Room 8, a remarkable cat, won the hearts of students and teachers at Elysian Heights Elementary School in Los Angeles.
Room 8 appeared throughout the semesters at an elementary school in Los Angeles, winning everyone’s hearts and becoming one of the cutest cats of all time.
Room 8 arrived at Elysian Heights Elementary School
In the fall of 1952, a large, thin, short-haired, gray-striped tabby cat wandered into an Elysian Heights Elementary School classroom in the Echo Park District of Los Angeles.
This feline, later named Room 8, quickly became a beloved figure among the students and staff.
Each semester, a sixth grader was appointed as the “cat feeder,” a coveted position that involved caring for Room 8. The school also enforced a strict rule: “Do not disturb Room 8.” If he became too disruptive during class, the manager would gently escort him out.
The school’s principal, a cat lover who later wrote a book about Room 8, discovered that the cat was born in 1947, making him about five years old when he first arrived at the school.
Room 8 had been mistreated by his family and was forced to wander.
No one knew where he went at night or during school holidays, though it was rumored he slept in the nearby hills. Remarkably, every September, Room 8 would return on the first day of the new school year.
Room 8 gained widespread media attention, both locally and nationally
He was featured in a documentary titled “Big Cat, Little Cat” and a children’s book called “A Cat Called Room 8.” The cat’s fame spread even further when guitarist Leo Kottke wrote a song about him for his album “Mudlark” (1971).
At the height of his fame, Room 8 received up to 100 letters a day. Over his lifetime, he received approximately 10,000 letters from every state and several countries around the world.
Fifth and sixth graders were assigned as “Secretaries for Room 8”, responsible for responding to each piece of mail and stamping it with the cat’s paw print.
Room 8 died on August 13, 1968, of kidney failure with a lifespan of 21 years
In 1968, Elysian Heights held its first summer school, and Room 8 continued attending classes until he became seriously ill and was hospitalized.
He passed away on August 13, 1968, from kidney failure at the age of 21. The Los Angeles Times published a three-column obituary and a photo of Room 8.
He was buried at the Los Angeles Pet Memorial Park, where a gravestone was erected in his honor. In 1970, a stamp featuring Room 8 was issued.
The Room 8 fund was established after he passed away
After his death, the Room 8 Fund was established to build a nursing home for pets, raising $10,000, a substantial amount at the time. Though the fund is now defunct, the legacy of Room 8 lives on.
Sixty years later, Elysian Heights still fondly remembers Room 8. The school keeps several mementos of the cat, including paintings in the school office and hall, and a mosaic mural in the library.
prominent sign on Echo Park Avenue at the junction of Baxter Street proudly proclaims: “Elysian Heights School. Room 8’s House. Cat’s House 1952-1968.”
Every year, an excerpt from “A Cat Called Room 8” is read to all first graders as a tribute to the cat that has become an integral part of the school’s history.
Room 8’s story continues to inspire and touch the hearts of students and staff at Elysian Heights Elementary School.
