In Memory of Buyo

2001-2009

Buyo, the family cat, passed away this Saturday due to a kidney failure. He wasn't a particularly nice cat, and hardly ever willingly cuddly, but he had a certain joie de vivre from which we can all take inspiration. He had a lot of personality for a cat, and was always good for a laugh. I will miss his tendency to drag in all manner of disgusting things from the garden--like that one time he brought in a giant tomato slug, gingerly carrying it in his mouth so as not to "pop" it, and placed it on the floor of the living room, rubbing his head against it as if to say: "look what I caught! Don't fight me for it, because it's MINE.", or the time he caught a drowsy lizard one morning and brought it in to exhibit, whereupon the lizard promptly escaped and ran for the nearest heating vent, or the time we were playing with those little kid halloween glo-sticks in the back yard and he ran after a flung stick and bit into it. We had to catch him and hold him while washing the glowing cat-drool from this mouth.
He had a fondness for sleeping on the dining room table, but knew it was against the rules, so he'd make sure no one was looking before he hopped up there. He hated riding in the car because it usually meant "vet", but he didn't mind so much if you let him stand on his hind legs to look out of the window.

He was terrified of even the smallest dogs, once climbing frantically halfway up the brick chimney on seeing a pommeranian despite having no front claws.
In short, I'll miss you, Buyo, you little devil. You were a good kitty. You were a really "human" cat, and if there is a heaven for cats, I hope there are lots of things to chew there.
Buyo is survived by Kenny, another Siamese who will need another playmate to clawlessly beat him down and then sit on his face.