Dewey Readmore Books facts for kids
Dewey Readmore Books in 2002
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| Species | Cat |
|---|---|
| Sex | Male |
| Born | November 18, 1987 Spencer, Iowa, US |
| Died | November 29, 2006 (aged 19) Spencer, Iowa, US |
| Occupation | Library cat |
| Employer | Spencer Public Library |
| Title | Staff Supervisor |
| Term | 1988–2006 |
| Owner | Vicki Myron |
| Named after | Melvil Dewey |
Dewey Readmore Books (born November 18, 1987 – died November 29, 2006) was a very special library cat. He lived at the Spencer Public Library in Spencer, Iowa, USA. Dewey became famous after being found abandoned in the library's book drop box in January 1988.
His story quickly spread, first locally, then across the country, and even around the world! Dewey was featured on radio shows and in a Japanese TV show about cats. After he passed away in 2006, his story was shared in over 270 newspapers worldwide. The head librarian, Vicki Myron, who cared for Dewey, wrote a book about his life called Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World. This book became a huge bestseller and was even turned into books for children.
Dewey's Early Life
On January 18, 1988, Vicki Myron, the head librarian, found a tiny kitten. The eight-week-old male kitten had been left in the library's book drop box overnight. It was very cold, and the kitten had frostbite.
Vicki took care of the kitten and helped him get well. She named him Dewey, after Melvil Dewey. Melvil Dewey created the Dewey Decimal System, which is how books are organized in libraries.
The library decided to keep Dewey as their official library cat. His story first appeared in the local newspaper just a week after he was found.
A contest was held to give the cat a full name. Almost 400 people sent in ideas! Most people wanted to keep the name "Dewey." The librarians added "Readmore Books" to his name. This was inspired by a cartoon library cat named Cap'n O. G. Readmore. But everyone usually just called him "Dewey."
Dewey lived his whole life in the library. Once, in 1989, he went missing for almost a week. A janitor had accidentally left a side door open at night. But Dewey came back home! He was even given the special title of "staff supervisor." His birthday was celebrated every year on November 18.
Dewey's Worldwide Fame
In 1990, Vicki Myron entered Dewey into a pet photo contest. She wanted to help promote the library. Dewey easily won the contest, getting more than 80% of the votes!
His win was reported in a bigger newspaper, The Des Moines Register. This made Dewey famous across Iowa. Soon, his story appeared in Country magazine in 1990, making him known all over the country. After this, many people claimed they were the one who left Dewey in the book drop. They said they did it to keep him safe from the cold.
Dewey became even more famous when he appeared in a documentary film called Puss in Books. His fame then spread around the world. He was featured in calendars and talked about on Paul Harvey's radio show, The Rest of the Story, in 1999. In 2004, he was in a Japanese documentary. This made him very popular in Japan, where he gained a cult following.
Dewey also helped the library raise money. Postcards with his picture were sold by the Friends of Spencer Public Library. By 2005, Dewey had helped raise $4,000 for the library.
Later Years and Legacy
When Dewey was young, he was diagnosed with a health problem called megacolon. Doctors thought this might make him live a shorter life. He was also a very picky eater, which made his condition harder to manage. As he got older, he also developed arthritis, which made his joints hurt.
In October 2006, Dewey was found to have another illness called hyperthyroidism. Then, just before his birthday in November, doctors found a painful stomach tumor. Sadly, Dewey became very sick. On November 29, Vicki Myron made the difficult decision to have Dewey euthanized so he would not suffer anymore. He was 19 years old, which is like a human being in their nineties.
News of Dewey's passing was shared in over 270 newspapers around the world. It was even announced on Japanese television. A public memorial service was held for him in December 2006. His ashes were buried outside the library.
Many people offered to donate new cats to the library. However, the library decided not to get another cat for two years. In 2009, the library board voted to have a rule against any other pets in the library. This was to make sure people with allergies would not have problems.
In 2008, Vicki Myron published her book, Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World. She wrote it with Bret Witter. The book became number one on The New York Times list of nonfiction books. It told Dewey's story and how he helped the town and Vicki through tough times.
Based on this book, Vicki and Bret also wrote two children's books. One was a picture book for young children, and the other was for middle-grade readers. There was even talk of making a movie based on Dewey's story, with Meryl Streep possibly starring in it, but the movie was never made.
In 2010, Vicki and Bret wrote a sequel called Dewey's Nine Lives. This book shared new stories about Dewey and other cats. That same year, they published another children's book, Dewey's Christmas at the Library, for younger kids.
