I featured some of the best Instagram cat accounts to follow if you love looking at cute, funny, and interesting cat pics.
Or maybe you’re just interested in Instagram and the how’s and why’s these kitties have become so famous?
Whatever the reason, these Instagram accounts are huge. There are loads of famous cats on Instagram that have hundreds of thousands and even millions of followers.
They also generate their owner’s thousands, and in some cases hundreds of thousands of dollars.
One such cat is Lil Bub. She is one of the most famous cats on Instagram and at the time of writing this had around 1.7 million followers.
She is also the cutest kitty of the bunch in my opinion and has quite the story.
Which is why I thought I’d write up this article introducing you all to Lil Bub, providing some of her background, and how she has become one of the most famous cats on the internet.
Who Is Lil Bub?
Some of Lil Bub’s Best Instagram Photos
What Is Wrong with Bub the Cat?
You may have noticed that Lil Bub has some genetic anomalies. Which have been described as being responsible for ‘one of nature’s happiest accidents,’ which I think is an awesome explanation.
Bub is a ‘perma-kitten‘, which I will explain in more detail. This basically means she will always be the size of a kitten and keep those cute kitten-like features. Often mistaken for a kitten because of this, but Bub is actually 6 years old.
She also has feline dwarfism, which has caused her limbs to be disproportionate to the rest of her body. This causes her some difficulty moving around, and she can’t perform all the agile movements of a normal cat.
You will also have noticed her tongue hangs out. This is because her lower jaw has never fully formed and she is missing some teeth.
She is also polydactyl, which means she has extra toes. One extra toe on each paw in fact, which means this unique kitty has a total of 22 toes!
As far as I can find out Bub is also the only cat on record to have been diagnosed with osteopetrosis. A rare bone condition that causes the bones to harden making mobility more difficult over time.
So, quite the list of health conditions. But with the exceptional love and care she receives from her owner Bub is able to live as normal a life as possible (while being an internet celebrity).
Lil Bub was barely able to move. It was down to Mike trying a few different treatments. It was pulsed electromagnetic field therapy that made the biggest difference and had Bub on her feet and moving around.
Lil Bub is certainly able to eat well, just check this video of her Thanksgiving:
What Is a Perma Kitten?
The details on the exact cause of this condition are thin. It’s basically a condition and a term for genetic anomalies that cause cats to keep their kitten features and not grow to the size of a normal cat.
How Old Is Bub the Cat?
Lil Bub was discovered in July 2011. She was a few weeks old at the time, so at the time of writing this (March 2018) Lil Bub is coming up on 7 years old.
Where Does Bub the Cat Live?
Lil Bub lives with her owner Mike Bridavsky in Bloomington, Indiana, US. She has been all over the states however and often does meet and greets, appearances, and so on.
Warning! This might be one of the cutest videos you’ve ever seen:
What is Lil Bub’s Net Worth?
This is always a point of interest for people. Only Mike, his accountants, (and maybe Lil Bub) know for sure how much they are making and worth, but MSN Money estimates he makes about $30k per/yr from YouTube ad revenue.
Then there is the store selling all kinds of merchandise. Bub makes guest appearances, sponsors goods, and has had films and documentaries made about her.
All of which are probably ringing the cash register. It would be crazy to throw some numbers up and guestimate how much Bub and her owner are worth. But I think you get a good idea.
Why Is Lil Bub so Famous?
The pictures speak for themselves, right?
Lil Bub, for all her abnormalities, is one of the cutest cats on the planet. It’s kind of like taking some unfortunate circumstances and turning it into something good.
Her owner donates a lot of money to cat charities, shelters, and so on, and has raised a lot of awareness for cats in need. So there are various good things that have come out of her internet stardom.
Her videos have been seen by millions. This is one of the Lil Bub Christmas videos that has had almost 4 million views:
It’s just Bub hanging out in front of an open fire, but it’s heartwarming I’m sure you’ll agree.
She also has almost 2 million followers on Instagram, started out on Tumblr, has 600k+ followers on Google+, 600k+ followers on Twitter, and 3 million + likes on Facebook.
It’s quite the task keeping all of her social media profiles updated, answering fan mail and business inquiries, and so on, so it’s no surprise being Lil Bub’s owner has become a full-time business.
I always saw this cat around online and wondered what the deal was with him, really interesting post thanks.
Some of those pictures, so cute!
Hi Mark, yeah, Lil Bub is a real internet celebrity cat. Now you know who he is you’ll see him popping up here and there I bet.