I thought I had met him, and if he was a Kliban cat AND mean, I probably have.

I've met at least one genuine Kliban cat -- one of his daughters is my best friend, and through her I met at least one of his models -- the meatloaf-shaped one. She, too, was mean. I can't remember her name, but i remember her title: the dreaded Hamwort. This is because, when the family lived in San Francisco, she used to sneak out the kitchen window and drag home veal cutlets and slices of prosciutto she'd stolen from the neighbors' kitchens.

Ahe was a real take-no-prisoners kind of cat. I saw her levitate off the couch once from full nap mode, at about age 19, to catch an unsuspecting bird that thought it was safe.

Most of my best friends have "difficult" personalities, and cats are no different. In fact, I am difficult myself -- but then, being difficult is a large part of what makes one interesting.

Raising a toast to Special Ed's memory.

C