Addio Lil Bub: muore a 8 anni una delle cat-celebrities più amate del Web

Dopo Grumpy Cat scompare un’altra cat-celebrity da milioni dai fan sui social: all’età di otto anni si è spenta Lil Bub, amatissima gattina che contava 2,4 milioni di follower su Instagram e oltre 3 milioni su Facebook.

Lil Bub era su Instagram dal 2011 e aveva un grande seguito di ammiratori, anche grazie alle sue caratteristiche fisiche: era affetta da nanismo felino, una malattia molto rara per i gatti, aveva un dito in più per zampa e non aveva i denti inferiori. A causa della sua malattia spesso teneva la lingua fuori, e così veniva frequentemente ritratta nelle foto.

Il suo proprietario, Mike Bridavsky, ha annunciato la morte della gatta con un post sui social, su Facebook e Instagram. «La mattina di domenica 1 dicembre 2019 abbiamo perso la forza vivente più pura, più gentile e più magica del nostro pianeta».

 

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This is my first photo with BUB next our last photo together. 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. But most importantly, BUB has made a huge difference in the world of animal welfare, and in the lives of millions of people worldwide. She has literally saved thousands of lives (both pets and humans), she started the first national fund for special needs pets, she was the subject of groundbreaking genetic and biological research, she’s helped raise over $700,000 for animals in need, and has spread a message of determination, positivity, and perseverance to people all over the world. 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. Dearest BUB, I will never forget your generosity, your limitless supply of love, or your uncanny ability to bring so much magic and joy to the world. I am forever honored and humbled that you chose me as your caretaker. Please visit all of us in our dreams o

A post shared by Lil BUB (@iamlilbub) on Dec 2, 2019 at 9:25am PST

Lil Bub è stata tra i primi gatti a diventare famosi e virali sul Web, insieme a Grumpy Cat e Keyboard Cat, i cui meme sono molto noti e diffusi sul web. La piccola Lil Bub ha partecipato a una campagna di ricerca genetica per studiare le mutazioni genetiche nei felini e, attraverso diverse iniziative, ha contribuito alla raccolta di oltre 700mila dollari destinati ad animali bisognosi, attraverso l’American society for the prevention of cruelty to animals.

Il proprietario di Lil Bub ha dichiarato che, durante la sua vita, la sua gatta ha «diffuso un messaggio di determinazione, positività e perseveranza alle persone di tutto il mondo».