Marty, The Russian Blue Who Inspired Nyan Cat, Has Passed Away

Marty

Sad news from the online cat community. Marty, the real life Russian Blue who was the inspiration behind Nyan Cat, has died at the age of two from Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP), a fatal viral disease in cats that also claimed the life of budding internet video star, Choco Ball, last year.

Marty's owner and Nyan Cat creator Chris Torres took to his Twitter account last week to share the heartbreaking news with fans, writing in part: 

"In early December 2010, I adopted two kittens from the local shelter. After some debate on their names, I decided to go for Buster and Marty. Buster was named after Buster Bluth from "Arrested Development." Marty was named from Marty McFly from "Back to the Future." The two were inseparable. However, Buster soon became ill. It was out of nowhere but he had Feline Infectious Peritonitis. Buster passed away a year ago. Things were just fine with Marty. Vet said he was healthy, all was good. Marty heavily influenced a lot of my comics and the creation of Nyan Cat." 

Marty and Buster

"Last week, Marty started behaving strange. We quickly took him to the vet and he was diagnosed with Feline Infectious Peritonitis, too. Even with the medical treatment he received he still deteriorated quickly. I’ve been force feeding him and keeping him warm for three days. For a while today it looked like he was getting better, but unfortunately, at around 9pm tonight he got convulsions and passed on my arms. I was seriously hoping to nurse him back to health, but FIP is pretty much a death sentence to most cats. There is no known cure. I’m so sorry. I will really miss Marty. He was seriously just the coolest cat ever. I just couldn’t save him."

Marty and Chris

Chris later thanked everyone for their condolences, tweeting, "Was surprised to find so much support and love from people all over the world. I'm glad Marty's legacy will live on. He was such a cool cat."

Torres created Nyan Cat in April 2011 after being inspired by separate requests to draw a Pop Tart and a cat during a Red Cross charity drawing event. The infamous video, featuring the animated rainbow cat flying through space to the tune of "Nyanyanyanyanyanyanya" was posted on YouTube just days later, and has amassed a staggering 87 million views to date. 

RIP Marty. I hope you're having fun at the rainbow bridge with your friend Buster! Your spirit will always live on through Nyan Cat, and you'll never be forgotten by your fans, and by your family who loved you the most.

(Brb, crying and listening to Non-Stop Nyan Cat forever.)

Via Twitter (@PRguitarman)

Marty, The Russian Blue Who Inspired Nyan Cat, Has Passed Away

Bucky Cat Tribute Tattoo + Bonus Book Giveaway

This post originally appeared on May 24, 2011, and is being republished today with an all-new giveaway to win a copy of "Chicken Soup for the Soul: My Cat's Life: 101 Stories about All the Ages and Stages of Our Feline Family Members."

Catsparella reader Natalie recently shared photos of her gorgeous new cat tattoo with me, along with the story of the incredible kitty behind it. Bucky was less than a year old when he succumbed to FIP, a fatal and incurable disease in cats. Despite his short time on Earth, Bucky made a lifelong impact on Natalie that she'll never forget. Their story, in her own words, is below.

Bucky

Bucky was a sweet kitten that I got at about five weeks of age when he was dropped off at a local pet shop. He was extremely ill and chunks of dog food had swelled in his esophagus from the back of his throat to his stomach, making it impossible for him to swallow or breathe properly. We extracted most of it endoscopically and he was treated for aspiration pneumonia immediately afterward. I fell in love with him instantly.

He was the sweetest, most lovable kitten in the world. He loved to play fetch with his green soccer ball, gladly wore a sweater/shirt combo to see Santa and sprawled all over my manuscript while I was writing. He was with me when I had a breakdown and when I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Even when he was diagnosed with asthma and required a daily inhaler treatment, people always wanted to take him home.

