Richard R. Budman
“The World’s Oldest Cat Blows the whistle” exposes the myths about the lives and loves of the rich and famous dogs and cats, Ughy the world’s oldest cat not only tells it all but spells it out. The questions that have been asked for years and years are finally answered.
Why did Toto disappear immediately after the filming of “The Wizard of Oz? Was Rin-Tin-Tin really the all American canine he was reputed to be? What was Old Yeller like at a party? What was the real reason for the close bond between Richard M Nixon and Morris the Cat? Was Asta really Hollywood’s greatest lover? What famous cats had severe catnip addictions? Has anyone ever seen Brutus, the invisible dog? What was the real controversy that surrounded the Broadway opening of Cats? Was the Cheshire Cat simply an illusionist or truly magical? What famous tiny canine’s career was ruined by taking steroids? What famous cat originated the method school of acting? What dog organizes boycotts of all Woody Allen’s films? These questions and hundreds more answered by Ughy, the world’s oldest cat.
Why Him?
When Ughy the world’s oldest and wisest cat announced she was looking for a writer to pen her sizzling memoirs, literally hundreds of famous writers applied In her typical, unpredictable manner, Ughy disregarded conventional thinking and chose an unknown, Richard R Budman to write and illustrate her book.
Up until this book, Mr Budman’s credentials have exclusively been as a artist/painter. He exhibits all through North America and has had one man shows at Temple University and The World’s Fair.
Mr Budman lives with his wife Susan, their three dogs and of course , the world’s oldest cat, Ughy in Sandy Hook, Connecticut. Through his art, he has raised thousands of dollars for animal rescue shelters.
If Ughy, the world’s oldest cat says it, you can take it to the bank.
“ I’m the oldest cat in the world. I can’t prove it because cats like me just don’t have documents that show a date of birth.”
“I do have some unique features that help to back up my claim. I’m a tabby with a bright orange tip on my tail plus I have eight toes on my left front paw. I was named Ughy because it’s a much kinder and gentler name than Ugly. I figure that naming me Ughy also added to my longevity because there’s no way that a girl like me would’ve had the incentive to live a long life answering to the name, “Ugly.”
“One of my proofs of age has to do with Felix the Cat. In 1929 there was a picture of Felix and me on the front page of the Chicago Tribune standing outside the garage minutes after the St Valentine’s Day massacre took place. Because the photo was in black and white, the orange tip of my tail didn’t show up but the good news is that it was a close-up and seven out of my eight toes did. Every time I think about that horrific event, I wonder why the Westminster Dog Show revolves around that day.”
I was in one of those old Thin Man movies made in the late thirties. Asta that obnoxious terrier was chasing me across the screen. It was only a second or two but unfortunately even in slow motion, it didn’t prove much because it wasn’t a close up and it was in black and white.”
“My best proof of my longevity is a full color picture of me at the premier of the Ford Motor Company’s Edsel in 1958. It shows the orange tip of my tail and my eight toes on my left paw as clear as can be. Unfortunately It also shows that when that photo was taken I was a long way past my kitten days.”
“You’ll have to read the book to find out what famous cat couldn’t hold his catnip.”
”There’s a famous cat whose name I won’t reveal until later that couldn’t hold his catnip. His voice went up an octave or two and the story he told about his upbringing was a far cry from his public image.”
“There’s something very connected about dogs and outer space. I figure it’s in their genes and that’s why they look up at the sky when they howl.
“In 1957, the Russians chose a dog named, Laika, rather than trust one of their humans to orbit the Earth in Sputnik II.”
“Even as far back as the early nineteen hundreds, I can remember the dogs on the street yip and yap about unidentified flying objects.”
“After my two experiences with marriage, I was pretty down on trying it again. I don’t remember how many years went by before I even considered the possibility. It’s not like I wasn’t asked because it seemed like every week some cat would propose to me – not too shabby for an old cat that was so ugly at birth that they named her ughy.”
“At a weak moment I finally broke down and married for the third time. I learned my lesson about marrying those wild types. No more outdoor cats that stay out all night for me. This time I married an indoor cat.”
