All about Hodge

Hodge came to me about 10 days after Pudge had passed on. Someone had abandoned him at the veterinarian's (brought in for allegedly vomiting). He punched me in the nose, which in my grief and stupor I took for a sign of an affectionate personality. (Note: If a person punched you in the nose, you'd think aggression, not affection, right?) If biting is a sign of affection, Hodge is very affectionate. I have the scars to prove it. Occasionally, he tries to be a good boy, but I believe he's possessed . . . Thanks to the erudition and suggestion of John Owen, Hodge is named for Dr. Samuel Johnson's beloved cat. You can see a statue erected in tribute to the original Hodge, a "sable" cat, opposite Gough Square in London.