Who Was Cheems, The Meme-Famous Shiba Inu Dog That Recently Passed Away? The History Of The Dog Sometimes Mistaken For Doge Explained

Beloved Dogelore character Cheems passed away due to old age and complications from a surgical procedure. Cheems, whose real name is "Balltze," had become a beloved partner to the ever-popular "Doge" meme and sparked off a series of internet trends that used his likeness. Here's a recap of all the ways in which internet users came across Cheems over the years, as well as tidbits from an interview conducted by Know Your Meme with Cheems's owner in 2020.

Who Was Cheems, And How Did He Become A Meme?

Cheems was a character part of the Doge internet universe, which basically acted as a meme fandom surrounding Shiba Inu dogs. Soon after the Kabosu, the dog known affectionately as "Doge," became meme-famous, internet users latched onto a photo of Cheems posted by his owner to Instagram on September 4th, 2017.

The photo showed a chunky-looking Shiba Inu squinting serenely at the camera while the caption jokingly reads, "Thought I have a Shiba Inu but this is not 🙄. The account was named @Balltze, which is the name originally given to Cheems by his owner. Affectionately called Ball Ball, Cheems received his internet moniker after being featured in a series of memes where he mispronounces words by adding the letter "m" to them.

What Were Some Meme Trends Featuring Cheems?

Cheems featured in several meme trends since 2017, the most notable of which were Swole Doge vs. Cheems and Bonk!. While the Swole Doge vs. Cheems meme used images of Doge and Cheems as a way of ironically portraying superior and inferior ideas, the Bonk! meme was a means of chastising someone for being too thirsty on main.

What Did Cheems's Owner Have To Say About His Rise To Fame?

In a 2020 interview conducted by Know Your Meme, Cheems's owner talked about why she calls him Ball Ball, what led to her taking the iconic photo of him smiling at the camera, and how she felt about her pet dog becoming a global meme sensation.

"My brother gave Balltze his name. He likes Ramune from Japan. It's kind of like lemonade, but with other flavors. To drink it, you have to push down a small marble from the bottle at the mouth, which creates more soda. But I call him “Ball Ball” because he is so round and cute."

She also shared that one of the earliest Cheems memes she saw quickly became her favourite at the time; it was a printout of Cheems's smiling face stuck onto various parts of the city, with a caption on the image that read, "Have you seen him? Now you have :)"

When Did Cheems Die?

Cheems passed away after facing medical complications for several months. In May of 2023, he was diagnosed with pancreatitis, and in August 2023, he passed away after complications from a thoracentesis surgery. Cheems's owner shared the sad news on August 19th, adding that his fans shouldn't feel sad since he had brought joy and happiness to so many people during his time.

Numerous internet users posted memes in memory of Cheems, acting as a testament to the ways in which Cheems had touched lives and brought happiness to people all around the word.

Thank you cheems for the happiness you brought and put smile on whole world 🤌♥️ #Balltze pic.twitter.com/OCFCYW0Xyp

— Desi Bhayo (@desi_bhayo88) August 19, 2023

Rest in Peace Balltze Cheems 🙏 pic.twitter.com/5EEaElCSJ9

— ▽ IAHFY ART ▽ 🔜 Galaxycon Austin 🤠 (@iah_fy) August 19, 2023

For the full history of Cheems, be sure to check out Know Your Meme's encyclopedia entry for more information.