Cat Lover Patrick Moore

Sir Patrick Moore
Sir Patrick Moore. Photo by David Scanlan from Wikimedia Commons. Note: this picture is of Sir Patrick in very old age.

I have to write a few words about Sir Patrick Moore. He was knighted in 2001. He might not be that well known in the United States or in countries other than England. He was a part of the fabric of life here in England. He was very English in his character. He wore a monocle, lived in a thatched cottage in Sussex and had a fast delivery when hosting his The Sky At Night television program.

He had no formal qualifications on astronomy but was considered by his peers as a first rate scientist even though he was a television presenter to most of us.

He wrote a book about cats. Yeh….. 🙂 I have discovered that one of my Christmas presents is this book. Great. When I get it I’ll do a follow up post. In the meantime I just want to say that he was one of us  – people who care about animals and who see them as having rights and as equals. He died aged 89 on 9 December 2012 at home. He was surrounded by his family and an important part of his family was Ptolemy a semi-longhaired black moggie. He was a cat lover and considered eccentric.

Patrick moore's cat Ptolemy
Patrick moore’s cat Ptolemy

Now, there is a nice connection. An eccentric man who loved cats. I don’t think he was eccentric. He just thought out of the box. He thought differently to the establishment. The establishment likes to brand people who think better and a bit differently as eccentric. It protects them. The establishment have to protect the status quo. Nothing must change because if it does they lose their power.

A true cat lover also hates hunting. They hate fox hunting in Britain. Mr Moore hated it. I hate it. He said he has…

“a deep contempt for people who go out to kill merely to amuse themselves.”

Of course we must have contempt for these people. They are idiots. Despite liking America, sport hunting is something that I personally hate about American society. I respect other people’s views but to hunt a cougar with dogs and then shoot it up a tree is unthinking, crass and crappy human behavior. And no one can argue any differently.

Patrick Moore also said..

“a catless house is a soulless house”

This echos Jean Cocteau who said (see cat quotes):

“I love cats because I enjoy my home; and little by little, they become its visible soul.”

He wasn’t a vegetarian but loved and supported animals. I’m like that but of course I am no where near as good or skilled as him. Although I am better at sports than he ever was.

Patrick Moore supported Cats Protection, a cat rescue organisation in Britain and gave his time and money to help rescue cats.

Basically he was quintessentially English; intelligent, and a free thinker. That sort of person is very likely to love cats because they have the intelligence and sensitivity to respect animals. He was not easy to get on with sometimes. Surprised? No. The behavior of a lot of people probably irritated him.

His fiancée, Lorna, was killed in a Second World War air raid. She was 20. He said that his..

“whole life ended that day…”

He never married. There was no one else for him except his beautiful cats. You were loved Patrick. May your spirit be in the sky at night amongst the stars.

18 thoughts on “Cat Lover Patrick Moore”

  1. Gosh that is something serious you have gone through. I’m sure you are very strong and you know and understand alot more than most because of it, but it must have been so hard – sorry to hear that. I’m sure a cat in any difficult circumstance would help a person, but like you, and after reading what you wrote about your friend, I have an idea of why he didn’t marry. It’s very sad indeed. Thanks for sharing anyway.

    Although I grew up in England for the most part I don’t remember Sir Patrick Moore but I am familiar with the kind of man he is and in the British sense too. It’s sad to hear about such a person after the fact. Sounds like an interesting book thats a lovely birthday present too!

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