Dennis Avner, the Nevada man who spent years trying to morph . his body into that of a cat has died. He was 54. A veteran of the U.S. Navy, Avner underwent a series of . radical body modification procedures to make himself look like a female cat, from . whiskers and ears to a mechanical tail. His body was found in his home in Tonopah on November 5. Scroll down for video . Stalking Cat: Dennis Avner, a Nevada man who spent years trying to morph his body into that of a female cat, was found dead on November 5 . Avner's operations have included bifurcation (splitting) of . his upper lip, surgical pointing of the ears, sillicone cheek and forehead . implants, tooth filing, tattoos, and facial piercing. Avner, from Tonopah, Nevada, likes to go by his Indian name . 'Stalking Cat.' 'I am Huron and following a very old tradition have transformed . myself into a tiger,' he said on his now-defunct website. Descended from American Indians, Avner felt inspired after a . discussion with a Native chief who inspired him to 'follow the ways of the . tiger.' With his overgrown fingernails, fangs and striped skin tone, . Avner was a highly recognizable figure in his neighborhood. Oddity: Avner, pictured in 2009, underwent a series of radical body modification procedures to make himself look like a female cat, from whiskers and ears to a mechanical tail . Mission: Descended from American Indians, Avner felt inspired after a discussion with a Native chief who inspired him to 'follow the ways of the tiger' His cause of death has not yet been revealed, yet some are . speculating that up speculation that Avner may have killed himself. Shannon Larratt, the former editor and publisher of BMEzine . and friend of Avner, wrote in a blog post: 'A wonderful and complex person, he . was at times as troubled as he was remarkable, and he recently took his own . life at the age of 54.' His surgeries were done by Steve Haworth, an artist and . pioneer of body modification techniques. While Avner worked as a computer programmer, he often . appeared at Ripley’s Believe It or Not! events around the world.
Dennis Avner, a veteran of the U.S. Navy, was found dead in his Tonopah, Nevada, home on November 5 .
Was known for numerous body modification procedures to make himself look like a female cat .
Friend says that Avner 'was at times as troubled as he was remarkable' and he killed himself .
Dennis Avner, the Nevada man who spent years trying to morph . his body into that of a cat has died. He was 54. A veteran of the U.S. Navy, Avner underwent a series of . radical body modification procedures to make himself look like a female cat, from . whiskers and ears to a mechanical tail. His body was found in his home in Tonopah on November 5. Scroll down for video . Stalking Cat: Dennis Avner, a Nevada man who spent years trying to morph his body into that of a female cat, was found dead on November 5 . Avner's operations have included bifurcation (splitting) of . his upper lip, surgical pointing of the ears, sillicone cheek and forehead . implants, tooth filing, tattoos, and facial piercing. Avner, from Tonopah, Nevada, likes to go by his Indian name . 'Stalking Cat.' 'I am Huron and following a very old tradition have transformed . myself into a tiger,' he said on his now-defunct website. Descended from American Indians, Avner felt inspired after a . discussion with a Native chief who inspired him to 'follow the ways of the . tiger.' With his overgrown fingernails, fangs and striped skin tone, . Avner was a highly recognizable figure in his neighborhood. Oddity: Avner, pictured in 2009, underwent a series of radical body modification procedures to make himself look like a female cat, from whiskers and ears to a mechanical tail . Mission: Descended from American Indians, Avner felt inspired after a discussion with a Native chief who inspired him to 'follow the ways of the tiger' His cause of death has not yet been revealed, yet some are . speculating that up speculation that Avner may have killed himself. Shannon Larratt, the former editor and publisher of BMEzine . and friend of Avner, wrote in a blog post: 'A wonderful and complex person, he . was at times as troubled as he was remarkable, and he recently took his own . life at the age of 54.' His surgeries were done by Steve Haworth, an artist and . pioneer of body modification techniques. While Avner worked as a computer programmer, he often . appeared at Ripley’s Believe It or Not! events around the world.
died. He was 54. A veteran of the U.S. Navy, modification procedures to make himself look like mechanical tail. His body was found in his home a female cat, was found dead on November 5 . procedures to make himself look like a female speculation that Avner may have killed himself. at times as troubled as he was remarkable, and he