Goodbye Big Beautiful Mr. Casio

November 11th, 2022, my beloved Casio (????-2022), who had taken suddenly ill, passed away. He was a plentiful, gorgeous cat, More than a dreamboat, he was a majestic “dream-barge” loverboy, who loved so very much to be on me. I miss him dearly.

His loss was surprising and sudden, and just a few months after we lost Shadow. Losing them both so quickly felt like “the end of an era,” and with the traumatic manner of Casio’s passing requiring a quick choice at the vet to let him go, there was an overwhelming abundance of grief.

Like Shadow, who knows how old Casio was? They came to me together, a pair whose owner had already left the city, and whose temporary caretaker couldn’t keep them.

I hadn’t been looking for two cats, but when I went to visit them it was Casio that clinched the deal. While Shadow was a friendly character right from the start, Casio stayed secluded. Yet he granted me a curious sniff and rub when I reached for him, and that told me I was his.

In those days, while there were various forms of chaos and unrest in my life, Casio & Shadow were incredible companions, and they were a good pair: playful together, a comfort to each other. They seemed like brothers.

One of the defining things about Casio was his beauty. He could appear noble, presidential, handsome. At other times, a precious, himbo doll.

We would say, “maybe he’s a Maine Coon!” and, well, maybe he was. Who could say? He certainly knew how to be presentable, and how to let it all hang out.

Casio could be a bit cantankerous at times. He valued his boundaries.

Our dog Sara was introduced to him very soon after I adopted him, and he was known to swat her from time to time. But he just wanted his space. Through the years, they were the two who consistently joined us in bed overnight, and were often found together on the bed when left alone as well.

I wouldn’t call them “friends,” but there was a peace between them.

He really should have learned to snuggle with her, but he at least was known to lay with her—very rarely—if he didn’t know he was…

When Malcolm joined us in 2018, a young backyard rescue cat who (still) wants nothing more than endless play, Casio frequently had to reinforce his boundaries, or run to escape Malcolm. Yet, nevertheless, he was a good older presence in Malcolm’s life, sometimes even agreeing to play near him.

When Babka joined us in early 2021, another young, backyard rescue cat, he opened up to her even more than Malcolm. She was persistent in her appeals to connection and he obliged.

But, more than anything, especially in the later years, Casio loved to be on me. If I were working on a laptop, he wanted to be in front of it on my lap. When I lay down anywhere, he would find me and rest on my chest, covering my whole torso.

His presence was light a weighted blanket. He would want me to rub his face and chin, and he would knead at my neck, giving my carotid arteries a massage. Sometimes he would even lick my chin.

But always, always just wanting to be on me.

He was a treasure, and I miss the weight of his presence, literally and metaphorically, so much.

Love you always, Casio. So grateful for the time we had.