PHILADELPHIA -- Krusty Noodles was a killer.

No bird, no bunny, no backyard rodent stood a chance when this feline assassin was on the prowl. But to Krusty’s humans, he was a lover — a cuddler, an ear licker. And when the cat’s nine lives were up, his people could barely bear to say goodbye.

“I was saying, ‘I wish we could keep him forever,’” said artist Kate Swan, who lives in Jenkintown.

That gave Swan’s husband an idea.

Krusty Noodles’ hunter spirit now lives on — his head and paws mounted with a dead mouse clutched triumphantly in his kitty teeth for all posterity.

“It’s the centerpiece over my table. It really is the showpiece of my home,” Swan said. “I know that’s insane, but it’s like, ‘Ah, Krusty, what a champ.’”

“Beth did such a great job.”

That’s Beth Beverly, 46, proprietor of Diamond Tooth Taxidermy. An artist by training, the Delco native entered this ancient craft to pursue beauty, not pet preservation. But along the way Beverly found a calling that allows her to be of service to others at a vulnerable time.

“If I can provide them with a tangible token to move through their grief, that’s what I want to do,” Beverly said.

Her pet-preservation skills have seen increased demand, a trend reflected worldwide. Between increases in pet ownership and pet spending, particularly in developed nations, the global pet-preservation market, valued at $87.6 million in 2022, is projected to surpass $111.4 million by 2031, according to Astute Analytica, a global market research company.

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