Best Museum Discovery: The Poe Kittens

‘Twas November, gray and dreary
When the gardener found something eerie:
Three kittens black from head to toe
Born behind the shrine to Edgar Poe.

Poe Museum Curator Chris Semtner had long wanted a resident pet raven or black cat. So when three sinister — but very cute — black kittens were found under a crate behind the Poe Shrine, museum staff welcomed the new additions. The female kitten was named Catterina, after Poe’s own cat, and adopted by a tour guide. The male with a white splotch on his chest was dubbed Pluto, after the title character in Poe’s story, “The Black Cat.” And the other male, with one white whisker? He’s Edgar, of course. Pluto and Edgar now reside at the museum, where the patter of their paws has led some visitors to think they’re hearing ghosts.

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