Recently, my good friend Gina sent me a message which read, “Is there any chance you’d be willing or able to make a stuffed animal that essentially looks like a dead cat?” The dead cat in question was to be used in a production of The Murder Room by Jack Sharkey at the Village Players of Hatboro. After some thought, I agreed to do it! In the play, a murder mystery comedy, the cat dies after drinking poisoned cocoa meant for someone else. I wanted to make the cat look… dead, but also absurd enough to be funny. I set to work with some floral wire, felt, hot glue, clay, faux fur, paint, Mod Podge, and fake nails left over from my Countess glove.

I’m crap at doing progress shots, so I only have two.

Here’s the finished product:

Gina asked me to name him, so I tried to think of an appropriate name the a cat poisoned by some cocoa. I went with Mr. Simnock, after Hugh Laurie’s character in this (NSFW due to bawdy humor) sketch from A Bit of Fry and Laurie:

Can’t wait to see Mr. Simnock in action!