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R.I.P. Lil Bub, adorable celebrity kitty cat dies at the age of 8

The one-time runt of her litter turned Internet sensation suffered from an aggressive bone infection

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R.I.P. Lil Bub, adorable celebrity kitty cat dies at the age of 8
Lil Bub

    It pains me to report the passing of Lil Bub, the one-time runt of her litter turned celebrity kitty cat.

    According to a message posted by her owner Mike Bridavsky, Lil Bub passed away peacefully in her sleep on Sunday (December 1st). She had been suffering from an aggressive bone infection. “Even knowing this, we weren’t expecting her to pass so soon or so abruptly without warning. 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 wrote.

    Lil Bub’s abnormalities, including a tongue that always hung out of her mouth and smaller-than-normal limbs, made her an Internet celebrity. Unfortunately, her extreme form of feline dwarfism also led to serious health complications such as osteoporosis. She also had no teeth, though it did not impact her ability to eat.

    At the peak of her celebrity, Lil Bub hosted a web series called Lil BUB’s Big SHOW, which featured appearances from music luminaries like Steve Albini, The Breeders’ Kelly Deal, and the band Murder By Death. Lil Bub also collaborated with Kelly Deal collaborated on a song together called “Shirtcrush”, appeared on Run the Jewels’ Meow the Jewels track “Meowpurrdy”, and helped reimagine “The Super Bowl Shuffle” alongside My Morning Jacket’s Jim James and others. In 2015, she released her own full-length album called Science & Magic through Joyful Noise Records.

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    A documentary about Lil Bob, entitled Lil Bub & Friendz, premiered at the 2013 Tribeca Film Festival and won the award for Best Feature Film.

    Lil Bub’s owner, Mike Bridavsky, donated much of the money earned through appearances, merchandise, and other commercial endeavors to charity. As Bridavsky notes in his tribute to Lil Bub, all told she raised over $700,000 for genetic and biological research for special needs animals.

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