Fangs McGee: The Black, Fluffy Vampire Cat

My family has never actually picked out and bought or adopted a cat. They always come to us. 

(I'm now imagining Harry Potter's Olivander saying, "The cat chooses the human, Mr. Potter. It's not always clear why." Did I mention I was a Harry Potter nerd? Well, now you know...)

First, my family had a beautiful black and white cat. My brothers and I found her in our yard, and then hid her on the porch. Surprisingly, my Dad let us keep her when he found out. We had her for 12 years before she passed away 2 years ago. It felt weird to replace her, so we didn't.

When I moved to Jackson to start my teaching job, I lived in this great apartment complex with my roommate, Miranda. If you know anything about Jackson, TN, then you know it is no stranger to strong storms. Miranda and I were buckling down for a particularly bad one when we heard a noise outside. We opened the door, and there was a big, fluffy, black cat. We eventually found out that he had no owner--probably had been left behind when his previous owner's moved. So, we claimed this sweet kitty as our own.   

I'm a firm believer in giving pets awesome names that you wouldn't give your children. Like the name Amadeus. It's an amazing name, but unfortunately this isn't the 18th century. And though "unique" names are character-building, I'd rather my children get character some other way. So I reserved "Amadeus" for pets, and this regal-looking kitty seemed like the perfect candidate for the name. However, my roommate, friends, and I never called him by that name. We used nicknames, such as Black Sheep, Little Lamb, and Fangs McGee.

The names "Black Sheep" and "Little Lamb" came from the cat's altered appearance after his first grooming. When the cat first came to us, he was matted and dirty, so much so that we had to have him shaved down. Every bit of him except his huge, fluffy tail. His once mane-like fur was reduced to a wool texture. He looked like a sad, little lamb. One day, Miranda was petting him and started absentmindedly singing, "Baa Baa Black Sheep." Thus "Black Sheep" became one of the cat's nicknames during the time of his unfortunate and humiliating shorn condition.

The most prominent and unusual feature of this cat was his teeth. His canines extended past his mouth so that they were visible even when his mouth was closed. The effect was quite shocking, but we soon found out that he was the sweetest cat ever. Unless you're a squirrel. Then, he's your worst nightmare. Because of his teeth, we began to call him "Fangs." I have no explanation for the "McGee" part. This name stuck, so "Fangs McGee" (or "Fangs" for short) he became.

note the fangs

Fangs currently lives at my parents' house, chasing squirrels, terrorizing the neighbor's cat, and running away from small children.

As you can see, I'm very fond of black kitties, especially fluffy ones. It makes me sad that they get a bum rap around this time of year. Black cats don't bring you bad luck. In fact, I've found that they bring you good luck. Unless you count the time I lived with my friend Kristi and her cat. Then, black cats also bring you a bite in the leg when climbing up stairs. But they certainly aren't witches or death omens.

I made this appliqued piece in time for Halloween for anyone who loves black cats as much as I do. This sweet, bow tie-wearing kitty wouldn't hurt anyone, except maybe a squirrel. I mean to do 2 more for a series of pieces that could be hung together. It's been a busy week, so I wasn't able to finish them all. Hope you like it! Look for this piece (and maybe 1 of the other 2) in the shop tonight!