Jack Kerouac's Cat Stuffed Animal Bearing Some Resemblance to his Beloved Pitou, with Incredible Provenance

A cat stuffed animal and cat toy belonging to Jack Kerouac (1922-1969), the famous American writer who brought us On The Road (1957). Provenance: The pieces will be accompanied by an estate certification signed by John Shen-Sampas, executor of the Kerouac Estate by descent. John Shen-Sampas is the son of John Sampas, who was the brother-in-law of Jack Kerouac, and the brother of Stella Kerouac, Jack's wife.

The stuffed animal has plush gray fur with glass eyes and remnants of an applied leather nose. A varicolored ribbon around its neck adds a kittenish air, and cat lovers will appreciate its classic tea kettle pose. A partial label is located on its back left flank. Isolated stains, and the ribbon is a little faded. Evidently much-loved and manhandled! Measures approximately 5.5" x 3" x 11.75" including its tail. The cat toy was possibly homemade, and features a blue fabric body with twine ears.

Kerouac's love of cats is well-documented. Pitou, or "Little One", was Kerouac's gray tiger with a white bib (who bears some similarity to this stuffed animal; the attached photo shows Pitou a few months before his death.) Kerouac had constructed homemade wooden and wire cat carriers for Pitou and his two other cats, Dobie and Timmy, so the trio could travel with him. Pitou died in June 1967. In a journal entry dated four months after Pitou's death, Kerouac wrote: "I still mourn for Pitou." Another Kerouac cat, a Persian calico named Tyke, appears in his novel Big Sur (1962).

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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