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Friday, January 20, 2012

Eulogy For Spawn. The Cat Who Did Not Like To Be Touched.

Source: Wikipedia
Spawn was one of Terry's gifts. His history was unknown, except for the fact that he was too aggressive to remain in adoption for long and had been returned to the rescue group.

We speculated that he was likely a purebred Maine Coon that had failed to meet the personality expectations associated with the breed. Spawn was the most beautiful cat that I have ever owned or was owned by. He was black, long-haired, lion-maned, big with large tufted paws and green predatory eyes. He somehow managed to make any posture look regal.

Unfortunately his beauty was only fur-deep. He was deceptively friendly, would greet everyone, invite being petted by rubbing against legs, hands and heads, until he would deliver one of his bone-scraping bites. The predictably unpredictable sequence of events was nudge, pet me, purr, *CHOMP*...Emergency room. Repeat. New visitors, drawn to his beauty, would be met at the door by a stern and well-rehearsed: "don't touch him, he bites". I felt an odd sense of camaraderie when I discovered that the writer and artist Neil Gaiman was dealing with similar feline issues

For a while I considered Spawn my animal whispering failure. The biting did not stop. His idea of playing with the other cats was to chase them off his favorite furniture, then ignore them. His other hobby was stealing and shredding their toys.

He liked human company and he would always join us on the couch to sleep through a movie. It took some time for me to realize that while I was trying to socialize and train him, Spawn was asserting his own personality and training me. What he was clearly trying to tell me was:

"Alright, human. Here's the deal. My ancestors used to set sail with the Vikings, hence the water-resistant fur. Notice the big paws? They were made for walking on the snow. Got some Siberian from my mother's side.
All this incessant absent-minded stroking of fur is aggravating. Try it on the bimbo calico in the next room. She lives for that sissy stuff.
When I roll on my back, it is because I am happy or hungry. It is not an invitation to rub my belly. How would you like that?
Yeeahh. Didn't think so.
Gotta stay in shape though; you throw a ball, I'll fetch it for ya'.
There's a squirrel that needs my attention. You're dismissed."

I shall miss my majestic untouchable beast.

19 comments:

  1. My condolences. Sounds like he had real character Actually his character sounds a lot like mine, but I won't get into that. RIP, Spawn.

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  2. You know what.. My parents had to put down our cat Zeus that we've had for 14 years just today. I understand my friend. We love our furmily. (hugs)

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  3. I am so sorry to hear that Antares. He was definitely a handsome cat. The unconditional love of a pet is hard to lose. Thinking of you. Alittlesprite, that goes for you too.

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  4. Sometimes small creatures leave the biggest holes.

    RIP spawn.

    Hug to you.

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  5. Human friends and other creatures can sometimes be mixed blessings. That doesn't make us miss them any less when they're gone. I am sorry for your loss. Spawn was fortunate to have found you, who spoke his language.

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  6. I'm really sorry to hear about your pet. Sounds like he was a stubborn but very loving feline. At least until he would bite! It's never easy losing a beloved pet. Better days!

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  7. I grew up with a number of evil cats. None of them liked me for some reason. One would hide in the clothes basket in the morning waiting for me to come down the stairs and then pounce. Another would sit on top of the fridge waiting for me to come in and then pounce. I can't say I wanted to have cats when I grew up.

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  8. I'm very sorry to hear that. We had a Maine Coon cat once. She was a real beauty. It was real sad when we had to give her away after we found out I was allergic to cats. To this day, Mrs. Penwasser thinks she made the wrong choice.

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  9. @Vinny, thank you.
    Got it. No belly rubs for you.

    @Sprite, so sorry.
    I know you know.
    Hug accepted and thank you.

    @Meg, thanks, I appreciate it.
    He was and loving in his own way.

    @Alistair, aye, they do. I'll be doing this once a decade. Didn't see this one coming.
    Thank you, means a lot.

    @Marylinn, very true. Thank you for your kind words. A fellow blogger called each loss "uniquely painful".
    So many more that need to be rescued...

    @Barb, thank you. He was a character. Better days, I'll toast to that.

    @Brett, they can be playful. A dog, maybe?

    @Laoch, yes. Completely unexpected.

    @dbs, exactly.

    @Al, thank you. They are a beautiful breed, although I prefer mutts.
    Thanks for the image of your wife trying to stuff you into a carrier.
    Needed the smile.

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  10. I look at my dwindling cat and am glad I had the chance to give her fresh rabbit tonight. Sorry about Spawn, a cat that demanded respect and got it.

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  11. @Penelope, aptly put. Yes, I suppose he demanded respect.

    I am sorry to hear that, it's difficult to watch them fade, but she has someone who makes her something she enjoys.

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  12. I gave credit to you where credit is due back at my place.

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  13. It's all good. I was declawed years ago.

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  14. Farewell, Spawn, and gentle passage. And warmest empathy for you Antares. The personality of this particular Maine Coon mirrors many of the Maine Humans I've encountered of late.

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  15. I think I'd still end up petting him constantly regardless of the bites. :x

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  16. I don't know if you read the story about how I found my kitten or not but he was afraid of all humans. He wouldn't even some inside our house. When he died I was sad as well and I know the feeling. Feel better.

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