There are people who, for whatever reason, are dissatisfied with their appearance. Sometimes they hate it so much so that they dare to make radical changes, modifying their appearance beyond recognition. Michigan resident Dennis Avner, better known as Cat Man or Stalking Cat was just such a person.
Dennis was born in 1958 into a family of Indian origin in Flint, Michigan. The totem of this Native American tribe was the tiger. In accordance with this, the parents gave their son, in addition to the official name, and sacred name meaning "tiger, going for the prey." This fact always worried the boy. Eventually he realized that the sacred name denoted his essence, his true purpose in life.
In order to become the living embodiment of the tribal totem, he started modifying his appearance. He had his first surgery in 1985. He worked as a computer programmer and technician, but his income barely covered his medical bills. Over the years a series of plastic surgeries, numerous tattoos, and piercings changed him so much that even his parents could hardly recognize their son. Dennis Avner claimed that he had a total of 33 plastic surgeries, not counting other modifications such as tattoos and piercings.
Eventually he broke all the world records for the number of body modifications. He inked his face to look more like a tiger. He also extended his fangs, inserted special silicone moustache, had an eyelid surgery, and wore lenses. Sharp claws and a mechanical tail completed the look. Dennis spent virtually all his money on all these transformations. He could save for months, living on leftovers only to have another surgery.
But Dennis Avner's external transformations weren't enough. He wanted to learn the habits of his totemic beast as well. Therefore, he would eat raw meat and climb trees.
At some point Cat Man attracted attention of the media. Most people believed that such an extensive transformation was due to some mental issues, but there were few fans who admired his "bold" experiments. Dennis Avner was featured in numerous TV shows which eventually became a means of making a living for him. Anyway, all the money he earned he spent on another body modification.
In his 50s Dennis suffered both physically and mentally. His body transformation did not bring him happiness. At the end of his life he was extremely lonely. Interviews and public attention bored him. Moreover, he suffered from severe pain as a result of multiple surgeries. In November 2012, Cat Man was found dead in his apartment. The cause of death was not officially announced; it is believed that he had committed suicide.
Source: pulse
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