Barking Spooker

In honor of this being Spooker's Gotcha Week, I thought I'd share a few more stories of my girl.
Here's one of my favorites:


Spooker was a shelter-kitty.
I went to see the cats at the shelter in Dayton, Ohio, where I lived at the time.  While waiting for the volunteer to check on available spayed female adults, she put us into a "bonding room" -- with a little grey ball of fluff.
This little one had been left in a shoebox on the stoop of the shelter (probably a runt, abandoned by a breeder, the volunteer told us).  She was so tiny.  Her little collar (like a hospital armband) had "GRADY" written is black block letters.  As soon as she hit my palms, she started to purr.
At the time, I was a HUGE X-Files fan, and I made it no secret I planned on naming our new cat Scully.  But this little kitten jumped at every sound.  "Spooky is more like it for this one," I said, naming Agent Mulder's nick-name: Spooky.  Of course, Spooky quickly stuck, and by the time I'd signed the adoption papers, it was Spooker. Spooker stuck, and she stuck in my heart and has been there ever since.
Spooker Marie is her full in-touble name, by the way.  You know, like how when I was bad as a kid and I was suddenly "Morgen Hugh" -- the way parents (or grandmother in my case) would add your middle name when calling you out when you were busted.
Spooker was a fine, frisky young adult cat when I moved into our first house, in Dayton, Ohio.  She quickly realized it was her palace, and her playground.  Back then, she was an Only Cat.
She delighted in running up and down and up and down the carpeted stairs.  And that's where it got weird.
See, when she was in one of her running sprees, sometimes she would be possessed by the spirit of a little dog.
She would run up and down the stairs, barking.
Yes, that's right.
Barking.
My cat would run up and down the stairs, barking: "ruh-ruh-ruff ruff ruh ruff".  It sounded freakily like a yappy terrier.  She did this dozens of times over the years we lived in that house.
Turns out, the previous owners had kept a terrier and her litter of pups in the basement, the cat lady next door told me, and one of the puppies had fallen down the basement stairs and had died.

Oooooh --- creepy.  My Spooker was channeling a terrier.

After we moved out of that house, Spooker NEVER made that barking sound again.  Sure, she still delights in her wild full-moon inspired midnight rampage runs.  But now, it's just the Spooker running.  No barking.

Today, Spooker spends more time curled up, napping, than most anything else.  She's 15 years old now and she is still not amused that I have thrust a houseful miscreants into her dotage.  When she's not napping, she's ususally growling or hissing at Daphne or Chloe. Or swatting at Jack and Bella, telling them to get off HER bed.

But Spooker is still my #1 kid, and when it's cold, we share a pillow at night.  When I get into bed at night, I lie on my back, reading.  Spooker is on my chest, getting a good ear scratch during this time.  Then, when it's time for lights-out, I turn over and spread out the pillow flat.  She curls up on her half, and I get half with my nose sticking into her fur.  I wrap my right arm up around her, and we drift off into a purry slumber.



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Mo and The Purries

19 comments :

  1. What a touching story. Spooker dear, we wish you many more Gotcha Days!

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  2. What a lovely post! It's wonderful to read more about Spooker, from her Gotcha Day to her terrier-channeling. :-)

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  3. aw i remember you told me this story while we on bed and Spooker was cuddling you
    Aw how i miss that so much !
    with all my love
    iDaddy
    Eyoodi :)

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  4. Oh what a great story. The barking is a little eerie though - I wonder if there is anything like that with the people who live there now.

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  5. Awww....that is so sweet. You've got one special kitty cat there.

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  6. Twilight Zone moment for sure! We are a little skeered of Spooker now...

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  7. That is kinda weird.....but kinda cool too.

    Happy belated Gotcha Day Spooker!!!

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  8. Great story; funny about the barking and how she was named after the X-Files=creepy!...She's a beautiful girl and so lucky you gave her a loving home...BTW, thanks so much for allowing me to use the photo...Kisses to your gorgeous babies and hugs to you, Mo!...xo...Calle, Halle, Sukki

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  9. Anonymous3:53 PM

    Oooo Spooker, that cool that you were able to channel the dead doggie, that's a gift!!! You look extremely cuddle-able.

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  10. It sounds like Spooker was the absolute perfect name for you! Just proves that we kitties really name ourselves, no matter what humans think.

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  11. That's weird about Spooker barking and then not barking after you moved. Looks like a wonderful furball. I love when my cats sleep near enough to me so that I can pet them.

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  12. Spooker barking, ok, I growl lots.

    Derby

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  13. Spooker we think it's way cool that you channeled a terrier woofie. You are a very special girl.

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  14. What a great story! Spooker is a beautiful girl!

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  15. Happy Gotcha Week Spooker!
    She's such a beauty! and perhaps, a bit of a psychic kitty channeling that terrier?!

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  16. That is SUCH a great story about Spooker! We are lovin it ta pieces...

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  17. What a great story about Spooker! We love that you cuddle up together at night.

    Charlemagne and Tamar

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  18. The sounds that come out of cats mouths are amazing...every one has a different voice!

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  19. Spooker we are sorry we are behind on our visiting. Happy Belated Gotcha Day. We loved hearing how you barked like a dog, we thought that was pretty cool.

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