Iconic cat housed in Caledon, looking for a forever home

February 14, 2019 · 0 Comments

Written By KIRA WRONSKA DORWARD

Dizzy, formerly of Draper Street in downtown Toronto, is now one of a long line of iconic marmalade cats in modern history. From Dr. Spock to Winston Churchill, gingers are well-known and beloved the world over for their warm personalities and gentle dispositions.

After sixteen years of greeting passing pedestrians and patrolling his street for vermin both furry and human, Dizzy now finds himself in a precarious position when his late owner died last month. Facing anonymity and death in a Toronto shelter, Dizzy is being fostered by a Caledon family who are searching for his next forever home.

So prominent was Dizzy’s position at his last posting on the street near Front and Spadina, the City of Toronto has now designated him as the model for statues in its first ever feline-themed park, which will be built in a promenade-style for pedestrians and cats alike. The park is a creation of designer Claude Cormier, who has created the park to be a geographic mirror to the new dog fountain (also his design) in Berczy Park. The promenade is to feature 15 to 20 elegant statues of cats in play and repose along the path, which will be free of grass to discourage canine visitors. Dizzy’s noble visage will greet visitors at the North and South entrances to the park, to be built where Wellington and King intersect. This new promenade is to compliment all the development ongoing in the area.

Cormier chose Dizzy as his model because “We happened to always see the same cat on Draper Street hanging out in that little parkette,” Cormier said. “He’s a very nice, friendly cat, and for years, he’s always hanging out on that bench.” However, when Dizzy’s elderly owner died last month, this carrot-top found himself facing eviction and homelessness, an already overwhelming problem in the downtown area for both humans and animals. The neighbourhood association racked their brains and sent out furious emails and social media appeals that resulted in his brother being adopted, but alas Dizzy was going to find himself out in the cold if this Caledon family, who wish to remain anonymous, had not been contacted by Dizzy’s concerned neighbours. Now that Dizzy is safely with a foster family, he is eagerly awaiting a new bench and neighbourhood to keep watch over.

Lynda Woolley, Caledon resident and owner of Bow Wowz and Meowz in Caledon East, has been a marmalade owner for over thirty-five years. She describes her “orange boys” as “… so affectionate. They love to be held, while most cats are independent. They tolerate and want the attention.” In the pet grooming business herself, Lynda adds that they’re very easy to work with and don’t mind their nails being trimmed, while many others kick up an enormous fuss. All of them have been big, especially later on in life. When asked why she prefers the ginger, Lynda says, “I just love the colour of their fur. They’re also highly intelligent. In attitude, I would say they’re definitely a one-person cat. They have a favourite that they’ll go to for play or affection. It’s almost indefinable why I adore them!”

To inquire about adopting Dizzy, please email editor@caledoncitizen.com.

Famous Marmalade Cats

“Cat,” Audrey Hepburn’s cat in Breakfast at Tiffany’s, had a major role in the film and helped bring together the characters played by Audrey Hepburn and George Peppard in the final scene. That feline star, Orangey, went on to appear in several films and television series throughout his lifetime, and won two Patsy Awards.

“Orion” was the white-splotched tabby that had the universe dangling from his collar in 1997’s Men in Black.

In Star Trek: The Next Generation, the android Data had a marmalade cat named “Spot” who appears in several episodes. In one, Data creates over 200 foods for her, causing the ship’s replicator system to malfunction, producing cat food for the entire crew. In another, Commander Riker agrees to cat sit for Data while he attends a conference, but Spot does not take to Riker and causes mayhem in making her displeasure known.

In the musical Cats, the character of “Skimbleshanks” – based on T.S. Eliot’s Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats – lives on and runs the night mail train of the British West Coast Mainline. He appears on stage in his railway outfit throughout the production, until his song “Skimbleshanks: The Railway Cat” is performed.

“Thomas O’Malley” from Disney’s The Aristocats was a street-wise ginger who meets Duchess, voiced by Eva Gabor, and helps to return her to Paris.

“Garfield” of course!

Winston Churchill owned an orange tabby named “Jock” who often attended wartime cabinet meetings with his master. No one started eating until Jock was seated at the table along with the other ministers. He slept with the Prime Minister, reportedly every night, even up until the end of Churchill’s life, and was named in his will. Churchill even commissioned a portrait of his favourite cat, although he owned several gingers during his lifetime. After Churchill’s death, his family asked that a marmalade named Jock be forever installed at Chartwell, their traditional home. Currently, Jock IV is the reigning marmalade. Says Caroline Bennett of The National Trust, “He lives in an apartment at Chartwell, with a member of staff, and has his own National Trust Green cat flap (kitty door), which has been approved by our Historic Buildings Inspector. He is a very affectionate cat and has trained the Chartwell staff very well. He spends most of his day sleeping on various chairs and beds around his apartment.”