That poor cat!!!

Someone claiming to be the original owner of the cat has posted his thoughts on how the frisky feline was treated on set. Not sure I believe him, but here it is:


That’s my cat, Houdini, three time grand champion All American Cat. My mother and I gave him that name because he was such a clever escape artiest. I was eight years old when those fat money grubbing suits from Hollywood took him from me. I was at a cat show with my mother in New Jersey and Houdini had just won his third All American Cat title when we were approached by casting scouts from Hollywood California. They pitched the movie they wanted him for repeatedly. It all sounded so glamorous and special. They assured us that even though Houdini was a full on hard-to-handle four year old tom cat he would be in the hands of the finest animal trainers. Later my mother and I were mortified when we were shown the raw dailies from Columbia
Studios of a terrified Houdini being posed and chased about while movie cameras filmed his every waking moment. We wanted him back, but in Hollywood a deals a deal. No other cat was used or even considered for the production of Bell, Book and Candle. Houdini’s seal point Siamese markings were so striking and distinct that every scene with Pyewacket could only be played by Houdini. When he was returned to us three weeks later he seamed none the worst for wear but four years latter he died from feline agranulocytosis (distemper). In those four years he sired but one last offspring, Daphne. When Daphne was breed she gave birth to but one beautiful kitten, Faydra. Because of complications at birth Daphne could not have another litter. Then my step father, Wilbur, in a drunken angry stupor slammed the hall door as four month old Faydra crossed the threshold thereby ending that spectacular bloodline forever.


http://thecatfiles.wordpress.com/2009/02/27/kim-novak-and-pyewacket/