Space Cat

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Paul Galdone, illustrator.  1952.





A Constellation airliner, with heavy bombers and some sort of trans-sonic military jet, all next to this integral rocket.  And Space Cat!
(Charles Lindbergh had a pet kitten that was the mascot for the Orteig Prize attempt.  When he was asked why he brought a statuette of Felix the Cat instead of Patsy he replied that he could never bring a kitten on a trip so dangerous.  It appears that the astronaut above is pretty confident of the mission).





Col. Lindbergh and Patsy on the Spirit of St. Louis.


https://www.thegreatcat.org/cats-20th-century-history-part-2-kiddo-fifi-whoopsy-patsy/






Weird even for the early 'fifties.  This is Flyball from Space Cat, a series of books about a cat, not an anthro cat, in space.  This delighted looking cat would be a sanitation nightmare and and an extreme detriment to navigation.  He reminds me of this guy -





I don't know who owns this but if I knew I would fawn all over them and their copyright, yes I would.
  There is a story by Philip Dick about a pilot delivering vital medicines being awakened from deep sleep by a cat clawing the control panel.  Super cold blood action in that one.  Mr. Dick had an imagination that I cannot even began to guess at what that must have been like.  He seems to have been crazy so maybe there is some genetic advantage to being a fucking weirdo, Berkeley style!






I think that Philip Dick saw this illustration and and made up the excellent story I have mentioned.

 (Superlative Alert)!

 The following is the best animal story in science fiction, bar none and hands down.



But wait, there's more! -





Philip Dick and Magnificat.  And I found that story I dimly remembered.  The Alien Mind was Philip's last published short story, 1981.

https://misterscribbles.blogspot.com/2022/04/the-alien-mind-inert-within-depths-of.html





Enjoy.

Well, fuck it.  I may as well mention the only space cat there ever was, Felicette.






The mission was a sub-orbital flight, and lasted 13 minutes, reaching a height of 157 kilometers, and included 5 minutes of weightlessness. Félicette was recovered safely after the capsule parachuted to Earth; she was killed three months later so that scientists could examine her brain.
(Also sprach Wikipedia)

https://misterscribbles.blogspot.com/2018/02/the-first-and-only.html?view=flipcard


Even Philip Dick could not imagine such heartlessness and cruelty.




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