EVERYTHING
IS FOR
CHELL
ABOUT
Chell was my cat of sixteen years. She unfortunately passed away on May 15, 2026 from a metastatic carcinoma. While everyone shares bonds with their animals, Chell was special.
In 2010, my girlfriend (now wife) and I went to the Houston SPCA to find me a cat. We searched around and met many kittens. None felt right. However, as we were walking out, we passed one of the kennels and saw "Jenny." She was in the kennel with her mom and sister, both of which were adopted before her. We brought her into the "meet and greet" room and she immediately jumped into my lap, purred and then climbed onto the top of my head and sat there. From that moment on, I knew this was my cat.
I brought her home and while contemplating a name (that wasn't her shelter name), she ran under the bed and ran out the other side. She would then jump on the bed and zoom back under the bed, completing a loop. Portal 2 had just been announced, and I was in the middle of a playthrough of Portal. At that very moment, GLaDOS said, "Speedy thing goes in, speedy thing goes out." For those unaware, the silent protagonist of Portal is named Chell — and so her name was decided. She was even acknowledged as being "very cute" by Gabe Newell, the owner of Valve.
Chell had one of the most unique personalities. If I were better at social media, I'm positive that Chell would have been a pet influencer. She was full of "tortitude," but was genuinely a wonderful cat. She welcomed all of our friends by "nose-nomming." During Thanksgiving, she would have a place at the table. Why? Because she's people. We even prepared her a little plate because she was so well-behaved. Chell would pick up her favorite stuffed mousey (or beaver) and howl like a banshee down the hall. My wife and I even got a bigger bed so that she could sleep between our pillows (aka the "nook") because she never wanted to sleep away from us. She sometimes tucked herself in and burrowed in the sheets. She had one of the loudest purrs most vets had ever heard, making it hard to listen to her heart and lungs.
Most importantly, Chell never left my side. She would follow me everywhere, even into the shower. Since she passed, it's been too quiet. There's no more meowing for food. The purrs that would put me to sleep are gone. My wife and I would frequently say that "Everything is for Chell." There was truth in that. Everything we did typically revolved around Chell, and now that she's gone, it feels like there's a little less meaning in life. However, I want to remember her legacy and make sure my life is still about her.
If you're visiting this site, chances are you or someone you know saw a Chell sticker and decided to find out more — and now have a bunch of questions, the primary one being: Why?
The short answer? It's my way of grieving and healing.
Right before Chell passed away, I made the decision that I wanted to share her with the world. My favorite photo of her was when we put her in a Christmas hoodie. From her "god-why-have-you-forsaken-me" face to the sheer absurdity of her wearing a hoodie with a pompom, it always makes people smile. If you saw it, I hope it made you smile too.
I created the stickers and gave them to family, friends, coworkers, and random strangers to stick them everywhere, because it's my way of remembering her. In the spirit of "Everything is for Chell," every sticker is her taking a little ownership of a spot somewhere, making it hers. My hope is that one day in the future, I'll be walking down the street in some random city and I'll see a Chell.
I hope that by seeing her face and smiling, you too appreciated Chell as much as I did.