A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE POEM

This poem was first recited on an episode of "Star Trek: The Next
Generation". Data, an emotionless android who longs to be human,
has tried many things in his quest to understand humanity -
including adopting a pet, an orange tabby queen whom he naively
names "Spot". The "unemotional" robot proves just as much a slave
to his cat's whims as any human. At one point he even writes her
a poem, which proves that no one is immune to the appeal of a
cat.

Data's "Ode to My Four-Legged Friend"
(also known as Ode to Spot)

Felix cattus is your taxonomic nomenclature,
An endothermic quadroped, carnivorous by nature.
Your visual, olfactory, and auditory senses
Contribute to your hunting skills and natural defences.
I find myself intrigued by your subvocal oscillations;
A singular development of cat communications
That obviates your basic hedonistic prediliction
For a rythmic stroking of your fur to demonstrate affection.
A tail is quite essential for your acrobatic talents:
You would not be so agile if you lacked its counterbalance.
And when not being utilized to aid in locomotion
It often serves to illustrate the state of your emotion.
O Spot, the complex levels of behavior you display
Denote a fairly well developed cognitive array.
And though you are not sentient, Spot,
And cannot comprehend,
I none the less consider you
A true and valued friend.