Sam, a half-Burmese cat from Marina da Gama, celebrated his 22nd birthday on Tuesday September 3. He was rescued from the SPCA in Johannesburg in 1999 along with his sister, Bella, a red Burmese, by his current owner, Melanie Stewart’s daughter, Kirsty, when they were 18 months old. In 2001 the pair came to live with Ms Stewart after her daughter and her family moved to the UK. Bella died in 2012, but Sam made three moves with the Stewart family in Cape Town, and now enjoys living on the water in Marina da Gama. “He is now virtually deaf and blind, but, being a cat, he’s able to survive remarkably well and spends most of his time in search of an accommodating lap. We are happy to oblige,” said Ms Stewart.