Stalking Cat (born Dennis Avner; August 27, 1958 – November 5, 2012) was an American man known for his extensive

body modification Body modification (or body alteration) is the deliberate altering of the human anatomy or human physical appearance. In its broadest definition it includes skin tattooing, socially acceptable decoration (''e.g.'', common ear piercing in many so ...

s, which were intended to increase his resemblance to a

tiger The tiger (''Panthera tigris'') is the largest living cat species and a member of the genus ''Panthera''. It is most recognisable for its dark vertical stripes on orange fur with a white underside. An apex predator, it primarily preys on ...

. For his 14 surgical procedures towards that goal, he held a

world record A world record is usually the best global and most important performance that is ever recorded and officially verified in a specific skill, sport, or other kind of activity. The book ''Guinness World Records'' and other world records organization ...

for "most permanent transformations to look like an animal". "Stalking Cat" was his chosen name.

Biography

Avner was born in Flint, Michigan, and grew up in

Suttons Bay, Michigan Suttons Bay is a village in Leelanau County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 618 at the 2010 census. The village was incorporated in 1898 and is located within Suttons Bay Township. History The community is named for one o ...

. As an adult, he joined the

Navy A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions. It in ...

as a

sonar technician Sonar technician (abbreviated as ST) is a United States Navy occupational rating. STs are responsible for underwater surveillance. They assist in safe navigation and aid in search, rescue and attack operations. They operate and repair sonar equip ...

. He left his Navy post around 1981. He then began working as a computer programmer and technician in

San Diego, California San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the eighth most populous city in the United Stat ...

. In the early 1980s, guided by his personal vision and feelings of affinity for the tigress, Stalking Cat began tattooing and surgically modifying his face. In interviews, he repeatedly stated that he chose to alter his physical appearance in accordance with what he believed was an ancient

Wyandot Wyandot may refer to: Native American ethnography * Wyandot people, also known as the Huron * Wyandot language Wyandot (sometimes spelled Wandat) is the Iroquoian language traditionally spoken by the people known variously as Wyandot or Wya ...

tradition; however, this was his personal belief, not traditional practice. He also told people he grew up in a tribe and had been told to change his form to that of a tiger by a

medicine man A medicine man or medicine woman is a traditional healer and spiritual leader who serves a community of Indigenous people of the Americas. Individual cultures have their own names, in their respective languages, for spiritual healers and cerem ...

. While living in San Diego, he met Tess Calhoun at a

furry convention A furry convention (also furry con or fur con) is a formal gathering of members of the furry fandom — people who are interested in the concept of fictional non-human animal characters with human characteristics. These conventions provide a ...

. Over several years, he formed a close friendship with Calhoun and her husband, Rick Weiss. In 2005, Weiss' job with

Boeing The Boeing Company () is an American multinational corporation that designs, manufactures, and sells airplanes, rotorcraft, rockets, satellites, telecommunications equipment, and missiles worldwide. The company also provides leasing and p ...

required the couple to move to

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...

, and they asked Stalking Cat, then aged 47, to join them. The trio moved to

Freeland, Washington Freeland is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) on Whidbey Island in Island County, Washington, United States. At the time of the 2010 census the population was 7,812. The town received its name based on its origins as a ...

, on

Whidbey Island Whidbey Island (historical spellings Whidby, Whitbey, or Whitby) is the largest of the islands composing Island County, Washington, in the United States, and the largest island in Washington State. (The other large island is Camano Island, ...

, where Stalking Cat helped fix up their house. Stalking Cat, Calhoun, and Weiss were active in the furry community, both online and at conventions. They held monthly gatherings for members of the furry community at their home. Stalking Cat became well known in the furry community and has a biography on

WikiFur The furry fandom is a subculture interested in anthropomorphic animal characters. Examples of anthropomorphic attributes include exhibiting human intelligence and facial expressions, speaking, walking on two legs, and wearing clothes. The ter ...

