One of the internet’s most famous celebrity cats has died unexpectedly in her sleep at the age of eight.
Lil’ Bub passed away on Sunday morning, her owner Mike Bridavsky said in an Instagram post to the dwarf kitty’s 2.3million followers.
She had recently battled a bone infection which saw her develop a large growth on the side of her face.
The rescue cat, who lived in Bloomington, Indiana, was born the runt of her litter to a feral mom.
She had to be bottle fed, and struggled to be adopted. Lil Bub’s trademark feature – her tongue which sticks out of her mouth – was a result of her short lower jaw and toothlessness.
But Bridavsky instantly fell for the vulnerable kitty on seeing her in the shelter, with Bub’s unique features turning her into an online icon who starred in a hit documentary series and even spawned her own line of cuddly toys.
Bridavsky’s post, which included the first and last photos taken of Bub, read: ‘On the morning of Sunday, December 1st 2019 we lost the purest, kindest and most magical living force on our planet.
‘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.
‘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.
‘It is impossible to put into words the profound effect that BUB has had on my life, on the lives of thousands of homeless pets, and on the lives of those of you that have cared for her as if she were your own family.
‘She taught me everything that I know about unconditional love, she brought my wife Stacy and I together, she’s the reason we have our beautiful children Rosco and Lula, and she has been a constant source of warmth and love in our lives for the past 8 years.
‘To say that our family is devastated would be an understatement.’
Bub’s fame saw her launch a range of merchandise including toys and calendars, with all profits donated to animal rescue groups.
The kitty also did meet and greets at animal shelters across the US in a bid to raise awareness of adoption.
She posed for animal rights group PETA to encourage people to spay and neuter their pets, and even appeared on top-rated TV shows Good Morning America, Today and The View.
Bub’s death comes six months after original internet megastar Tardar Sauce – better known as Grumpy Cat – died aged seven.
Grumpy shot to fame after a Reddit post showing her natural grumpy expression spawned a popular meme.
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