Purrinlot Grand Champion And Anna Designer Pet Star Hercules Passes At 16
Online, November 8, 2012 (Newswire.com) - It is with great sorrow that Castle Baths and Purrinlot must announce the passing of GC Purrinlot's Legendary Hercules. Hercules passed away on November 7, 2012 at approximately 4:30 PM of natural causes. He was 16 years old.
Hercules was a major inspiration behind the creation of Castle Baths' Anna Designer Pet line of natural pet grooming products, and was the star of an instructional video on how to use our Tear Stain Remover Large Trio. He was also the very first cat born to Purrinlot's cattery and Purrinlot's first ever grand champion.
"His birth was nothing short of miraculous," said Castle Baths and Purrinlot Founder Laura Thomas. "I knew very little about how to birth Persian cats when he was born, and because of his mother's rare blood type, he was unable to nurse from his mother for the first 48 hours of his life. To keep him alive, I had to nurse him with formula myself."
Following his birth, Hercules quickly became a Purrinlot star. In 1998 he was featured in a Maryland Cat Show with National Geographic in a demonstration on how to properly groom a purebred Persian cat.
"It was difficult to show Hercules at first because the tabby and white bicolor breed was so new to the ring," Thomas said. "I would often have to interrupt and sometimes embarrass the judges when they thought they were finished after judging the black and white bicolors and were starting to pass out ribbons. I would have to stand up and say, 'You forgot to judge my cat.'"
Later, he became uncle to Jacob, professionally known as GC Jacob Said My Eyes Is Me, who was the world's first odd-eye bicolor grand champion Persian.
Despite his fame, around Thomas's house, he was most known for his loving and sometimes spoiled personality. Hercules loved to eat vanilla ice cream, and was the only cat in the house spoiled enough to be allowed to do so.
"I would buy a special tub of ice cream just for Hercules," Thomas said. "And if any other person would try to take a scoop of ice cream from the carton when he was present, he would growl as if to say, 'Hey, that's mine!'"
During Hurricane Sandy, however, he would not touch it, giving Thomas the first indicator of his impending passing. Around 3:00 yesterday, Thomas knew the time had come to say goodbye. He passed in her arms later that day.
In addition to Jacob, he is survived by the rest of Purrinlot's cattery and his owner, Laura Thomas. In lieu of flowers, condolences may be sent to purrinlot@cox.net or on Castle Baths' or Purrinlot's facebook pages.