Spider Man
IN THE BAG
Eye spy with both eyes, a furry little guy who was far smarter than I. He couldn’t spin webs to fly building to building, but he sure did think he could try to catch a plane hanging on a screen from eighteen stories high. My little guy, Spider, his own little “man”, nicknamed Spider Man.
A sweetheart cat, Sammi Jo, that I don’t know purred a word to her man, @krazzytrukker, that she was feeling a little left out of my cat house. Here’s a meow out to Sammi Jo and @krazzytrukker, showing you all some cat love in photos, drawings, and stories.
There have been several cat companions in my life. I’ve loved each one of them. Spider stood out from all of them, a cat apart, a cat with some behaviour that gave me many pauses and causes to question my sanity. Most of all, a cat I bonded with like an old soul come home.BURIED NOSE
Animals are subject matter rarely chosen in my creative process. I think I’ve seen too much art with animals that left me in a place of having little to nothing to say that other artists haven’t already covered. Spider man was an exception. There was something different about him from the beginning that I never could put my finger on, this connection from the moment I first saw him. He was a rescue cat, found on the street by the Humane Society (@dandays, take note here).
There were over a hundred and fifty cats at the shelter when I went to choose a furry companion to bring home. I looked at all of them, but Spider was the only one who sat quietly making direct eye contact with me. I could almost hear him in my mind saying, “Take me home”. He wasn’t on my narrowed down mental list of twenty-five cats. Some kind of cat woo-woo mental magic trick sunk me in his spell. Together we rode home, him not yet with a name.
The name came a few weeks later. I wasn’t used to having a cat inside. Pets were outside and slept in the garage because of my mother’s allergies. I was fascinated watching my new companion and how he behaved. He must have belonged to someone that gave him in and out privileges. He would wait by the door to be let outside until he realized that wasn’t going to happen anymore. Investigating his new home, he found a spider. I watched him play with it for over an hour before he ate it. Learning moment that cats are sadistic. “Spider” fit him as a name and in a sense; he became the spider he ate (along with many more throughout the years).SINK BED
One place where I lived, Spider man developed a fixation for the bathroom sink as one of his favourite occupation spots, or should I say plots? The first time I found him there he almost scared the crap out of me. I had woken up in the middle of the night needing to visit the facilities. Not wanting to wake up fully, I didn’t bother with the lights. Everything was as usual until I turned to wash up, not in water, but two handfuls of water speckled fur. I almost screamed aloud. Good-bye sleep, some furry creature’s in my sink. I snapped on the light. There’s Spider looking at me, eyeball communication of, “What’s the big hairy deal?” I laughed and made a mental note; beware, the sink is now a cat hangout.BLANKETED
Cat napping is the only time Spider stayed put long enough for me to draw him, fifteen to twenty minutes before he’d shift position. Here he was snuggled under my blanket with just his head poking out. He loved burrowing under the blankets, often only identifiable by the obvious cat lump.
A roommate I had, she wasn’t so fond of Spider, no particular reason, since he was always a friendly cat. He must have somehow sensed she didn’t like him and he had a way of making points that made me go on point. Once he left his very furry toy (a long yard rope I’d crocheted) in the middle of her made up bed. I heard her scream when she made contact with it after to going to bed for the night. She was disgusted. I apologized for something I couldn’t understand, let alone explain. Her bedroom door altered its state, closed to cat, always.CURLED UP
Spider wasn’t finished with her. I think that was the warm up for the coup de grâce of leaving a dead mouse in the bottom of one of her thigh high pricey leather boots. These boots of hers were buried at the back of her hall closet, which had a door, one that was consistently shut tight. Spider managed to enter the closet unseen, with a dead mouse (caught when and where?), find those boots among her cornucopia of footwear, slide that mouse right down into the toe part, and depart, stealth as a white ninja in snow.
