Cat Got Your Tongue?
In this case, he's probably got your heart.
Howdy! It’s Joey, back with more Fun Fact Friyay. Today’s fact is purrrrrfectly cute.
The SKELETONS: Museum of Osteology in Oklahoma has an office cat named Sir Indiana Bones.
When I was a child, my uncle had several cats. One day, while visiting his home, one of the cats got spooked by something. It set off a chain reaction of all the cats deciding to scratch my arms.
If you’ve ever been slashed by a cat—or encountered a similar vibe, like running and tripping while holding scissors or a cactus tipping off a window sill onto you—you know it’s not a terribly pleasant feeling.
As a young kid who did not know any better, I wondered what I had done wrong. If I had been lifting them up by the tail, or belting out show tunes, then sure, I could understand their reaction. But I was simply existing and sitting on a couch.
So, for quite some time, I was wary around cats. In fact, I don’t think I was truly smitten by a cat until I went to the Purr-fecto Cat Lounge in Austin and spent an hour or so watching cats frolic. Many of them ignored the humans in the building, but one came up to me, nestled in my lap, and meowed softly in my direction. That could warm even the coldest of hearts!
It took a while, but I’ve come around on cats. And something I’ve always loved is clever wordplay. The SKELETONS: Museum of Osteology in Oklahoma pairs both of those things in a delightful way.
The museum staff decided they wanted an office cat, since an office dog would just chew on all the bones. The museum’s general manager suggested visiting the nearby shelter. Kristin Leibrandt Sexter led the “Skeleton Crew” to the Moore Animal Welfare Adoption Center and immediately fell in love with a black cat there.
Black cats tend to be adopted less frequently than other varieties—because of the whole bad luck stigma—but that wasn’t the case here. Many pats, scratches, and rubs later, and the new friend had joined the museum’s staff.
The cat still needed a name, though. The Skeleton Crew went through a handful of choices, though they came out with a clear winner. Osteology is the study of bones, teeth, and skeletal structures. Why not name the cat Indiana Bones?
The knighting of “Sir” came later on, and the name was also fitting because Indiana Bones prefers more INDY-vidual attention, rather than massive group settings.
In any case, Indy has thrived at the museum. He likes rubbing his back against antlers, sniffing fish skeletons in his spare time, and finding new places to nap. Indy’s cause also raises awareness for animal adoption. I’ve adopted two dogs and fostered a third, and I will always support adopting to give animals a loving home.
As far as we know, Indiana Bones has not outrun any boulders, but he does look good in costume. And that’s half the battle.