Mark Twain's Cats

Twain gave his cats fantastical names: like Apollinaris, Beelzebub, Blatherskite, Buffalo Bill, Satan, Sin, Sour Mash, Tammany, Zoroaster, Soapy Sal and Pestilences. When away from his own cats, he’d rent them. In Dublin, New Hampshire, where he spent the summer of 1906, he rented three kittens for company. He named one of them Sackcloth and Ashes.

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"One of the most striking differences between a cat and a lie is that a cat has only nine lives."
One time, Twain lost a black cat named Bambino in New York and put an ad in the New York American offering a $5 reward for restoration. Bambino turned up after a couple of days, across a street in Dan Sickles' back yard and was finally brought home. I wonder if the General collected the reward.

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"When a man loves cats, I am his friend and comrade, without further introduction."
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"A cat is more intelligent than people believe, and can be taught any crime."​

Twain's cats were as ubiquitous as his signature white suits. But, when "out of uniform" .......

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A Cat Named 'Sour Mash'

"I had a great admiration for Sour Mash, and a great affection for her, too. She was one of the institutions of Quarry Farm for a good many years. She had an abundance of that noble quality which all cats possess, and which neither man nor any other animal possesses in any considerable degree -- independence. Also she was affectionate, she was loyal, she was plucky, she was enterprising, she was just to her friends and unjust to her enemies -- and she was righteously entitled to the high compliment which so often fell from the lips of John T. Lewis -- reluctantly, and as by compulsion, but all the more precious for that:

"'Other Christians is always worrying about other people's opinions, but Sour Mash don't give a d*mn.'

"Indeed she was just that independent of criticism, and I think it was her supreme grace. In her industries she was remarkable. She was always busy. If she wasn't exterminating grasshoppers she was exterminating snakes -- for no snake had any terrors for her. When she wasn't catching mice she was catching birds. She was untiring in her energies. Every waking moment was precious to her; in it she would find something useful to do -- and if she ran out of material and couldn't find anything else to do she would have kittens. She always kept us supplied, and her families were of choice quality. She herself was a three-colored tortoise-shell, but she had no prejudices of breed, creed, or caste. She furnished us all kinds, all colors, with that impartiality which was so fine a part of her make. She allowed no dogs on the premises except those that belonged there. Visitors who brought their dogs along always had an opportunity to regret it. She hadn't two plans for receiving a dog guest, but only one. She didn't wait for the formality of an introduction to any dog, but promptly jumped on his back and rode him all over the farm. By my help she would send out cards, next day, and invite that dog to a garden party, but she never got an acceptance. The dog that had enjoyed her hospitalities once was willing to stand pat."

- Autobiography of Mark Twain, Vol. 2 (2013), p. 216.
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We could empty shelters by starting a business renting cats. :angel: If it was good enough for Mark Twain.... It's brilliant. As soon as it seems apparent there's such a cat shortage, it is necessary to rent them, there wouldn't be a homeless cat in the country.

Sorry to be slightly off thread but Twain's observations on cats are always so on. They're hysterically fearless. Our rescue came declawed, we cannot allow her outside- neighbors rescue a series of farm cats, neuter them and we all now have ' outside ' cats. Last week, our security cam caught The Bear, making his rounds, hanging out by the garage. Wandered all over, terrorizing flower beds, inspecting the gravel pile, the usual. Entire time, feet away, neighbors big, battle ax of a cat perched on the truck bed, watching him. Hilarious? Not poised to flee, looked like he was watching a confused drunk or some interesting form of entertainment.

Made us wonder if they knew each other from some previous meeting.
 
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