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In January 1988, on a freezing winter evening, someone left an eight-week old male kitten in the book drop at the Spencer Public Library. The kitten was badly frostbitten and so filthy that everyone thought he was gray. The library staff discovered the kitten the next morning. Although the entire staff cared for him, library director Vicki Myron took primary responsibility. Although some libraries have had a tradition of resident cats, this was the first such cat in Spencer, so approval was required from both the board of trustees of the library and the Spencer City Council. Once they approved, the kitten was vaccinated and neutered. Thereafter, Myron and the library staff cared for Dewey and accepted donations for his food and care. No public funds were used for his care.
The kitten was called "Dewey" (after Melvil Dewey) by the library staff. A naming contest, Name the Kitty, was then held to decide on his official name. Dewey was the most popular choice. The staff chose his middle and last name, Readmore Books. He usually went by Dewey, or sometimes, "Dew."
Some of Dewey's favorite things were catnip (he was crazy around fresh catnip), rubber bands, Christmas trees, full-fat yogurt, his red yarn, and boxes. As a kitten, he adored the library secretary Kim's typewriter. He also adored Vicki Myron's daughter, Jodi Marie.
Dewey was very finicky with his food. He only ate Fancy Feast, and he hated cat food with any sort of seafood in it, but he wouldn't eat a thing but shrimp- for a week. The staff tried beef, pork, chicken, liver, but none worked for too long. They kept an entire shelf of cat food just for Dewey. It turns out he had a condition where his colon is permanently stretched out, allowing it to store more waste.
During the hard times of Iowa, Dewey comforted those in distraught, and cheered up the patrons and the staff. The children loved him, and so did the adults. Soon his lovable personalities began to attract visitors and fan mail from all over the U. S. and the the world. Dewey stories appeared in the local newspaper and subsequently in a variety of magazines such as Cat Fancy, and Country. He later appeared on Sioux City television and then across Iowa on public television in a documentary film. Word of Dewey continued to spread and eventually he was included in a television program in Japan. He was also featured in a few books and postcards.
Dewey lived to be 19. During his last year he suffered from digestive complications and hyperthyroid disease. He was put to sleep after the veterinarian found a tumor in his stomach and discovered that Dewey was in constant pain. Obituaries appeared in newspapers across the US as well as on several television newscasts. Dewey was cremated (a local crematorium donated the services) and his ashes buried on the library grounds with a memorial stone donated by a local funeral home |
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Post time 24-4-2010 07:05 PM
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