Sam has become my shadow since our return from Alaska. He’s by my side as I type this. I honestly didn’t expect our absence to affect him so deeply. I worried about leaving Daisy for so long; made special arrangements for her care at the kennel, and devoted a lot of thought to her well-being.

I certainly thought about Sam’s needs. A neighbor came into the house to feed him and change his litter box. Friends he knows and likes came to visit and play with him. But it wasn’t enough.

He’s pretty attached to Daisy as well. The fact that we were all gone must have bothered him much more than I would have thought possible. He sticks close to her when Frank and I leave for any reason these days.

When we go to the vet, they always say that he’s in remarkable shape for his age, so I guess it’s easy to forget that he’s 14. He needs emotional support as much as food these days. Maybe even more.