"Squash, our beautiful and beloved cat, passed away last week," BookMarx in Springfield, Mo., posted on Facebook. "Squash was our original Bookmarx cat. Adopting Squash proved to be transformational both for me personally and the bookstore. He turned our store from place to browse Murakami novels into a place with warmth, even on his prickliest days. Squash was my first pet; I didn't think I was a pet person, much less a cat person until I met Squash and realized what was missing from my life was a fluffy companion on my chest blocking the text of my book as I read.
"Squash held no jealousy towards Googey's stardom. He was just happy to no longer be crammed in costumes for Instagram photos. Squash didn't need to be riding as grand marshal; he was happiest curled up on the lap of one of his many, many friends. Yes, he may hiss or scratch at you, but only when you tried to get up.
"I adopted Squash at the beginning of a particularly low period of my life. While it sounds hyperbolic, the way we tend to talk about the effect of animals on our lives, my life, this life I am so blessed to have, would not exist if Squash had not come into my life. The bookstore would not have survived my alcoholism if it were not for the two adorable cats distracting customers from the bloated lush behind the counter. Without the bookstore, the flap of the butterfly wing that allowed me to meet Harvey and fall in love and have a family, and get sober, would have sent me down some other path. And my path, unbeknownst to me at the time, began with finding Squash.
"When we brought Squash home in January, we knew he did not have a long time left with us. He came home from the vet, just days after Harvey's 15-year-old dog and best bud Charlamagne passed away. Having Squash at home providing companionship to Harvey and our kids made those difficult weeks much easier, and we were so grateful. And Squash, don't think you won't be celebrated like Googey, one day I'll open yet another store in tribute to you--Squasha's Ski Chalet? I don't know. I'm still workshopping ideas. Squash you were loved so much by so many. Thank you for sharing your time on this earth on our laps. Squash I love you forever."