The Story of a Mysterious Cat

Dozens of interesting articles on various topics appear on Steemit every day, about life, science, art, business, politics, technology. I try to write on "clever" topics too, reinforcing my articles with the results of different studies. But today I want to make an exception and tell a simple and kind story about a cat.

This incredible story began in the fall of 1952 in California, in The Elysian Heights Elementary School.

During a usual lesson, a huge striped cat entered in classroom number 8, he jumped on the nearest desk and began to walk among the students. The teacher wanted to get him out, but seeing how glad children, allowed them to give the cat some milk and a little rest in the class. The bell rang and children went on break, leaving the cat in the classroom, when they had returned they saw that many lunch boxes were opened, contents scattered on the class, and the cat fed and happy was sleeping on the table. Nobody were upset, not mad. Later the cat went with kids for lunch, where he was fed again, after what he left the school. Nobody expected to see him again.

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But the next day the cat came back, and continued to return every day. Nobody knew how and why he comes back, what is his name, does he has a house, where he spends nights. One of the disciples offered to call the cat "room 8", in honor of the classroom, in which the cat went for the first time. Everyone in the school, ending with the Director and Head-teacher were happy to see him every day.

Room 8 walked the halls, sat in classrooms, went with the kids for lunch in the dining room. But time of summer holidays has come, the school had to be closed. Someone believed that the cat will be back in the fall, while others said that because school is closed, the cat will forget to come here over time.

On the first day of the new school year room 8 came back. Everyone were happy. So he became a symbol of the school. The cat started to get fat, because every child tried fed him during lunch. Then teachers decided to introduce the post "cat feeder", it was the most honorable post in the school. Room 8 was fed in the teachers' room on a strict schedule, which helped to solve the problem with excess weight. Also the main school rule was "Don't bother the cat". This meant that he could sleep where and when he wants, he was allowed to move only if his position strongly interfered in lessons. So another post was established "cat remover", it was not less honorable than " cat feeder ".

Failed to find out where he came from. He was about 5 years old when he appeared in the school. Teachers thought that he ran away or got lost and lived in the hills nearby.

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Time passed, and the glory of room 8 has extended far beyond the school. Newspapers began to write about him, crowds of journalists came to photograph the cat. He received letters from fans, during the years spent in school the cat has received about 10,000 letters. And students responded on each letter, on behalf of the cat, putting an imprint of his paw as a signature.

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But time began to take its toll. Cat's teeth started to fall out. In 1963, the cat was badly damaged in a fight, and in 1964 became ill with pneumonia and almost died. He was treated by best doctors at the Lockhart Animal Hospital in Hollywood, room 8 was rescued.

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Room 8 died from kidney failure in August 13, 1968, he was 21. He gained three-column obituary in the newspaper "Los Angeles times". Later he received a separate headstone at the Los Angeles Pet Memorial Park at Calabasa. As the official mascot of the school, the cat even left his paw prints in wet cement in front of the building. Many years later, guitarist Leo Kottke will see those prints, learns their history and write the composition "Room 8". In 1966, the school Director Beverly Mason wrote the book about a cat named room 8. Today teachers read excerpts from this book to all students at the beginning of their first academic year.

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If open old photo albums of those times, almost on all shared photos of classes (from approximately 1952 to 1967) you will see the cat, who sits in the place of honor in the middle.

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When I have heard this story in first time, I have remembered all my Pets. When I was 7 years old, we had a Bull Terrier, he was very kind and loved to sleep on me, even though it weighed two times more than I. One day, when I returned after the summer holidays, from grandparents, he has not met me... turns out that he was stolen on one of walks, dad spent 3 months, but could not find him. I still miss him and I hope that then he was in good hands.

When I was 12 we had a Dachshund, we took her off the streets, she was the goofy but loyal dog, she always found the way home and always listened. Probably afraid of losing again. She died of pneumonia in 2006, when I was studying in another city. I remember how I cried all night after mom called me. Now we have a dog, a cat and chinchilla. They don't let us to live in silence, but there was not a day that I regretted that they are with us.

Animals reveal the best in us, they teach us to be human. For us they are part of our life, when we are the center of their lives for them. Just go and hug your pet and say how strong you love him. @natord

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sources for read and more photos: Room 8, The Most Famous Cat in Los Angeles, A Cat Called "Room 8", WiKi