Lil Bub facts for kids
Lil Bub
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| Species | Felis catus |
|---|---|
| Sex | Female |
| Born | June 21, 2011 Bloomington, Indiana, U.S. |
| Died | December 1, 2019 (aged 8) Bloomington, Indiana, U.S. |
| Occupation | Model, Cat |
| Owner | Mike Bridavsky |
| Weight | 3.9 lb (1.8 kg) |
Lil Bub, whose full name was Lil BUB, was a famous American cat. She was born on June 21, 2011, and passed away on December 1, 2019. Lil Bub became well-known because of her special look. Her pictures first appeared online in November 2011. She quickly became very popular on social media, with millions of "likes" on Facebook. Lil Bub also starred in a documentary film called Lil Bub & Friendz. This movie won an award at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2013.
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About Lil Bub
Lil Bub was the smallest kitten in her group, known as the runt. Her mother was a feral cat, meaning she lived in the wild. Lil Bub was born with several unique features due to genetic differences. She needed to be bottle-fed and it was hard for her to find a home.
Lil Bub had a severe type of feline dwarfism. This made her legs and lower jaw much smaller than the rest of her body. Because her lower jaw was short, her tongue always stayed out of her mouth. Her owner, Mike Bridavsky, adopted her when his friends asked him to give her a home. When Mike first met her, he said, "Hey, Bub!"
Lil Bub also had a bone condition called osteopetrosis. This condition made her bones very dense and fragile. She received medicine to help her with this. Her short legs and bone condition made it hard for her to move around easily. But people often described her as a "fantastic waddler."
Scientists even studied Lil Bub's genome (her complete set of DNA). They wanted to understand why she looked so unique. For example, she had extra toes on her paws. This study found a specific gene change in Lil Bub. This same gene change has also been found in some mice and humans.
Mike Bridavsky sold many items with Lil Bub's picture on them. He gave a lot of the money from these sales to animal rescue groups. This helped other animals in need. Lil Bub also had a book called Lil Bub’s Lil Book: The Extraordinary Life of the Most Amazing Cat on the Planet. It was released in 2013. In 2021, another book about her life, Lil BUB: The Earth Years, came out.
Meeting Fans and Helping Animals
Mike Bridavsky organized special "meet and greet" events for Lil Bub and her fans. These events often took place at animal shelters across the United States. The shelters received donations and a share of the money from merchandise sales. This helped them care for more animals.
Lil Bub also took part in a campaign for PETA. This campaign encouraged people to spay and neuter their pets. This helps control pet populations and keeps animals healthy.
Lil Bub even met another famous internet cat, Grumpy Cat, at a special film festival. She also had a book signing event for her new book. A movie screening of Lil Bub & Friendz helped raise money for an animal shelter. In 2019, Lil Bub attended an event on the USS Hornet (CV-12), a famous ship.
Lil Bub on TV and in Movies
Lil Bub appeared on several TV shows. She was on Good Morning America in 2012 and Today and The View in 2013. She also did photoshoots for magazines.
She was featured in a YouTube comedy show with famous actors. Lil Bub also appeared in two movies. In the 2016 film Nine Lives, she played a cat whose body was taken over by a human soul. Her last movie appearance was in I'll Be Next Door for Christmas in 2018, where she played a cat named Parsley.
In 2015, an album called Science & Magic was released under Lil Bub's name. Mike Bridavsky produced it. The album featured Lil Bub's own sounds mixed into electronic music.
Lil Bub in Japan
Lil Bub's life story was shown on a Japanese TV show called Experience a Miracle – Unbelievable. Her story was a big part of a special "Animal Special" episode. The show even had an actor play Mike Bridavsky.
Lil Bub & Friendz Documentary
Lil Bub was the star of the documentary Lil Bub & Friendz. This film was directed by Andy Capper and Juliette Eisner. It first showed at the Tribeca Film Festival in April 2013. The movie also featured other famous internet cats like Keyboard Cat, Nyan Cat, and Grumpy Cat. The directors decided to make the film after seeing how popular internet cat videos were. Lil Bub & Friendz won an award at the Tribeca Online Festival.
Lil Bub, Mike, and the directors attended a special outdoor screening of the movie. Lil Bub even had a chance to meet fans and take pictures. The co-head of the festival, Robert De Niro, also met Lil Bub.
On Lil Bub's second birthday in 2013, it was announced she would have her own web series called Lil BUB's Big SHOW. Mike Bridavsky had full creative control over the show. It was a talk show where Lil Bub's "words" were subtitled. Her first guest was famous actress Whoopi Goldberg. The show also helped promote Tabby's Place, a cat sanctuary that helps cats in need.
Lil Bub's Passing
Lil Bub passed away peacefully in her sleep on December 1, 2019. Mike Bridavsky shared that Lil Bub had been battling a serious bone infection before she died.
See also
In Spanish: Lil Bub para niños
- List of individual cats
