Lil Bub dead: Cat who became online sensation with 2.4m Instagram followers dies aged eight

Bonnie Christian3 December 2019

One of the Internet's most famous cats, Lil Bub, has died aged eight.

Her owner Mike Bridavsky announced to millions of followers on social media that Lil Bub had died from a bone infection on Sunday.

The cat, known for her unusual appearance with a droopy tongue and bulbous eyes, was rescued as a feral kitten and was born with several disorders, including dwarfism.

Mr Bridavsky said she helped raise $700,000 (£540,000) for animal charities over her lifetime.

“On the morning of Sunday, December 1st 2019 we lost the purest, kindest and most magical living force on our planet,” Mr Bridavsky wrote on Instagram.

“BUB was cheerful and full of love laying in our bed with us Saturday night, but unexpectedly passed away peacefully in her sleep.

“I have always been fully transparent about BUB's health, and it was no secret that she was battling a persistent and aggressive bone infection.”

The post continued: “BUB has made a huge difference in the world of animal welfare, and in the lives of millions of people worldwide.”

Lil Bub found online fame with her unusual features. Her feline dwarfism meant she was a so-called “perma-kitten,” staying kitten-sized her entire life.

She also had an underdeveloped jaw causing her tongue to always hang out, and wa polydactyl, with an extra toe on each paw.

She was found at several weeks old as the runt of a litter of kittens found by Mr Bridavsky’s friend inside a tool shed in Indiana.

She went viral after photographs of her landed on the front page of Reddit. Her Instagram alone had more than 2.4 million followers.

Lil Bub went on to appear on a number of US television channels, gain endorsement deals, merchandise lines, and even her own documentary series.

Mr Bridavsky used her fame to raise money for charity.

Earlier this year, another Internet-famous cat, Grumpy Cat, died after complications from a urinary tract infection .

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in

MORE ABOUT