Corduroy
STUDIO CAT CORDUROY
2005-2025
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Corduroy loved doing inventory. -
FUDBOL IS EMPTY
Stupid human. You're not my mom. -
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CS (CONSTANT SUPERVISION)
Corduroy has definite opinions. She very much likes to watch me paint, and her favorite vantage spot was this Chewy box. Alas, this Chewy box is no longer, as a few weeks ago, I needed to ship a painting, and since this box was exactly the right size, I unceremoniously dumped Corduroy out of it and started to prepare it for packing the painting. It smelled kind of bad, though, and I soon discovered why. There was a nearly-mummified mouse adhered under a piece of cardboard inside the box. Corduroy is a very good mouser, but she never eats them. She does LICK them very thoroughly, however, and then leaves them in interesting places. EWWWWWWWWWWWWW. -
i hope there are many wool mice in feline heaven waiting for you, sweet corduroy. thank you for sharing 20 years with me, you irascible and snuggly girl. i will always love you.
i will never forget the way you'd break into the pantry while i was out and tear open and devour human food only to throw it up all over the house. i will never forget the way you'd make eye contact while squatting next to the litter box to poo. i will never forget the terrified calls from pet sitters hiding from you in the bathroom and wondering how to escape the house. i will never forget the way you'd chomp on my arm if i played the accordion. i will never forget your obsession with nursing on human armpits. i will never forget how you'd hide behind the toilet when a storm blew in. i will never forget how you loved to fall asleep on my chest, or how you'd nuzzle with dirty socks, or the way you'd knock over the water bowl, or the way you'd drool when you got catnip. i loved your giant eyes and your round face and your teeny tiny mittened paws. i loved the way you transformed into a nice kitty when you moved to vermont. i loved watching you discover that the Hated Hated Enemy turned out to be your dad and the dearest love of your life. i love that your fur will live on, sealed in countless Hunter paintings.
go now, and terrify god, cord, as has been your goal all along, i suspect. i believe he is sitting in your chair.
i will never forget the way you'd break into the pantry while i was out and tear open and devour human food only to throw it up all over the house. i will never forget the way you'd make eye contact while squatting next to the litter box to poo. i will never forget the terrified calls from pet sitters hiding from you in the bathroom and wondering how to escape the house. i will never forget the way you'd chomp on my arm if i played the accordion. i will never forget your obsession with nursing on human armpits. i will never forget how you'd hide behind the toilet when a storm blew in. i will never forget how you loved to fall asleep on my chest, or how you'd nuzzle with dirty socks, or the way you'd knock over the water bowl, or the way you'd drool when you got catnip. i loved your giant eyes and your round face and your teeny tiny mittened paws. i loved the way you transformed into a nice kitty when you moved to vermont. i loved watching you discover that the Hated Hated Enemy turned out to be your dad and the dearest love of your life. i love that your fur will live on, sealed in countless Hunter paintings.
go now, and terrify god, cord, as has been your goal all along, i suspect. i believe he is sitting in your chair.
- BETTY SOO, July 1, 2025
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CORDUROY AND BETTY SOO
Corduroy was Betty Soo's cat in Texas for many years. However, in 2018, Corduroy moved to my studio in Bellows Falls, and underwent a miraculous transformation. She had always been a very territorial, and rather fierce kitty in Texas, but as soon as she recovered from her first (and she fervently hopes only) airplane trip, she emerged as a sweet kitty. A docile kitty. A 'gosh, I am ever so happy to see you' kitty. Either the trip was so awful that she vowed that if she survived she would reform her ways, or else she is a Bernie Sanders type gal. We may never know. -
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CORDUROY II
Another 8x10 of Lord Cord. I painted this for Betty Soo's birthday, coming up soon. Don't tell her! -
WHY DO YOU SHIT UPON THE FLOOR?
A duet, sung by Charlie and Corduroy, to the tune of "She'll be Comin' 'Round the Mountain"
Charlie sings:
Why do you shit upon the floor?
Why do you shit upon the floor?
Let us now review this - I wish you would not do this
Why do you shit upon the floor?
A duet, sung by Charlie and Corduroy, to the tune of "She'll be Comin' 'Round the Mountain"
Charlie sings:
Why do you shit upon the floor?
Why do you shit upon the floor?
Let us now review this - I wish you would not do this
Why do you shit upon the floor?
To which Corduroy responds:
Oh, how I love to shit upon the floor!
How I love to shit upon the floor!
It's cool and it's inviting, and it's really quite exciting
And that is why I shit upon your floor!
Oh, how I love to shit upon the floor!
How I love to shit upon the floor!
It's cool and it's inviting, and it's really quite exciting
And that is why I shit upon your floor!
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Doug Fryer and Corduroy discuss art.
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Investigative journalist Jane Mayer is, in turn, investigated by Corduroy.
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Nancy Guzik visits Corduroy
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Ozzy and Corduroy were good friends.
HATED, HATED ENEMY
(a march; sung with fortitude and resolve)
(a march; sung with fortitude and resolve)
The hated hated enemy soon must go away
The hated hated enemy really must not stay
The hated hated enemy - I’ll jab him with my claws
The hated hated enemy - I’ll crush him with my jaws!
I’m underneath the sofa with my back against the wall
I know you cannot see me, but you hear my throaty call
The hated hated enemy - I’ll bite his loathsome feet
The hated hated enemy will soon be in retreat!