. He had financial troubles, and in August 2007, he posted publicly on his online journal that he needed a new place to live. Calhoun posted that she and her husband simply could not afford to support him anymore. She also posted that they would be throwing him a send-off party. In September 2007, at age 49, Stalking Cat moved to

Tonopah, Nevada Tonopah ( , Shoshoni language: Tonampaa) is an unincorporated town in, and the county seat of, Nye County, Nevada, United States. It is located at the junction of U.S. Routes 6 and 95, approximately midway between Las Vegas and Reno. In the 2 ...

Death

On November 5, 2012, he was found dead in his garage, with a gun on the floor. He was 54 years old. News of the death became public one week later. In an online post, ''

BMEzine ''Body Modification Ezine'' (''BME'') is an online magazine devoted to body modification, noted for its coverage of the extreme and fringes of body modification and erotic body play. History and content ''BME'' was started as a web site host ...

'' founder

Shannon Larratt Shannon David Larratt (September 29, 1973 – March 15, 2013) was a Canadian writer and artist. Larratt was best known as the creator, editor, and publisher of BMEzine, an online magazine focusing on extreme body modifications. The author of mul ...

wrote that his death was a suicide.

Body modifications

Description of modifications

Many of Stalking Cat's

s were performed by

Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...

-based artist Steve Haworth. The first artist to begin the extensive tattoo work on Stalking Cat's face was Larry Hanks in

, who started the work in 1985. He had over 14 modifications, including: * Extensive

tattoo A tattoo is a form of body modification made by inserting tattoo ink, dyes, and/or pigments, either indelible or temporary, into the dermis layer of the skin to form a design. Tattoo artists create these designs using several tattooing ...

ing, including facial tattooing * Facial subdermal implants to change the shape of his brow, forehead, and the bridge of his nose * Flattening his nose, via septum relocation * Silicone injection in his

lip The lips are the visible body part at the mouth of many animals, including humans. Lips are soft, movable, and serve as the opening for food intake and in the articulation of sound and speech. Human lips are a tactile sensory organ, and can be ...

cheeks The cheeks ( la, buccae) constitute the area of the face below the eyes and between the nose and the left or right ear. "Buccal" means relating to the cheek. In humans, the region is innervated by the buccal nerve. The area between the insi ...

, chin, and other parts of his face * Bifurcating (splitting) his upper lip * Filing and capping his teeth * Surgically shaping his ears, making his ears pointed and his earlobes elongated * Surgical hairline modification *

Piercing Body piercing, which is a form of body modification, is the practice of puncturing or cutting a part of the human body, creating an opening in which jewelry Jewellery ( UK) or jewelry ( U.S.) consists of decorative items worn for personal ...

his upper lip and

transdermal implant Transdermal implants, or dermal piercings, are a form of body modification used both in a medical and aesthetic context. In either case, they consist of an object placed partially below and partially above the skin, thus ''trans''dermal. The skin ...

s on his forehead, to facilitate wearing

whiskers Vibrissae (; singular: vibrissa; ), more generally called Whiskers, are a type of stiff, functional hair used by mammals to sense their environment. These hairs are finely specialised for this purpose, whereas other types of hair are coarse ...

* Wearing green

contact lenses Contact lenses, or simply contacts, are thin lenses placed directly on the surface of the eyes. Contact lenses are ocular prosthetic devices used by over 150 million people worldwide, and they can be worn to correct vision or for cosmeti ...

with slit irises * Wearing a robotic tail Future modification plans included a plan for implants on top of his head, for mounting tiger-like ears.

Medical ethics concerns

Glenn McGee, director of the Center for Bioethics at

Albany Medical College Albany Medical College (AMC) is a private medical school in Albany, New York. It was founded in 1839 by Alden March and James H. Armsby and is one of the oldest medical schools in the nation. The college is part of the Albany Medical Center, whi ...

in New York, said: "Cosmetic surgery is a practice based on informed consent that needs to balance the risks with the benefits. It is possible to have a coherent view that is nonetheless detrimental to one's well-being. This is a patient who's being harmed by medicine in the interest of his tradition."

Biography

Death

Body modifications

Description of modifications

Medical ethics concerns

See also

References

External links