Feline doppelgängers are not unusual.  Kako has two in our immediate vicinity: Clance and Henko.  Similarly, Larenti has one in the form of Aethon.  Given the ubiquitous nature of domestic cats, rare indeed is the fur person who has no look-alike walking the surface of the planet, and impossible is the consideration that any cat anywhere has never and will never be a mirror image of at least one other cat.

So it was with a bit of humor that I received an e-mail a few days ago from a gentleman named Brian.  He said:

I stumbled across your site, and found it ironic that we both have cats named Grendel, and even more ironic that they looked so similar. Mine is a female (thought about naming it “Grendel’s Mother”, but that was too complicated) and an all-around good kid. Just thought I’d share those photos of my little beast, and let you know you did a bang up job naming him.

Grendel is a gray tabby.  Given the abundant nature of this particular breed of cat, it’s always been safe to assume he has a plethora of doppelgängers, has had an innumerable number throughout history, and will have many more in the future.  But to find one with the same name?  And to find one who is similar in appearance with the same name but who is a female?  I thought that was rather cool.

So of course I checked out the photos Brian sent along with his missive.  And sure enough, his Grendel is quite similar in color and markings to my Grendel, and even her body shape is eerily analogous.  I also noticed in the background and discussion he provided that their personalities are not terribly dissimilar, both being relatively laid-back, easy-going, very affectionate, and outspoken.  These are all traits of the tabby line, I realize, and so I need not be surprised by the multiple likenesses with regards to their personalities.

Brian notes she’s a petite lady, which would make her the opposite of Grendel’s hefty fifteen pounds (seven kilograms).  That discrepancy easily falls under the normal feline gender differences seen most evidently in their sizes.

Head on over and take a look at Grendel’s gender-bending doppelgänger.  Don’t forget to read through Brian’s affectionate talk about her history and their life together.  You can’t possibly come away from it without realizing she’s done a great job softening up a self-proclaimed dog guy by expertly endearing herself to him—something cats are quite good at.