When he was about ten months old he became very ill and was in and out of the hospital for two weeks, before needing the last third of his colon removed due to a blockage that was then biopsied, and his mystery illness was confirmed to be FIP. I don't know how much you know about it, but FIP is always fatal and untreatable. All I could do was keep him comfortable, and as long as he was happy and cheerful, money was no object. Together we fought, medicated and kept each others' spirits up as long as possible until one day he lost his battle in my arms while I played him some soft music.

The tattoo is of him surrounded by harebells, butterfly weed, Carolina jasmine, peonies, geraniums and periwinkles. Each flower has a specific meaning tied to love, loss, grief, and healing. The words, "Skin and Claw" are from a song by Ra Ra Riot, and the full quote is "skin and claw, made to leave you." I thought it was appropriate. Because Bucky was there for me when I wrote my first novel, the tattoo is on my writing arm because he is my muse. The book is even dedicated to him!

Apparently the "Chicken Soup" people were as touched by his story as everyone else because it was chosen to be in their latest collection, "My Cat's Life." Everyone knows how special Bucky was!

"Skin and Claw"

Thank you so much to Natalie for sharing her touching tale of love and loss with us. Her story, along with countless others is included in "Chicken Soup for the Soul: My Cat's Life: 101 Stories about All the Ages and Stages of Our Feline Family Members," on sale now.

Enter To Win!

Natalie has generously offered to send one lucky Catsparella reader a signed copy of "Chicken Soup for the Soul: My Cat's Life: 101 Stories about All the Ages and Stages of Our Feline Family Members," so that everyone can read about Bucky and other special kitties like him!

To enter, leave a comment on this post with your name and some way for me to contact you (email, link back to your blog or profile, Twitter, etc.). The winner be will chosen in a random drawing next Thursday, June 7th at 5:00PM EST. This giveaway is open to everyone, so our international friends can participate too! One entry per person, please.

(If you have trouble leaving a comment, please email me at catsparella@gmail.com.)

[Comments are now closed. Thanks for entering!]

Bucky Cat Tribute Tattoo + Bonus Book Giveaway

The Ghost Cat Adoption Agency

Adopt a Cat Ghost - $5.00

Of all the unusual cat businesses I've come across, the ghost cat adoption agency has to be the weirdest. Sure, there's GhostKitties - who memorialize your deceased pet through a doll infused with its spirit - but even that doesn't echo the strangeness of paying money to have the spirit of a cat sent to your house, after you make the promise of giving it a (literally) forever home.

For $5, Cat Ghost Adoptions will send you an adoption document with an official seal, meditation, directions, and a welcoming prayer, along with the spirit of a cat who is currently "roaming the astral plane..looking for someone to adopt them so they can have a home again." Kind of like a morbid version of Cabbage Patch Kids or Build-a-Bears - Just with more cats. And death.

Looking at it objectively, adopting a ghost cat would save on food and litter bills - I mean, they don't even have to go to the vet - but do they really make good cuddle companions? For 5 bucks, part of me considered being a sport and buying one in the name of blog "research" - but in the end I decided I didn't want an unknown spirit (feline or otherwise) roaming around my house. Maybe I'm a believer after all!

Via Regretsy

The Ghost Cat Adoption Agency

Turn Your Cat Into A Tree After Death

"I want to be buried in your backyard, and when the flowers grow just know you're still in my heart..." - Nightmare of You

As someone who has become unwittingly fascinated by current customs in pet memorials, I think these 100% biodegradable urns by Limbo-Zoo are some of my most interesting finds yet. Although not quite as controversial as having your cat mummified, or creating a portrait out of your pet's ashes, the Geos Urn, which is made of all natural ingredients, can be buried with the lid removed to produce a tree. The fertile ashes along with the nutrients found in the urn will help the tree grow, thus allowing your beloved kitty to live on forever in nature. Intense!

What's more, if your cat was more fond of playing with the faucet than hanging out in the backyard, there's also the Samsara model that is made of sand so it can be reintegrated into a lake or river, or the Nu Zoo, which is made out of salt so your departed feline can become one with the sea or ocean.

