Shroom Mellies

Shroom, my beloved cat, passed away unexpectedly on June 12, 2026, taking her last breath inthe arms of the person she loved most—her mom.

Shroom was truly the best thing that ever happened to me. When I first got her, I was 15 years old. She was scared out of a bush by our 110-lb dog, Cooper, in our front yard and quite literally jumped into my dad's arms. When I first laid my eyes on her, I knew that she was going to be my best friend. My parents told me that I absolutely could not keep her… well, as you can guess, I didn’t listen. She very, very quickly became not only my best friend, but my reason to keep going. I was at a point in my life where I was struggling so deeply with my mental health, and she gave me a reason to keep fighting. From the bottom of my heart, I truly don't believe I would still be here today if it weren't for her.

If you had the privilege of knowing and loving Shroom, you knew just how special of a cat she truly was. She loved everyone. All she ever wanted from anyone was love (and temptations, of course). Every morning she would jump on my bed as soon as she heard me blow my nose(meaning I was awake), and demand at least 15 minutes of my love and affection before I was allowed to get up. For the past 5 years of my life, I have woken up 15 minutes earlier than I needed to practically every single day so that she got the love she needed and deserved. And it wasn’t just me that she constantly expressed her outward affection towards. Whether it was rubbing on her grandpa’s beard each morning, or flopping on her nana in bed each night, she loved anyone and everyone that she laid her eyes on.

Beyond her incredibly loving nature, she was also so weird. She had so many quirks, or as we called them “tisims. ” Whether it was demanding to chew on any crinkly plastic within earshot or obsessively licking the condensation off every cold drink (or door) she could find, she was most certainly an odd duck.

I am so beyond devastated that she has left this earthly world after just 5 short years, but honestly, it makes sense that a heart as loving as hers couldn't sustain a “full” lifetime of love. I expected her to see me graduate from college and law school, and even be there for my wedding and maybe even meet my human kid(s) someday. I expected her to see so many more major accomplishments of mine, and to be frank, I'm not sure how I'll get through them without her. But, at the end of the day, I am so incredibly thankful for every single second that I spent with her, and I can promise that there won't be a single day that passes that I won't miss her. And I know the same can be said for my family, who knew and loved her (almost) as much as I do.

To my beloved Shroom, or better known as any combination of the following: princess lollipop, stink, stinky, monk, monkey, monkey butt, jingles (before she made her collar disappear; I’m still looking for it), and baby girl, I will love you forever and evermore. Love always, mommy.

Survived by: Her mom, Savannah Mellies; Nana, Sarah Lyman; Grandpa, Chad Mellies; Aunt, Maisie Mellies; and furry siblings, cats, Mr. Cuddles & Little Red, and dog, Cooper.