Something smelled in her closet. What was it? Did I know anything? No, of course I didn’t. I never touched her closet or her things, not my way of being. This went on for weeks until she ripped her entire closet apart searching, clothing and footwear flying into the hall, to finally find, rancid semi-dried out remains of a mouse in the toe of her boot. She blamed Spider. She ranted and raved. She exited four hundred dollars of forest green thigh high boots down the garbage chute. Unredeemable stench. Not long after, she removed herself out the door to a different residence. If a cat could smirk, I’m sure Spider was smirk lurking in the shadows with a satisfying win.LOOKING UP
Cats are carnivores that carnage greenery galore. Vegetation is not sacred. Where I used to live, I kept a small waist height blue table just inside the door of my bedroom. On that I’d placed a rounded white vase almost the size of and similar shape to Spider. I thought ferns were safe, not being grass-like enough. I’d placed a large bunch of lilies with their accompanying greens in the vase. All seemed well and I got busy with other things I needed done. A while later, I think, where’s Spider? I go looking and can’t find him. A second pass into the bedroom and I catch white out of my peripheral vision.
Almost gave it a pass, but something told me not to. I turn and see Spider sitting on the table beside the vase of lilies. He blended in the most uncanny way. I went up close and crouched down. We were eyeball to eyeball, faces one foot apart. He was frozen solid. I stared in his eyes. He looked through me as if I weren’t there, as if he was part of the vase. No blinking, not even a whisker whisper of movement.
I held position and waited for five minutes. Nothing. Was he thinking himself invisible? Did he think I couldn’t see him? This was crazy. Finally, I stared him down hard and said out loud, “You’re busted!” I watched the expression in his eyes change to one of, “I’m sunk”. Now I was visible to him. I’d caught him eating the flower greenery on top of a table he wasn’t supposed to be on. I laughed, scooped him up and put him down on the floor. The flowers got moved to where he couldn’t reach them. I think he sensed I’d missed seeing him and he’d blended with the white vase. Close cat call.MY PILLOW
A pillow, who needs a pillow to sleep on? Obviously not me. Why would I need a memory foam pillow for sleep support because of a cervical spine injury? Okay, I’m going to admit this one is partially my fault. I thought it would be more snuggle fun if Spider slept up by my head. There were two pillows; he could have the other one. That’s what I thought. That’s not what he thought.PILLOW TAKEOVER
It started with sharing a few inches of my pillow. The down pillow wasn’t to his liking. He fell in love with the memory foam molding around his form. I woke up at some point in the night to find that I had two inches of pillow. Spider consumed the rest. He’d nudge moved me over in my sleep until he had the pillow mostly taken over. I got this look from him that said, “This is how it’s supposed to be, I’m in my rightful place.” Negotiation ensued over weeks until it was settled that he would have most of the pillow, while I had just enough to sleep on. All was well in cat pillow land with happy ending sleep stories.
There are many more stories about Spider man and his adventures. I’ve selected some of the most memorable ones to share. I’ve skipped the butter curls, the top kitchen cabinet voyeurism, the appearance of a cat’s dog alter persona, the all about thread incident, the plastic bag parties, supper singing, and the 10.0 complete back flip in mid-air with a perfect four point landing. Oh, and the rest about the screen hanging plane chasing? I peeled him off the screen, grateful it didn’t let go and kept the window a third open after that. End of plane chasing. You are not a real spiderman, Spider.
In loving memory of my special little guy, Spider, though long gone, always near and dear in my heart.STRETCHED OUT
All photos taken by Nine with a Pentax digital 35mm camera and 90mm Tamron macro lens.
I don't always comment but when I do, it's....
By here did you mean right.above.this?
Yooo! That was fun. Went through the apprenticeship with a dude we called spider man. He ate a tarantula once. In class. The whole thing, ass first, nom nom nom nom nom.
I had a couple cats I remember as a kid, seems I'm gonna type more shit right here. It happens. But my cat-cat was Roscoe. He was a manx, dope ass cat.
That part about Spider was focused and you guys were eye to eye reminds me of the time I was eye to eye with a feral cat in Santa Barbara. Can I continue?
Are you sure?
I don't wanna impose
"Woah wait up!" She didn't know why I stopped her, could hardly stand up—both of us. Neither of us could see either but somehow I spotted that cat in the plants ready to pounce. We were on the coast, the plants are beach plants, they're surrounded by sand so we stopped and Ka'pow!
That cat launched into the plants and snagged a mouse right in front of us. Jumped back out, kinda turned and looked at me like you nearly blew it for me you bastard, you and that loud ass chick! It vanished. Good times.
