Woe.

July 29, 2019 11:18 AM

Cartoonist Lucy Knisley (previously, previously, and others) has chronicled the life, agonies, opinions, and antics of her beloved cat, Linney, for years. (many more Instagram links inside)

Linney has many fans. Linney enjoys chairs. Linney loves bisque. Linney rides in a backpack! Linney sings a mournful poop song. Linney dislikes dogs. Linney wants the forbidden waters. Linney hunts socks. Linney is SAD and SO LONELY. Linney gradually adjusted to the new baby as he got bigger and bigger, even sharing his bed.

But Linney has been getting older and frail, and a few days ago Linney bid farewell to this realm, chronicled in a moving tribute.

Safe travels, Linney.

posted by castlebravo (26 comments total)

Oh, that last comic. Wonderful.
posted by xingcat at 11:29 AM on July 29, 2019

These are adorable, thanks for posting!
(One tip for the clumsy and/or forgetful like me: don’t forget to scroll to the right or click the arrow *that is almost invisible on white* grrr)
posted by bitteschoen at 11:37 AM on July 29, 2019

I ran across the moving tribute last night, having followed the escapades of Linney for years and knowing of the cat's decline, but having missed the last few days.

I don't know if I've ever spontaneously cried over a cat I never met before, but I did last night.
posted by dinty_moore at 11:37 AM on July 29, 2019 [3 favorites]

Linney had a spirit similar to our cat Arwyn. Linney was truly a best cat.
posted by Servo5678 at 11:57 AM on July 29, 2019

Exactly. Which is to say I went through this with Comma our cat last month, and she got it perfectly.
posted by Peach at 12:06 PM on July 29, 2019 [1 favorite]

Here is Linney being eaten by a shark
posted by janepanic at 12:22 PM on July 29, 2019 [6 favorites]

this is a good and well-organized post about an important thing
posted by bagel at 12:41 PM on July 29, 2019 [1 favorite]

I will miss Linney; does anybody have a link to the cartoon where she was diagnosed with adult acne? That was always one of my favourites.
posted by The River Ivel at 12:44 PM on July 29, 2019

how sweet. big fuzzy cats are the best cats, except for all the others which are equally best.

mine just turned approximately 7ish (birthdate unknown) and i am deeply not looking forward to her decline.
posted by wibari at 12:49 PM on July 29, 2019

I also most love the Linney comic where she is diagnosed with adult acne! And horrible teeth and and and

Linney was a fabulous cat, and I too miss her softness.

.
posted by ivan ivanych samovar at 12:58 PM on July 29, 2019 [2 favorites]

"Sufficient unto the day is the evil therein."

I lost my beloved older kitty at the end of last year, and man oh man, this could have been her thought as she turned away from a bite of fresh-roasted chicken. That tribute was really hard to read and really, really accurate.

(I have a new kitten now who adores me in a painfully obvious and dorky way, and it helps a lot, but I still miss my girl.)
posted by restless_nomad at 1:04 PM on July 29, 2019 [6 favorites]

*sniff*

.
posted by rmd1023 at 1:52 PM on July 29, 2019 [1 favorite]

.

*wipes the tears away*
posted by kathrynm at 2:33 PM on July 29, 2019 [2 favorites]

I sobbed over this cat yesterday.
posted by 80 Cats in a Dog Suit at 2:50 PM on July 29, 2019 [6 favorites]

.
posted by allthinky at 3:11 PM on July 29, 2019 [1 favorite]

My cat is 16, and she's still quite sturdy and lively (she's brought me two mice this month and ate at least one more), but I know that probably won't last for much longer and like others, I am not looking forward to it :(
posted by tavella at 3:13 PM on July 29, 2019 [2 favorites]

.
posted by bryon at 11:17 PM on July 29, 2019

My girlfriend and I cried pretty hard when we saw that Linney had died. It's been just over a year and we still really aren't over the death of my cat Molly. I've never cried over an Internet cat before. I don't know that I've cried over an Internet anything before.
posted by Fish Sauce at 5:52 AM on July 30, 2019 [4 favorites]

I thought about doing an FPP for this. I sobbed over Linney yesterday morning.
posted by dlugoczaj at 6:49 AM on July 30, 2019 [2 favorites]

I think I have cried over this cat I wasn't even familiar with until recently at least three times (including right now) but really I know I am crying over the 17 year old love of my life who is luckily still with me for now.
posted by urbanlenny at 8:23 AM on July 30, 2019 [1 favorite]

We just lost our 13 year old Clio on Thursday and this hit pretty close to home.
posted by octothorpe at 9:45 AM on July 30, 2019 [2 favorites]

I've followed Lucy Knisley's work for more than 10 years now, and I believe this (scroll down to 2009, about halfway down the page) was Linney's very first appearance in her comics.

It's certainly when she got her name! (Named after John Linnell of They Might Be Giants! I have a friend with a cat named Flansburgh and I always wished they could meet. Sadly, it'll now have to be in kitty heaven.)
posted by dlugoczaj at 10:24 AM on July 30, 2019 [1 favorite]

Well shit, I had just *stopped* crying today, and then I read that last comic :(
posted by Hold your seahorses at 12:53 PM on July 30, 2019

I have 30 minutes of work left and now there are tears in my eyes.
posted by radiosilents at 2:33 PM on July 30, 2019

.
posted by Mutant Lobsters from Riverhead at 6:19 PM on July 30, 2019

.

The most splendid cat I knew but never met; rest in power, Linney.
posted by acb at 5:12 AM on July 31, 2019