Who was Cheems? The memed Shiba Ibu’s life and death, explained

An internet icon passed away in late August, leaving the world with one less meme to numb the pain.

Thankfully, Cheems’ legacy will live on, as will countless pictures of the round-faced Shiba Inu that brought smiles to so many faces. The charming, if occasionally surly-looking, pup earned his place in internet history several years back, and his death at age 12 is hitting his fans hard.

Cheems’ origins and owner

The real dog behind one of the pandemic’s favorite memes is named Balltze, but typically called Ball Ball. His nickname populates dozens of Instagram posts from his owner, Kathy, as she shares sweet, joyful images of her beloved pet. One of these, a snapshot of Ball Ball looking a touch disgruntled (and like he’s misplaced his neck) is the source of the Cheems meme, and an instant internet staple.

Many Cheems memes rely on only Ball Ball’s head, ditching his body for better prospects as people poke fun at everything from toxic masculinity and puberty to terrible phones or bad television. He’s often featured alongside Swole Doge, another Shiba Inu — this one sporting a muscular frame and slightly frantic eyes — but he most commonly populates absurdist memes. Part of the foundation of Gen Z humor, these seemingly senseless memes are hard to parse, but they rarely shy away from using Cheems to make their point (whatever that point may be).

How did Cheems die?

Its always hard to say goodbye to a furry friend, even one you only know as an internet meme. Ball Ball touched a huge number of people with that one, goofy-looking candid, and people genuinely feel his loss as we say goodbye to the 12-year-old Shiba Inu.

Balltze passed away on Aug. 18, 2023, after a lengthy battle with pancreatitis. He was diagnosed back in May, and underwent multiple operations in hopes of bettering his condition. He eventually passed away a few months later, reportedly due to complications from thoracentesis surgery. In a heartfelt Instagram post sharing the news, Ball Ball’s owner urged people to “remember the joy that Balltze brought to the world,” and assured us all that the popular doggo is “running freely in the sky and having a lot of delicious food with his new friends.”