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. Obituaries appeared in more than 250 publications as well as on several television newscasts. He was euthanized on November 29, 2006, after the veterinarian found a tumor in his stomach and discovered that Dewey was in constant pain. During his last year he suffered from digestive complications and hyperthyroid disease. He was also featured in a few books and postcards.ĭewey lived to be 19. Word of Dewey continued to spread and eventually he was included in a television program in Japan. He later appeared on Sioux City television and then across Iowa on public television in a documentary film. Dewey stories appeared in the local newspaper and subsequently in a variety of magazines such as Cat Fancy, and Country. His fame grew worldwide as tourists discovered him living at the library Dewey starred on Library Friends' fundraising postcards, cat-themed wall calendars, and in the 1997 documentary Puss in Books: Adventures of the Library Cat, and resides posthumously on the library website. Soon his lovable personality began to attract visitors and fan mail from all over the U. Some others have argued he was a Tabby cat, or a common mixed breed.ĭuring hard economic times in Iowa, Dewey comforted those in distress and cheered up both patrons and staff, both children and adults. People came to believe that he might have been a Maine Coon cat or a Norwegian Forest cat. At first, Myron had thought he was part Persian. He usually went by Dewey, or sometimes, "Dew" or "The Dew."ĭewey's breed is unknown. The staff chose his middle and last name, Readmore Books. Dewey was the most popular choice, named after Melvil Dewey and his library coding system. No public funds were used for his care.Ī naming contest, "Name the Kitty", was held to choose his name. Thereafter, Myron and the library staff cared for Dewey and accepted donations for his food and care. Once they approved, the kitten was vaccinated and neutered. Because the veterinarian declared that he was about 8 weeks old, Vicki and others decided arbitrarily that his birthday would be said to be November 18, 1987.Īlthough 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. Although the entire staff cared for him, library director Vicki Myron took primary responsibility. The kitten was badly frostbitten and so filthy that everyone thought he was grey instead of his natural copper and white. The library staff discovered the kitten the next morning. In January 1988, on a freezing winter evening, an eight-week old male kitten was abandoned in the outside book drop at the Spencer Public Library.
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