Mr. Spock with his mother and brother appeared in our yard one summer day more than ten years ago. All three cats were in need of water and some food. We weren't sure we wanted a cat, but they stayed around the house near the edge of the woods for several days and gradually won us over. Spock had a way of standing on his hind legs and pawing the air with his forepaws when he wanted something.
He was named for the Vulcan in the Star Trek series. Like his namesake, he was inclined to study things out carefully, make the best decision, and then move cautiously.
He was also a very talkative cat and would carry on a conversation. He was not shy about making known his needs, but always very polite. He knew his name and came when he was called.
Spock was a large cat. He weighed 18 pounds, but was not fat. A friend called him "the gentle giant of cats." He loved the outdoors but, so far as we know, never harmed a bird. Stalking was more fun than killing. He can be seen stalking a deer in our August edition. We have seen him slowly approach a squirrel until their noses touched, but he never made a hostile move toward it, he was just curious.
His end came suddenly and violently. He was attacked and killed by a feral pit bull late one evening as he walked beneath the apple tree. He deserved a better fate.