Oh, it was pitch black outside too. Oh and we were E'ing (don't wanna leave out that part).
😂😂😂
A Manx cat, oh, those are beauties! I knew it. Secret cat lover.
Funniest crap (almost said s***), I died laughing, just died. I'm not sure which I like better, love them both, but the last one had the last F not left out which put total gold sprinkles on an already iced cake. 😂
Thanks @dandays, really appreciate you popping by with a ton load of funny dumping. Glad you enjoyed.
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Just for the cats, and the cat who kittened them in :smirk: — !discovery 40
Meow meow meow, LOL
Thanks @stayten! 😁
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What a lovely cat. I've had them barf in my shoes and found dead young rats in the sleeves of jerseys that I left lying around but Spiderman was actually a good wingman for you in this case. One also ate spider webs, but not spiders...
Thank you @nikv, he was a loving companion for many years.
I thought I'd pass on the bodily fluid stories. I've never had that in my shoes, but it did happen to a roommate. I wonder if the dead young rats was food storage for later. Ugh. Spider webs but not the spiders. That's a new one to me. 😂
Yes, Spiderman was a good wingman and also groomed my hair in my sleep (not what anyone wants).
I have a foot-licker (when he's not hunting them). Hair grooming actually sounds sweet but I deter the pillow-encroachment because that gives me hay-fever, apart from ruining my sleep
😂Sand paper and foot hunting. Attacks out of thin air.
The hair grooming is sweet until the teeth become involved (unravelling hair knots?), then further excitement of the hind feet tap dancing hair styling routine.
Yes, pillow encroachment is problematic with that. I avoided that with all other cat companions, far too disruptive when sleeping.
Spider was a Jedi Cat.?
Great Blog right there..!
He was indeed! Also seemed to have mind reading capabilities. Scary at times being regularly outwitted by a cat.
Thanks @krazzytrukker had to weave Spider Man into the timeline. 💖
That's one Wonderful cat,it looks so cute and lovely
Thank you @victorbch, he sure was. Thanks for checking out Spider Man!
Lovely drawings of a cool little cat! I really enjoyed your narrative, too! Your love for him shines through.
Best wishes for Happiness, Health, and Prosperity in 2022!
Cheers!
Thank you @braveboat! Really glad you enjoyed the whole post. He was a unique cat with a mind of his own and I still miss him.
All the best to you as well for the upcoming months! Cheers!
Hey Nine. This is such an awesome run down of Spiders life, he seemed like an amazing little guy. Your sketches are brilliant, I hope you frame some of them in rememberance.
Cats like SpiderMan slink their way into our hearts and make a super snuggly spot there with their silliness, companionship and antics and I know how difficult it is to say goodbye when they move on.
Sending you a big hug x
Andy
Thank you @andrastia! The sketches are all in my sketchbook, so they won't make it to be framed. Photos are framed though.
It is very hard to say goodbye, to any of them, although it took me longer to let go of Spider, just over two years.
Hugs back to you Andy, thanks! 💖
Him becoming part of the vase had to be hilarious! How did you keep from laughing???
As for the boots? Good boy, Spider ❤️
In the moment I was focused on the interaction, laughter came after. I have no idea how he did that with the boots, I just know I'm the one that had to deal with it, LOL.
Did you have to pay her for them??? Even so, it was probably worth it to have her move out. In general if someone has such a strong dislike for an animal, they'll do unkind things to him when you aren't around. Maybe Spider had a good reason to get back at her 🤯
She didn't ask me to and if she had, I'd have just cleaned them for her, since I'm well acquainted with such things. She grew up with many cats, 12-14, so I never could figure out her issue with Spider. Who knows what she may have done when I wasn't at home and perhaps that's why Spider responded that way to her. Good point.
Yeah, he obviously knew what those boots meant to her. There had to be a reason for him to go through the trouble...
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You know what? I didn't even know she owned such a pair of boots until that incident, LOL. Yeah, must have been a reason, still boggles my brain.
Did he ever leave you such gifts??? Some cats do it out of affection...
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Not like that, nope!
🤣 Not a sign of love then!
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