(Boom-ba-pa Boom-ba-pa Boom-ba-pa Boom!)
The hated hated enemy is snuggling with my mom
Unacceptable behavior that is strictly frowned upon
They’re shutting out the hallway light and climbing into bed
What I suspect is going on is better left unsaid
All mother cats they teach their young to defecate in shoes
It’s simple but effective and a tactic I can use
My mom’s allowed the enemy to use part of her closet
When he is not looking, I’ll sneak in and leave him a deposit
(Boom-ba-pa Boom-ba-pa Boom-ba-pa Boom!)
The hated hated enemy - I’ll smother as he sleeps
The hated hated enemy - upon his throat I’ll leap
The hated hated enemy is in for a surprise
The hated hated enemy will soon be lacking eyes
I’m sorry to confess it; I’m afraid I have been rude
The hated enemy seems nice and feeds me tasty food
The hated hated enemy is really not so bad
The hated hated enemy turns out to be… my DAD
(Boom-ba-pa Boom-ba-pa Boom-ba-pa Boom!)
The hated hated enemy really must not stay
The hated hated enemy - I’ll jab him with my claws
The hated hated enemy - I’ll crush him with my jaws!
I’m underneath the sofa with my back against the wall
I know you cannot see me, but you hear my throaty call
The hated hated enemy - I’ll bite his loathsome feet
The hated hated enemy will soon be in retreat!
(Boom-ba-pa Boom-ba-pa Boom-ba-pa Boom!)
The hated hated enemy is snuggling with my mom
Unacceptable behavior that is strictly frowned upon
They’re shutting out the hallway light and climbing into bed
What I suspect is going on is better left unsaid
All mother cats they teach their young to defecate in shoes
It’s simple but effective and a tactic I can use
My mom’s allowed the enemy to use part of her closet
When he is not looking, I’ll sneak in and leave him a deposit
(Boom-ba-pa Boom-ba-pa Boom-ba-pa Boom!)
The hated hated enemy - I’ll smother as he sleeps
The hated hated enemy - upon his throat I’ll leap
The hated hated enemy is in for a surprise
The hated hated enemy will soon be lacking eyes
I’m sorry to confess it; I’m afraid I have been rude
The hated enemy seems nice and feeds me tasty food
The hated hated enemy is really not so bad
The hated hated enemy turns out to be… my DAD
(Boom-ba-pa Boom-ba-pa Boom-ba-pa Boom!)
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What could be more delightfully enigmatic than placing MOSS in fudbol?
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DELICIOUS FUD!
Corduroy is always hungry. She is on a special diet, and medications that must be given twice daily. Thus mealtimes are very, VERY special times at 33 Bridge Street. Corduroy's favorite toy is this wool mouse, named, naturally enough, MOSS. -
In her first days in Vermont, Corduroy was none too sure about Dad.
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MISTER CHARLIE
As sung by Corduroy, to the tune of "Little Boxes"
Mister Charlie, I been thinking
About the nature of humanity
Are they cruel? Are they stupid?
Why do they act like that?
I don't get, please explain it
It all seems like insanity
And when you've done so, I'd like a licky treat
After all, I'm just a cat.
Mister Charlie, I been thinking
About the nature of humanity
Are they cruel? Are they stupid?
Why do they act like that?
I don't get, please explain it
It all seems like insanity
And when you've done so, I'd like a licky treat
After all, I'm just a cat.
Big thanks to everyone who pitched in to honor this fierce little spirit. Together we raised $1,000.00 for Stage 33 Live, the original music series that takes place directly outside the studio, and of which Corduroy was an enthusiastic, if opinionated, participant (and whose volunteers gave many, many scritches to Cord). In addition, we raised $500.00 for the SAFE Alliance in Austin, Texas, a charity chosen by Betty Soo, Corduroy’s mom. SAFE is a merger of Austin Children’s Shelter and SafePlace, both long-standing and respected human service agencies in Austin serving the survivors of child abuse, sexual assault and exploitation, and domestic violence.
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The corridors of 33 Bridge Street were always worth exploring.
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In her last months, Corduroy became very skinny.
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Corduroy's resting place among the hostas.
Corduroy’s decline was sudden: she was fine when I left the studio at 1:30 pm that last Sunday, but when I returned at 5:30 to fix her dinner, there was obviously something wrong. We had snoggles and combing, but the next morning, the last day of June, it was clear she was dying. I made arrangements for an (ultimately unneeded) vet house call, and Mark Piepkorn, who runs Stage 33 Live, the original music concert series in “the big room” outside my studio, came and sat, unbidden, ready if needed in whatever capacity. From her hotel room on tour in Wichita, Betty Soo got to FaceTime with Corduroy. I sat with dear Cord until she passed, just as the town hall bell struck 11. She had been lying on her side, barely moving, breathing shallowly - as James Thurber says of a dog he loved, “strong-arming the death angel” - but then she raised her head, lowered it, then, for a good fifteen seconds, she started moving her legs very deliberately, front and rear in perfect coordination - in her mind she was definitely walking somewhere with great purpose. I stroked her side and told her it was okay to go on ahead.
A few minutes later, she did.
Fly free, my friend. We will ever miss you.
A few minutes later, she did.
Fly free, my friend. We will ever miss you.