Herman

Herman's Story: Herman was adopted by our daughter when she was a senior in high school in the fall of 2005. She wanted a kitten very badly, but my husband wasn't keen about her request as we already had 3 other cats. She was a high school cross country runner and her dad told she could have a kitten if she finished in the top five at a meet, something she had never done (so I think he felt safe!). At the next meet she finished fifth, the best placing of her high school career. She then adopted Herman from our veterinarian. Herman and his sister had been rescued by the vet when they were very young, the vet had to bottle-feed them. Herman thrived under the vet's care and then my daughter's. He became a very bold and inquisitive cat. That spring he disappeared one day while we were at the District track meet. We later pieced together that he had stowed away underneath our daughter's high four-wheel drive pickup and had fallen off on the two-lane highway about a mile from our home on her way to school. Our daughter was heart-broken (as we all were) and we combed the wheat fields near the highway for days, placed ads and talked with residents near the area he disappeared. The night of her high school graduation, exactly one month to the day he disappeared, we received a call from a resident on the highway, saying they thought they had Herman in their garage. We were in doubt as we had had a couple of false leads, but to make a long story short, it was Herman. What a graduation present! The whole family was very happy, as we had missed him so. Now, here he is today, at 4 years old and about 20 pounds, a very contented and happy cat.