Ode to Styxy

Styx (Holyoke, 2004)

My friend, Styx, died yesterday after a brief and sudden illness. She was 13. Instead of reliving the past few weeks and especially yesterday, I want to remember her for all of her coolness and the awesome times we spent together. Styx found me, back in 1998, in Holyoke, in the parking lot behind my old apartment near the Highland Laundry. She was a little, dirty, beat up rag of a kitten and she came scurrying out from under the Highland trucks right up to me. We've been together since. Styx loved her bell toy on a stick with such passion, it was always a sure way to bring her from anywhere in the house. She adored morning scratches on the bed and chasing my hand around under the quilt. She played like a kitten until nearly the end, chasing the laser dot around the house, fetching her bell toy, playing with a new yellow mouse toy, and enjoying the evening can of wet food. She did not like Gromit too much (despite the photo below of them together on the chair and the couch), she didn't tolerate his antics and always hissed at him when he came near. After he passed away two years ago she was happy to be an only cat and blossomed into a very affectionate kitty. She couldn't really meow properly but was very vocal around the house, she'd grumble whenever she entered a room that I was in to announce her arrival, and she'd grumble a little louder whenever she was hungry. She didn't like to be brushed or handled in any way, but loved to have her ears and around her head scratched. I was looking forward to letting her do a little exploring outside this spring and summer, I really thought she'd enjoy that.

It's not even been 24 hours since she's gone, but the house is so obviously empty without her. I missed her on the bed this morning, and asking for breakfast after I came downstairs. There's a gap that her huge presence used to fill. It's amazing how such a tiny little creature can fill up your life so much, or how often they are in your mind throughout the day. I'm going to miss her. She was awesome.


Styx & Gromit (Easthampton, 1995)

Styx shortly after she moved in (Holyoke, 1998). Her hair hadn't grown yet!

A rare moment, probably the first and last time they occupied the stool together

The last photo I took of Styx. (Easthamtpon, January 2010)