Bob the cat, the beloved, furry resident of the Atlin recreation centre known for prancing along the bar, occasionally interrupting a bingo game upstairs and taking a seat on jackets left behind on chairs, has died.
The social and beloved feline exhausted the last of his nine lives on Oct. 29 after he was struck by a car in the northern B.C. town.
He was 16.
Originally from Whitehorse, Bob was brought to the small British Columbia community in the summer of 2003, when he was eight weeks old, by then-resident and rec centre manager Leah Anderson.
Anderson, who lived across the street from the rec centre, recalled in an interview Oct. 31 that she would take her infant daughter to the office with her and Bob, on his own accord, began following her too.
香蕉视频直播淧retty soon he was, you know, just going over to bingo because he saw all the people there and for awhile, I was getting phone calls or somebody would bring him home saying he was stepping all over the bingo cards because he香蕉视频直播檇 get up on the table,香蕉视频直播� Anderson said.
香蕉视频直播淚 guess he finally learned a little bit of bingo etiquette 香蕉视频直播� so they were letting him stay and he would meander down into the bar. And then they couldn香蕉视频直播檛 find him when they were going to lock up, so then he started spending the nights and then it just kind of snowballed from there.香蕉视频直播�
At first, Anderson said, she would try to bring Bob home, but, as soon as he was let out of the house again, he would cross the street and head back to the rec centre.
香蕉视频直播淚t was funny, it really was,香蕉视频直播� she said. 香蕉视频直播淚t was kind of a running joke that only my cat would leave me for the bar.香蕉视频直播�
At the bar, Bob, a talented mouser, apparently developed a taste for beer, Atlin resident Carolyn Moore told the News, occasionally taking a lap or two out of patrons香蕉视频直播� glasses.
香蕉视频直播淎nd they thought, well, they香蕉视频直播檒l just give him a saucer with his own little bit of beer in it so he wouldn香蕉视频直播檛 do that,香蕉视频直播� she said. 香蕉视频直播淎nd he didn香蕉视频直播檛 drink out of the saucer, didn香蕉视频直播檛 want that so they gave him a shot glass of beer, and that was what he wanted. This guy was a character.香蕉视频直播�
And like all the other bar regulars, Bob also had his favourite chairs, former rec centre bartender Taylor Fetterly said.
香蕉视频直播淚f there was somebody sitting in them, he would like, no word of a lie, he would sit there and stare at them until they got out of his chair香蕉视频直播� You could see it on the look on his face that he was basically telling you to get the hell out of his spot,香蕉视频直播� Fetterly recalled.
香蕉视频直播淪o there were lots of people who just knew, 香蕉视频直播極kay, that香蕉视频直播檚 where Bob sits,香蕉视频直播� and they wouldn香蕉视频直播檛 sit in his chair, but it was definitely funny when it was somebody from out of town and they香蕉视频直播檇 be like, 香蕉视频直播榃hy is this cat just giving me the evil eye? What香蕉视频直播檚 going on here?香蕉视频直播櫹憬妒悠抵辈
Bob would also follow smokers out when they went for cigarettes and 香蕉视频直播渉ang out香蕉视频直播� with them, she said, and used the rec centre香蕉视频直播檚 heat vents and crawl spaces, as well as doors when he could get humans to open them for him, to travel around the building and visit.
He was particularly affable to adults, stopping by for pets and chats, or perhaps just to sit on a knee for a little bit, before moving on to his next order of business. He was a little more timid around children, slightly wary of the possibility of getting unintentionally roughed up by young hands, and while he tolerated dogs, he did not consider them friends.
For many Atlin residents, Bob was more than just a living accessory or rec centre curiosity (although he was a card-carrying member) 香蕉视频直播� the feline was a true member of the community, part of its spirit and soul.
香蕉视频直播淚 always think about him as sort of 香蕉视频直播� the therapy cat,香蕉视频直播� said Erin Lynch, who grew up in Atlin but now likes in the U.K.
香蕉视频直播淪o if you think about it like, you always go to your bartender to tell your problems, which is one thing, but a cat is so much better 香蕉视频直播� He was just a real sweetheart, and at the end of the day, you香蕉视频直播檝e got something to pet if you香蕉视频直播檙e feeling lonely.香蕉视频直播�
香蕉视频直播淲e香蕉视频直播檝e all got our own pets but he香蕉视频直播檚 just one of the ones we all took under our wing, and it was just amazing that he was constantly there,香蕉视频直播� she added. 香蕉视频直播淲e香蕉视频直播檇 keep wondering, when is he just going to wander off? But he was like, 香蕉视频直播楴o, I香蕉视频直播檓 everybody香蕉视频直播檚 cat.香蕉视频直播�
And a community cat, he truly was; Moore recalled that several years ago, when Bob required veterinary care, 香蕉视频直播渢here were all kinds of donations made and volunteers coming out of the woodwork to get him to Whitehorse.香蕉视频直播�
香蕉视频直播淚 think people need to love something, you know?香蕉视频直播� she said. 香蕉视频直播淚 think Bob was one of the guys that you could love 香蕉视频直播� he was a good-looking little fellow, everybody loved him. He gave everybody a focus, you know?
香蕉视频直播淚 think he brought out a lot of good things in other people.香蕉视频直播�
So beloved and part of Atlin lore was 香蕉视频直播� and is 香蕉视频直播� Bob that the community threw him a birthday party every year, with a particularly large bash when he turned 15 last year. Around the same time, artist Cass Collins, a part-time Atlin resident, began gathering pictures, stories, poems and art (Bob is the subject of several paintings) from community members to compile into a book on Bob.
香蕉视频直播淓verybody, like, everyone in Atlin, knows who Bob is,香蕉视频直播� Collins said. 香蕉视频直播淵ou would see him at all sorts of community events and always walking around 香蕉视频直播� He was totally comfortable and happy to just, you know, go from person to person, so definitely, there香蕉视频直播檚 no other animals like that really there. He was pretty special.香蕉视频直播�
An outpouring of grief has began online since the news of Bob香蕉视频直播檚 death began to spread, with dozens of people on Facebook sharing their memories of the cat and expressing sadness at his untimely departure. (香蕉视频直播淚香蕉视频直播檝e seen elders die, people die, in this community who haven香蕉视频直播檛 had that response, so there you go,香蕉视频直播� Moore said.)
Nowhere is the loss of Bob more acutely felt though, perhaps, than at the rec centre itself.
In an email, bookkeeper Susan Thompson and bar manager and janitor Fiona Harrigan wrote that their daily duties included making sure Bob was 香蕉视频直播渇ed, watered and loved.香蕉视频直播�
香蕉视频直播淗e gave that love back to us in spades and always talked up a storm when we arrived here,香蕉视频直播� they wrote. 香蕉视频直播淗e would talk to us and purr vigorously. We delighted in seeing him gallop up and down the hallways when nobody else was around.
香蕉视频直播淗e loved to be involved and loved the social aspect of things here 香蕉视频直播� even the loud music and shenanigans in the lounge. He was a therapist, a social worker and a dear friend to everyone and we looked forward to seeing him every single day when we came to the rec centre to work. We were enchanted by his warm and loving spirit, his zest for life, and his charismatic personality. We loved him to bits!
香蕉视频直播淟ife will never be the same here without his presence.香蕉视频直播�
Bob is predeceased by his brother, Tom.
A memorial for Bob is scheduled to take place at the Atlin rec centre Nov. 16.
Contact Jackie Hong at jackie.hong@yukon-news.com
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