When people saw #RIPMarty trending, many assumed it was about a celebrity. Instead, they found themselves deeply moved by the story of Marty the cat, whose owner, Will Menaker, shared a beautifully heartbreaking goodbye letter after his passing.
Menaker recounted how he and Marty first met—when the tuxedo cat confidently emerged from under a car and followed him to his apartment, demanding attention. As the weather got colder, Menaker decided to bring him inside.
“From that moment on, I was in love,” he wrote. “I wouldn’t say I ‘had’ a cat, but from then on, I shared a house with a tuxedo cat I would name Marty.”
Marty’s past was mostly unknown, but Menaker described him as having striking green eyes, a dignified presence, and a friendly yet independent spirit.
After battling cancer, Marty stopped eating and drinking, and Menaker made the heartbreaking decision to say goodbye. “He went to sleep in our house and in my arms,” he wrote. “We are heartbroken but grateful for the years that we did have him in our lives.”
His letter ended on a bittersweet note:
“I firmly believe cats are connected in some way to the other side… Whatever happens after our deaths, I think cats are somehow involved, and I hope that when it comes time, Marty will guide me on my own journey to the Western Lands.
“Goodbye, Marty, I’ll miss you terribly.”
Menaker’s words struck a chord, bringing thousands to tears over a cat they never knew. Many shared their own stories of beloved pets, while others simply praised the love and care he had given Marty.
Goodbye, Marty. You were deeply loved, and now the whole world knows it.