All three of the ecologically friendly urns are available for purchase on the Limbo website for under $100 each, and if you're wondering (admit it, you were!), they sell them for humans (sans paw print designs), too.

Via PetPR.com

Turn Your Cat Into A Tree After Death

Memorial Pet Portrait Made Out of Dog's Ashes

How would you feel if you could not only hold on to your cat's ashes, but also see them every day in a beautiful picture? In the past, I've profiled tribute tattoos, memorial dolls, full-page newspaper ads, and even mummies as ways cat owners have chosen to memorialize their beloved felines, but Gizmodo recently profiled an innovation that takes remembering your pet to a whole new level.

Lars Marcus and Theo of Skrekkogle created the above portrait of their friend's deceased Gordon Setter named Susie, using her cremains as a replacement for ink. The fascinating trial and error process included rebuilding a printer, and even using chocolate powder as a substitute for the ashes before they were able to compose the admittedly stunning finished product.

I'm still not sure whether or not I think the piece of unconventional mourning art is cool or creepy, but the artist's words reveal the depth of its intended purpose:

"Now the portrait containing parts of Susie's body resides on a shelf in our friend's house, as an alternative to burying and hiding away what's left."

Via Gizmodo / Skrekkogle (scroll down the page to view the whole story)

Memorial Pet Portrait Made Out of Dog's Ashes

Fungus Cat Tribute Tattoo

Fungus

Shortly after I posted the story of Natalie's touching Bucky cattoo, Rachel wrote in with her own tale of a beloved kitty gone too soon, whose memory has been kept alive with some amazing custom ink.

Rachel writes:

My friend has this tattoo in memory of his cat Fungus (yes, Fungus!) who was hit by a car a few years ago. Never have I met such a beloved cat and our friends were all devastated. Such a great cat deserved a proper memorial, and I designed this tattoo based on a photo I took of Fungus while he was alive.

This pic was right after it was done, so it's a bit red. The best part - we can headbutt the tattoo just like we could headbutt Fungus (he was the king of headbutts)!

King of Headbutts

Special thanks to Rachel for sharing Fungus with us! I think her tattoo design came out beautifully, and is a fitting tribute to a sweet kitty who will never be forgotten.

Do you have any cat tattoos you'd like to share? Email me at catsparella@gmail.com!

Fungus Cat Tribute Tattoo

Italian Woman Pays Tribute To Fallen Feline Companion With Full-Page Newspaper Ad

Some of us express our grief more publicly than others, such is the case of Luciana Matalon, a 77-year-old Italian artist who recently took out a full-page ad in an Italian newspaper to pay tribute to her deceased cat, Sky.

The ad, which many are speculating cost Matalon a pretty penny (she has been quoted as saying, "My profound feelings are beyond financial measure"), was published in Italy's top paper, Corriere della Serra, and features a photograph of the pair, along with some sketches, and a poem she penned in the 15-year-old cat's honor.

Advertising news site, Work That Matters, provides a loose translation of the poem, which includes the heartbreaking lines, "And my fragility screams the absence, the emotion demands attention. The suspension would like my resignation. But you, beloved Sky you're in bliss? You are finally happy? If so, I will be with you soon and we will not ever be apart again."

Via Work That Matters / AdWeek

It's your daily reminder to vote Catsparella for Best Social Integration Blog at the 2011 Petties Awards! If I win, I'll donate the $1,000 prize to Tabby's Place Cat Sanctuary. Please vote every day, twice a day, through July 29th!

Visit http://www.dogtime.com/petties to vote, and spread the word!

Italian Woman Pays Tribute To Fallen Feline Companion With Full-Page Newspaper Ad

Bucky Cat Tribute Tattoo

Catsparella reader Natalie recently shared her gorgeous new cat tattoo with me, along with the story of the incredible kitty behind it. Bucky was less than a year old when he succumbed to FIP, a fatal and incurable disease in cats. Despite his short time on earth, he made a lifelong impact on Natalie that she'll never forget. Their story, in her own words, below.

