Elvis - A Lighted Candle

[Rainbow Light]

Hi Wanda

Have heard a few tales about Scatter, Elvis' pet chimp and what he would get up to - as usual who knows what exactly is true?!!

Did Elvis ever mention him or what he got up to?

Thanks & regards, Sue

[Wanda June Hill]

I had only one brief meeting with Scatter-what I remember the most is how weird his "hand" felt when he shook hands with me- at Elvis' request. That hand felt "dead" so unlike a human's hand and that's the only word I can use to describe what I thought at the time. He was wearing short pants and I guess a diaper under them, I don't know. He sure loved Elvis- and apparently the feeling was mutual! I think shortly after that the chimp went back to Graceland where a cage home had been built and that's where he lived. Elvis wasn't home much and the chimp had been used to lots of activity and company or so I heard, whatever, not too many of the people at Graceland liked Scatter, probably because he changed from being a pampered "star" to just a chimpanze and grew kind of mean or something, whatever he didn't live very long as a caged chimp- Elvis cried when he died and he said, "God, I broke his poor little heart..." But too late he realized- he used to let that chimp sleep with him he said,- now I stress-he said-
because he said that sometimes he'd rather have Scatter "cuddle up with me than some of the girls comin' around here!" He had just experienced a kind of unrully scene trying to get home from work... and some one had torn his new favorite shirt-ripped off the pocket I think he said, and what really got him distrubed was she "stuck it down the front of her pants ya know." He gripped as if utterly disgusted and then said something totally funny- "the guys had to drag me away-kickin' and screamin'... man, she was...hot for me...an' they made me get back in the car 'n wouldn't let her get in!" He was kidding-as I was to find out when he laughed his head off at me being so naive as to believe him! But he was upset that she tore his shirt.wjh

[Rainbow Light]

Thanks as ever for sharing, Wanda. Although Elvis obviously tried to keep him as a pet, it didn't work out too well. Elvis cared about his animals and like most other people, was upset when they did die, it can be like losing a family member in a sense. We were really upset when a dog we'd owned for 18 years (got him from a dog rescue sanctuary) died a few years ago, he was such a character but at least I guess he lived to a ripe old age with us and had a much better life than he had had before so that's something, isn't it?

[Wanda June Hill]

I think it's so great when pets are kept until they have to go- so many get shuttled around from place to place and person to person sometimes. We've kept ours and boy, there have been so many! Cats, dogs, horses, chickens, ducks, rabbits, hamsters, birds and even a mouse or two. It's a great world with animals-and so lifeless in a home when they leave. We've had some that left a big hole-and still feel that way at times over some of them. I'm looking forward to having them again-and I believe they'll be there- After all, if every sparrow that falls is cared for- then we are all gonna be there! Elvis believed that also and even said that when he had some kind of thing done several years before he died, he "dreamed" he went to heaven and one of his dogs ran to greet him- he felt and heard her coming-then she was rearing up to kiss his face in the "dream". Later he said it wasn't a dream-he thought he had left his body and went but wasn't allowed to stay though he wanted to and he had to go back to his body on earth because it wasn't time yet. He had things to do. I think he had something in his lung and was sedated-he inhaled something on a movie set- it might have been a tooth but I'm not certain about that now. Anyway it was not supposed to be in his lung-whatever it was. And he was allergic to the sedative and went under too deeply he said. wjh

[ElvisWoman]

Hi Wanda:

I don't really know if this is true--but I had read recently that towards the end of the filming of Jailhouse Rock his tooth cap fell off and lodged in his lung. They had to go into his throat and down passed his precious vocal cords (oh my ) to remove it.

Sincerely,
Victoria

[Lighthouseseeker]

yeah, that's what I know about the incident.. too risky!!

[Rainbow Light]

Yeah, I heard that it was the tooth cap also, I agree, so VERY risky!

Beautiful what you mentioned about the dream Elvis had of his dog running to greet him in heaven, Wanda. Just such a lovely scene to be able to picture!

[Rainbow Light]

Bringing this back up to the front as an earlier thread for newer members of ELC to enjoy and anyone who missed this first track round!