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Mark Twain, born Samuel Clemens, was not only one of America’s greatest writers but also a devoted cat lover. He once remarked, “I simply can’t resist a cat, particularly a purring one. They are the cleanest, cunningest, and most intelligent things I know, outside of the girl you love, of course.”
At one time, Twain owned as many as 19 cats, each with unique and whimsical names such as Apollinaris, Beelzebub, Blatherskite, Buffalo Bill, Satan, Sin, Sour Mash, Tammany, Zoroaster, Soapy Sal, and Pestilence. His love for cats was so strong that he found it hard to understand anyone who didn’t feel the same, famously saying, “When a man loves cats, I am his friend and comrade, without further introduction.”
One of his favorite cats, Bambino, went missing while Twain was living in New York City. Bambino, a black cat originally owned by his daughter Clara, had a special place in Twain’s heart. When the cat disappeared, Twain placed an ad in the New York American offering a $5 reward for its return. In the ad, he described Bambino as “large and intensely black; thick, velvety fur; has a faint fringe of white hair across his chest; not easy to find in ordinary light.” Several people brought cats they hoped matched the description, but Bambino eventually returned home on his own.
From his childhood in Hannibal, Missouri, to his later years in Connecticut, Twain’s life was filled with cats, which also made their way into many of his works. Cats appear in books such as The Innocents Abroad, Roughing It, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court, and Pudd’nhead Wilson.
For Twain, cats were more than pets. They were loyal companions, muses, and a source of joy throughout his life. His deep appreciation for them continues to resonate with cat lovers around the world.
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