By BRIANA SPINA
Layout Editor
I, along with 2.4 million, others follow the cat Lil Bub @iamlilbub on Instagram, and I think it’s safe to say that we were all devastated when we learned of her passing. Her human, Mike Bridavsky, shared two side-by-side pictures of the two of them, their first and last pictures together, overlaid with the text “JUNE 21, 2011- DECEMBER 1, 2019.”
But what made Lil Bub different from all of the other internet cats? Well, quite a bit, actually.
Lil Bub was a special needs cat with a myriad of health complications. Bridavsky rescued Bub in 2011, when she was just a few weeks old, and the veterinarians did not think that Bub would live beyond 6 months. But Bub proved them wrong, living a life of fame, adventure, and philanthropy until the age of 8 years old.
In 2014, Bub partnered with the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) to start Lil Bub’s Big Fund, the first national fund dedicated to helping special needs pets.
According to the ASPCA website, they have raised over $400,000 and granted it all to organizations that are dedicated to helping cats and dogs with special needs. Overall, Bub has raised $700,000 for animals in need. Many people who have famous pets seem to just be in it for the attention and the money, and that clearly is not the case for Bridavsky and Bub.
Bub’s health conditions gave her a unique appearance. She had big green eyes, and extra toe on each paw, and a tongue that always hung out because of her short lower jaw and lack of teeth. She was a “perma-kitten,” which means that she did not grow to the size of a typical adult cat and had kitten-like features throughout her whole life. On top of that, Bub had severe feline dwarfism, so her legs were too small to properly support her body, causing mobility issues. These mobility issues worsened as she aged, and at 1 year old, she was diagnosed with an extremely rare condition called osteopetrosis. Whereas in osteoporosis one’s bones become more brittle, the bones of organisms with osteopetrosis become denser. Bub is the only cat ever recorded to have this condition, so finding treatment was a struggle.
That’s where the online community stepped in. Bub was popular on Tumblr and Reddit in her early years, and many fans and experts gave their input on a potential course of treatment for Bub. Bridavsky eventually landed on Pulsed Electromagnetic Field Therapy, which was very effective. Bub ultimately died due to a bone infection, a visibly growing lump on her cheek.
Other than her philanthropic efforts, Bub was also a star on the big screen. She was the subject of an award-winning documentary, “Lil Bub & Friendz.” She hosted her own talk show, available on YouTube, called “Lil Bub’s Big Show” with guests such as Michelle Obama and Whoopi Goldberg. Through her screen appearances and social media presence, Bub brought joy to so many people worldwide.
There is a running joke that Bub is a cat from outer space, and Bridavsky wants to send her ashes up into Earth’s orbit so she can be an astronaut in the afterlife, according to People.com. Bridavsky wants to add a charitable component to it as well, in which people can pledge to donate to special needs pets whenever Bub makes a complete orbit of Earth.
Bub was special to me, members of my family, and so many more. I am grateful for the smiles she has brought to my face and the faces of others. To quote Bridavsky’s Instagram post, Bub was a “magical living force” who touched the lives of many humans and animals. I think we all have something to learn from Bub’s resilience and kind-heartedness.
