10 Greatest Star Trek Pets

Spot might be a diva, but there's something about a bit of catitude that makes us love our feline friends all the more...and Spot is no exception. Riker made such a fuss when Spot gave him an itty-bitty scratch, claiming he did nothing wrong. Funny how Spot loves Reginald Barclay, though...

Cats are excellent at training their human companions, but Spot had no trouble training an android either. During Spot's 'he' era, the cunning kitty expertly manoeuvred Data into trotting off a list of demands to Worf:

He will need to be fed once a day. He prefers feline supplement number 25 ... And he will require water. And you must provide him with a sand box. And you must talk to him. Tell him he is a pretty cat. And a good cat.

Spot even saved the entire crew of the Enterprise in the episode Genesis, despite being an iguana at the time. Spot calmly carried on and delivered her litter of kittens while the crew de-evolved into a horrifying menagerie (just another Tuesday for the Enterprise). It was the unaffected kittens that gave Data the clue he needed to return his crewmates to their normal selves. Not a bad day's work for a ginger rascal.

Data and Spot's tearful reunion in Star Trek Generations is one of the most heart-warming scenes of the entire film (and greatly appreciated by the many viewers who worry about the smaller crew members in such moments). The scene is also a reminder of Spot's importance in Data's life. His bond with her represents his ongoing quest to become more human.

Nothing sums up that journey better than Data's poem, 'Ode to Spot', which leaves not a dry eye in the house:

Felis catus is your taxonomic nomenclature. An endothermic quadruped carnivorous by nature...

Wait, not that part...fast forward to the end:

And though you are not sentient, Spot, and do not comprehend, I nonetheless consider you a true and valued friend.