Spot may be just a regular cat, but she’s an adorable reminder of her owner’s humanity. Spot is Data’s cat, which immediately sets itself up to be an amusing premise; a logical, emotionless android caring for a notoriously moody creature. Indeed, many funny scenes and amusing interviews have come out of the relationship between Spot and Data. However, the cat’s influence is most impactful in how it is able to reveal an affectionate side of Data’s character, one that is equally heartwarming and poignant. Oh, and Spot saves the entire Enterprise D crew in the episode “Genesis” so she’s a hero too.

First appearing in the episode “Data’s Day”, Spot offers a glimpse into Data’s routine. It is revealed how thoughtful Data is in choosing his pet’s food and how beloved the cat is. In the scene, however, Spot is comically restless which speaks more to the nature of cats rather than the actual relationship between pet and owner. Additionally, Spot has extremely good taste in people, responding positively to Worf, Data, and Reginald Barclay, while on another occasion she scratches William T. Riker in the face (“Timescape”). There are also a few subtle jabs at cat owners, particularly during failed attempts to train Spot when Data responds to the cat’s hungry meowing and is told, “seems to me your training is coming along just fine” (“Force of Nature”). Spot even gives birth to kittens while aboard the Enterprise D at the same time she, and the rest of the crew, is affected by a virus that de-evolves one’s cells. The virus, however, was not passed on to the kittens which inspires the unaffected crewmembers to search for a cure in amniotic cells. Their research saves the ship thus proving Spot an unlikely hero (“Genesis”). Spot’s really important impact is in the way she inspires Data and brings out more human qualities in him. He writes poetry to her, coos over her like any other affectionate pet owner, and in the movie Star Trek: Generations Data installs an emotion chip and cries for the first time ever when he discovers Spot alive and unharmed after the destruction of the Enterprise D.

Behind the scenes, Spot turns out to be a terrible actor. Many years later in a convention actor Brent Spiner was asked, “Who’s idea was it for Data to have a cat?”. He responded, “Not mine. That cat, I have to say, was the stupidest actor I have worked with… I have nothing against cats but that cat never took a piece of direction”. (Said cat-actors were named Monster and Brandy!). While it’s a little sad to know that Spiner did not actually get along with the cat on set, it is amusing to imagine trying to film a specific scene with an uncooperative animal. Spiner reported that they even brought in cat wranglers that absolutely did not help. If dealing with one cat at a time was so difficult, it would be interesting to see behind the scenes of the final Star Trek: The Next Generation episode where in the future Data has around a dozen cats (“All Good Things”).