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Rays INF Matt Duffy has to say big goodbye to 27-pound cat Skeeter

The feline caught the fancy of Giants fans, who saw the team go bad after he was traded.
 
Matt Duffy's large cat, which weighed up to 27 pounds, had a large following. (Photo courtesy Matt Duffy)
Matt Duffy's large cat, which weighed up to 27 pounds, had a large following. (Photo courtesy Matt Duffy)
Published Nov. 21, 2017

When the Rays acquired INF Matt Duffy from the Giants during the 2016 season, we also heard about the giant and somewhat famous cat he had, an up-to-27-pounder named Skeeter.

Duffy announced over the weekend on Instagram that the family had to have Skeeter put down due to a series of medical issues:

"Even when it's expected, losing a member of the family  is never easy. Sometimes you'd forget this little guy was even a cat. After 15 awesome years, last night we had to say goodbye to Skeeter boy. Thank you for all the love and support that Skeets has gotten over the past couple years. Our furry little light has gone dark"

Skeeter never made it to Florida with Duffy, staying in California with his parents, but the cat had quite a following in California, especially among Giants fans, who made it the subject of Internet memes as well.

San Francisco Chronicle reporter Henry Schulman even wrote of Giants fans believing there was "a Skeeter curse" given how the team struggled after the Aug. 1 2016 trade, and over last season.

Duffy has obviously struggled as well, missing all of 2017 after complications from his September 2016 left heel surgery.