Feb 25, 20193 min read

Meet Salem

So when I was writing my A-Z one year later post I realized I've only really talked about Salem in a Diary Entry. I've never made him his own post. So please read on if you want a flood of kitten photos and fluffy cutesy nicknames.

Meet Salem Groot Saberhagen. He's my fur baby. He's my first pet that's truly mine to take care of. Before all the pets I had were family pets, my mom took care of them. I'll help feed them from time to time. But the cleaning and grooming was all my mom. I loved all our pets growing up and let me tell you there were a lot of them, but I have such a special bond with Salem.

My adorable fluffy bean was about 2 months old when my mom found him. He had scabs on the pads of his feet and scratches around his face. There were some almost scared marked on his hind ankles. We think someone dumped him. I can't image with my little guy went through. I'm so happy my mom found him.

Salem came to me in a time when I really needed him. I was in a constant state of crying over just about anything. But wanting a cat was definitely at the top of the list. My parents got a 6-month-old cat right as my mom got pregnant with me. I grew up with that gorgeous cat. She was so sweet. My heart was broken when my mom's dog killed her when I was 14.

I've wanted another cat ever since. Finally, I moved out of my mom's and I'm able to have a fur baby! Salem has made me smile every day since the day he got here. He's sitting on the table next to me as I write this.

He's gone through quite a few name changes since he arrived. I wanted to name him Groot but since he is a black cat I also really wanted to name him after the cat from Sabrina. So I went with Salem Groot. I figured I'd end up calling him Groot but Salem seemed to fit better.

He's a very vocal boy so he quickly got the nickname Mew. He talks quite a lot and Mew is definitely one name that stuck around. I also called him Pancake because when he lays down he flattens out no matter what he lays on or has to knock off the table. I also called him Noodle because when I picked him up he would go all floppy.

When he keeps me up mewing at night I call him screamy. I also call him Squishy, partly because he is a squishy boy and partly because of Finding Nemo "I shall call him Squishy and he shall be mine." That devolved into Squish and then Squee.

Of course, he also has earned the nicknames that many mischievous kitties earn. Shithead, asshole and jackass.

I recently started calling him Green Bean because he was really interested in the green beans I made with dinner one night. That name was shorted to Bean which he really responds to.

He also gets cuddlebug, lovebug, cuddle bear, mommy's man, mommy's boy, mommy's baby and sweetheart.

Salem loves batting around and chasing toys, laying tug of war with his doggy rope, playing fetch with his rattling mouse, looking out every window he can reach, climbing to the highest point he can reach in the house and play fighting.

He takes the play fighting a little too far sometimes. He hasn't bitten through the skin but his nails and teeth and scraped up my arms and legs quite a bit.

He refuses to listen about the counter and the kitchen table so I gave up. He will only use one kind of litter. I tried a different one and he literally held his poop. As a brand exclusive person myself, he really is my baby.

Here are a ton of photos from when he first got her to now.