was a favorite activity of theirs. When I say sweet, I mean SWEET. Every time I have taken either cat to the vet, the techs, doctors, and everyone has fallen in love with them. But Sam Elliott. There was something about him even from the beginning, even before the string. I had a special bond with him. We got even closer during the 6 months of his illness and after the surgery. I just can't believe he is gone. The night before he passed, he got on my chest and put his head on my face. He slept like that all night. I love him so much and he will always be a part of me. I miss my boy." - Lauren Johnson

Sam Elliott Johnson

May 8, 2023