Owner of 41 cats to pay up to $12,000 for feline's transplant

Graham owns a tree-trimming business and had been saving for a new chipper and truck. But when he found out last year that his favorite cat had polycystic kidney disease and could die within two years, the decision on how to spend the money was easy.

"I love this cat," Graham said. "The chipper and truck I have now won't fall apart, and they are just things. This is about life. You don't take a cat out to the country and put a bullet to his head, you care for them. And I consider Seemore my kitty from the Lord."

Already, Graham has spent $8,000 testing his other cats to find Seemore's donor. He found the donor in Inky, a 3-year-old gray Siamese.

He's also installing airtight doors in the upper floor of his home to protect Seemore from the other cats because he's going to have to take anti-rejection drugs for the rest of his life. (picture)

HERO

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also: 9 lives or not, transplant is done for love

On Friday morning, Seemore Graham woke up for his kidney transplant in a foul mood.

The previous night was spent hooked to an IV that dripped type A blood into his body. He slept in a confined, sterile hospital. And at 7 a.m., a crowd of doctors and nurses arrived to prep him for surgery.

"He tried to bite me this morning because Seemore has an attitude," said Bruce Graham, Seemore's dad. "Seemore is stressed out about surgery. So I talked to him. I asked him if he slept well, told him he was a good boy, petted him and prayed for him."