Bucky

Bucky was a sweet kitten that I got at about five weeks of age when he was dropped off at a local pet shop. He was extremely ill and chunks of dog food had swelled in his esophagus from the back of his throat to his stomach, making it impossible for him to swallow or breathe properly. We extracted most of it endoscopically and he was treated for aspiration pneumonia immediately afterward. I fell in love with him instantly.

He was the sweetest, most lovable kitten in the world. He loved to play fetch with his green soccer ball, gladly wore a sweater/shirt combo to see Santa and sprawled all over my manuscript while I was writing. He was with me when I had a breakdown and when I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Even when he was diagnosed with asthma and required a daily inhaler treatment, people always wanted to take him home.

When he was about ten months old he became very ill and was in and out of the hospital for two weeks, before needing the last third of his colon removed due to a blockage that was then biopsied, and his mystery illness was confirmed to be FIP. I don't know how much you know about it, but FIP is always fatal and untreatable. All I could do was keep him comfortable, and as long as he was happy and cheerful, money was no object. Together we fought, medicated and kept each others' spirits up as long as possible until one day he lost his battle in my arms while I played him some soft music.

The tattoo is of him surrounded by harebells, butterfly weed, Carolina jasmine, peonies, geraniums and periwinkles. Each flower has a specific meaning tied to love, loss, grief, and healing. The words, "Skin and Claw" are from a song by Ra Ra Riot, and the full quote is "skin and claw, made to leave you." I thought it was appropriate. Because Bucky was there for me when I wrote my first novel, the tattoo is on my writing arm because he is my muse. The book is even dedicated to him!

Apparently the Chicken Soup people were as touched by his story as everyone else because it was chosen to be in their latest collection, "My Cat's Life." Everyone knows how special Bucky was!

Thank you so much to Natalie for sharing her touching tale of love and loss with us. Her story, along with countless others is included in "Chicken Soup for the Soul: My Cat's Life: 101 Stories about All the Ages and Stages of Our Feline Family Members," on sale now.

You may remember that last month, 10-month-old Exotic kitten Choco Ball also passed away from FIP. Her owners have since put together this great list of resources and reputable non-profit organizations where you can donate to help fund research for this devastating, incurable disease in cats.

Bucky Cat Tribute Tattoo

GhostKitties Custom Memorial Doll Giveaway!

Back in March I profiled GhostKitties, handmade memorial dolls that pay tribute to your dearly departed feline. Designer M.T. Balles started making the dolls around six years ago to help reconnect with cats that she had loved and lost throughout her life. (Click here to read the entire post.)

GhostKitties are custom made based on her interpretation of your cat's photograph, and on your responses to a five question kitty personality questionnaire. Balles says she creates the dolls using "magic and love," and meditates on your cat's character while crafting them to really bring them to life. The truly one-of-a-kind creations usually take her around three weeks to complete.

Cute, creepy (or a little of both), I think they're a lovely way to keep your cat's spirit alive even after they've gone to the rainbow bridge. ♥

Enter to win!

M.T. has generously offered to make one lucky Catsparella reader a customized GhostKitties doll of their own (a $50.00 value)!

To enter, leave a comment on this post with your name and some way to contact you (email, link back to your blog, profile, twitter, etc.), plus the name of the cat you would have memorialized if you won.

The contest is open to everyone, so our international friends can participate too! Please one entry per person, only. The contest will be open until 11:59 PM EST on Sunday, May 29th, 2011, and I will announce the winner next Monday (Memorial Day!).

Good luck to all, and make sure to stop by the GhostKitties shop to check out the rest of their wonderful creations! Also, follow them on Facebook for updates and all of the latest GK news.

(If you have any trouble entering a comment, please email me at catsparella@gmail.com.)

[Comments are now closed.]

GhostKitties Custom Memorial Doll Giveaway!