Dewey the cat dies in librarian's arms:

[Jon8503]

SPENCER, Iowa - The final chapter is closed on Dewey Readmore Books. The 19-year-old cat, who became a mascot for the city's library after being found in a book drop, died Wednesday in the arms of librarian Vicki Myron.

The temperature was minus 10 when Myron and another librarian found Dewey under a pile of books in the library's book drop when they came to work one morning in January 1988.

"We didn't know if someone abandoned him or if a Good Samaritan found him on the street and shoved him in the book drop to get him out of the cold," she said. "His paws were frozen. We warmed him up and fed him and he just purred and cuddled. From day one, we felt he'd be the right personality for the public."

Since then, Dewey became famous, Myron said.

She said TV crews came from as far away as Japan to do stories about him. Myron said she has found 222 "hits" for Dewey on the Internet search engine "Google."

Dewey's name was chosen in a local contest to name him shortly after he was found. He was named after the Dewey Decimal System, a system used in most libraries to catalog books.

Dewey, who Myron said still came running for cheeseburgers, boiled ham and chicken garlic TV dinners, had been experiencing health problems recently and was diagnosed with a stomach tumor shortly before Nov. 18, which was officially marked as his 19th birthday.

After his health rallied, he started "acting funny trying to hide" and Myron decided to take him to the vet and have him euthanized.

Library employee Kim Peterson said the staff is talking about having Dewey cremated and burying his ashes at the library.
___

Information from: Sioux City Journal, http://www.siouxcityjournal.com

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061201/ap_on_fe_st/obit_library_cat

[GreenPartyVoter]

1. aw :^( Well he had a good long life and didn't leave it alone.

[Tinksrival]

21. He made postcards to raise $ for the library!

He was very handsome.


http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=&imgrefurl=http://spencerlibrary.com/deweybio.htm&h=375&w=250&sz=46&hl=en&start=3&tbnid=GtMY9yfvg-alLM:&tbnh=122&tbnw=81&prev=/images%3Fq%3DDewey%2BReadmore%2BBooks%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26sa%3DG

[xultar]

2. RIP Dewey!

O8)

[Mz Pip]

3. Such a sweet story

Lucky kitty - living a long life around people and books, munching on garlic chicken. We should all be so lucky. :-)

Mz Pip
:dem:

[1620rock]

4. What a nice story. I prefer the company of cats like Dewey...

...to 99% of the people that I am obligated to share the planet with. Heres to Dewey and his long and good life.:toast:

[Skittles]

6. Amen to that

I'd trust an animal any day over a human

[Missy M]

11. My sentiments also.......

my cats are my comfort and joy.

[Solitaire]

5. RIP, Dewey...what a nice story though, n/t

[ThomCat]

7. It sounds like he had a long happy life

once he was taken in. Good Bye Dewey. :cry:

[UrbScotty]

8. Awwww. (nt)

[izzie]

9. Nice story.

thank you

[catmandu57]

10. Even though this is sad

it's a good story, so long to a beloved friend.

[judaspriestess]

12. rest in peace lil dewey

my baby cat died in my arms too. I miss him so much.

[Parche]

13. dewey

Brings tears to my eyes, as 4years ago I had to put my 'woos' to sleep after 16years, so sad

Dewey sounds like a star kitty!!!

[Sal Minella]

14. Dewey would drape himself across the lap of a library patron and

act as though no place could be better. He was beautiful and intelligent and a wonderful library cat. I will miss him terribly.

Photo of Dewey http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=&imgrefurl=http://spencerlibrary.com/deweybio.htm&h=375&w=250&sz=46&hl=en&start=3&tbnid=GtMY9yfvg-alLM:&tbnh=122&tbnw=81&prev=/images%3Fq%3DDewey%2BReadmore%2BBooks%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26sa%3DG

[Jon8503]

17. Thanks for the article and photo:

It really meant something coming from someone who actually met Dewey. I know Dewey is in a special place and sounds like had a really great life. Where better than the library, I am sure a well read cat too.

Wanted to say thanks, the article tugged at us. We found our cat hiding in some bushes when my wife's father died in Liberty, MO. I thought I heard a meow and I knealed down and this little kitton came running to me. I will never know why she did that because she runs everytime a stranger comes into our house and doesn't come out until they leave or until she gets to know them but I am really glad she came to me that cold December day. We took her and got her shots and exam and she is our special cat and has given us a lot of joy.

Wished I had met Dewey too. Thanks again.

[AnneD]

15. I had never heard about Dewey,

what a wonderful life. We found our cat at the library. The poor librarians were at a loss about what to do. We thought we would shelter him temporarily-that was 5 years ago. It's name is Atoz....A to Z. I don't know what happened but the cat never wonders out side. And what baked my noodle-it's a genderless cat. What ever it is never descended. Vets always get excited when they see it. It surly adds colour to our family.

[Jamastiene]

16. Awww, that's so sad. RIP Dewey. n/t

[xchrom]

18. for dewey:

Poem For Cats

And God asked the feline spirit
Are you ready to come home?
Oh, yes, quite so, replied the precious soul
And, as a cat, you know I am most able
To decide anything for myself.

Are you coming then? asked God.
Soon, replied the whiskered angel
But I must come slowly
For my human friends are troubled
For you see, they need me, quite certainly.

But don't they understand? asked God
That you'll never leave them?
That your souls are intertwined. For all eternity?
That nothing is created or destroyed?
It just is....forever and ever and ever.

Eventually they will understand,
Replied the glorious cat
For I will whisper into their hearts
That I am always with them
I just am....forever and ever and ever.

Author Unknown


may st. gertrude accompany your noble spirit to paradise.

[chill_wind]

19. In memory of Dewey..

May kitty heaven always be warm to your tender paws and there always be many good garlic chicken snacks...

[Raine]

20. R-I-P Sweet Dewey

you were loved by many. O8)

[AnnieBW]

22. May Bast Take Dewey Into Her Loving Arms

and carry him across the Rainbow Bridge. (Bast is the Egyptian Cat Goddess) Dewey certainly looks like he lived a great life, surrounded by books (so he could sit on them while people were reading), loving Humans, and lots of garlic chicken. I'm sure that my two angel kitties, Willie and Jeremy, will show him where all of the good mousies are in the Summerland.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

23. Words for Dewey

"Be of good hope in the face of death. Believe in this one truth for certain, that no evil can befall a good cat either in life or death, and that his fate is not a matter of indifference to the Gods." - Socrates

Slightly edited.

[imperial jedi]

24. R-I-P Sweet Dewey

I had never heard of him. but I know he will be missed. O8)