Lil Bub, the Bloomington celebrity cat who took over the internet in late 2011 and won a place in the hearts of zillion netizens, passed away at the tender age of 8 at her home in Indiana. According to the Instagram update by her owner Mike Bridawsky, the little feline sensation left this world on Sunday morning. "... we lost the purest, kindest and most magical living force on our planet," Bridawsky mourned in a post with a picture collage containing the first and last photo of Bub and him.
The internet-famous puss garnered over 3 million followers on Facebook and 2.3 million-strong fanbases in Instagram while around 3,40,000 subscribers on Youtube pinned on to view updates about Lil Bub's life.
Bridawsky mourns Lil Bub
The peewee cat, who died in her sleep peacefully, left a lasting impression in many of lives. Bridavsky, in his lengthy post-cum-eulogy, remembered the best of the memories the pet-owner duo shared. Even though Bub had been "battling a persistent and aggressive bone infection," her death came in as an uninvited guest, Bridavsky wrote.
In an attempt to come to terms with the loss, he added: "I truly believe that she willingly made the decision to leave her failing body so that our family would not have to make that difficult decision ourselves."
Bridavsky, who calls himself Bub's caretaker, thanked his little magic fur ball for her unconditional love and the happiness she brought into the lives of many across the globe. "I am forever honored and humbled that you chose me as your caretaker," he wrote in his parting words to his fondest pet.
"And even though my heart is absolutely crushed by her graceful departure from planet Earth, I know that her sprit, magic, and overwhelming energy are still with us, reminding us every day to be better," he added fondly.
Lil Bub for a cause, Lil Bub a hero
This year marked a few big events for Bub and the cause she represented. On April 7, she made a special appearance at the inaugural function of the Catsbury Park Cat Convention organized in Asbury Park of New Jersey. The most common face at Catcon in California, Bub, hosted her last fundraiser for Tails from the City in Cleveland earlier last month.
Bub and music were long-time pals. From releasing her own album Science & Magic: A Soundtrack To The Universe and performing alongside Andrew WK to hosting celebrities at her talk show, Bub left a large imprint beyond geographical lines.
Poster animal for PETA
Bub, who loves a hearty meal after a long day of meet-greet with fans, became the poster animal for PETA's spay and neuter initiative for pets. Various shelters across the U.S. received donations and a percentage of Bub's merchandise sales over a period of 8 years.
As per the post by Bridavsky, along with her personal challenges, she took up the cause of other animals in need and helped raise more than $700,000. Along with becoming an inspiration to a national fund meant for the special requirements of pets, Bub became the subject of a breakthrough genetic and biological research.
Apart from this, the Tree House Humane Society received a donation of $1,800 raised at the screening of Lil Bub & Friendz at Metro Chicago. On September 3, 2013, Books-A-Million published Lil Bub's Lil Book: The Extraordinary Life of the Most Amazing Cat on the Planet. Bub also has her own online merchandise store and a weather app!
Eight long years of Bub-story
Bridavsky found the little feral near his home in Bloomington in the year 2011. Born with various genetic mutations, Lil Bub was a "perma kitten" suffering from extreme feline dwarfism. Bub's tongue hung out her mouth due to toothlessness and recessive lower jaw. According to scientists, Lil Bub has a mutation in gene RANK/TNFRSF11A. Apart from these health issues, the feline midget was also diagnosed with osteopetrosis in late 2012. Bub was battling a "passive-aggressive bone infection" before she bid adieu to this world.
