Ridge woman reunited with blind cat lost for a year

Exactly a year after he disappeared, Sammie the blind cat isback in his Bay Ridge home.

Sammie disappeared on October 9, 2010, and was reunited with ownerKaren Hansen on October 9, 2011 after the woman who had beenfeeding Sammie since January near her Boro Park home saw a postingmade by Hansen on line.

She called the day before and said she had seen him on thecomputer earlier that week, Hansen explained. At first, Hansensaid, Sammie’s rescuer, Terri Vanzo, didn’t think the cat she hadbeen caring for at 57th Street and 11th Avenue was the same onethat had disappeared from 66th Street and Sixth Avenue. But, shewas sufficiently hopeful to call Hansen and alert her, then callher back when Sammie showed up for food.

Hansen – who ran an advertisement in this paper with Sammie’spicture and her contact information for a full year — raced over,and her year of waiting was at an end.

Sammie – who is completely blind in one eye and can see shadows outof the other — didn’t recognize her immediately, Hansen said;however, When I picked him up, he purred a mile a minute.

Sammie went straight to the veterinarian for a checkup and wasdeclared healthy, Hansen added.

It was a weight lifted off me, Hansen said. I always felt he wasalive but I didn’t know where. I always said, how could I decide,‘Today’s the day I’m not going to look anymore?’

So, she suffered through the months of searching, following upwhatever leads were presented, and going to look at cats – bothliving and dead — that someone thought might be Sammie.

I just had to keep going on faith, Hansen attested. I knew hewasn’t dead.

Hansen said she hopes her persistence gives hope to other peoplewho have lost their pets. The more people who are looking, thebetter chance you have, she stressed.