How Lil Bub Inspires Us All

There is perhaps no more popular a past time on the Internet than cats. In recent years ordinary cats with extraordinary personalities like Grumpy Cat, Maru, Eyebrow Cat, and even Hitler Cat have taken the internet and people’s spare time by storm. YouTube videos of cute kittens have perhaps even flooded your Facebook or Instagram feeds and clogged up your email inbox. So what’s our obsession with these cute, cuddly creates and why are we so taken with them?

Lil Bub may have all the answers. A relatively new Internet celebrity, Lil Bub burst onto the scene almost 3 years ago and shot to unbelievable stardom, including providing her family an income from her inspiring story, entrepreneurial endeavors, and merchandise. I first learned about Lil Bub’s story on a show featuring internet celebrity cats and fell in love with her rescue story, adorable face, and her impressive ability to touch the hearts of people around the globe, no matter their background history, or culture. Continue reading to learn what’s so special about Lil Bub and how she inspires us all.

That Face

Lil Bub has a face to remember. She is in fact so unusual looking you may find yourself questioning if she is really a cat! She has prominent features including large, open eyes, petite nose, and a long tongue that often hangs out of her mouth. What’s not to love when you see eyes so full of life and the ambitious zest for life that you read on her face?

But why is Bub so unusual looking? Bub has a couple of very unusual conditions, not commonly found among the feline population. She has osteopetrosis and dwarfism, both which affect her bones, resulting in an underdeveloped jaw and facial bones, making her eyes more prominent and leaving her jaw underdeveloped. In addition, Bub was born without teeth, leaving her tongue to hang out of her mouth most of the time.

That Personality

While her face certainly grabs fan’s attention, it’s Bub’s loving, curious, adventurous personality that really speaks to her fan’s hearts. Her owner, Mike Bridavsky features Bub’s adventures daily on her Facebook and Instagram pages and films her latest experiences on YouTube.

Below are just some of the ways Bub’s fans would describe her personality:

Even with her tragic back story about how she came into the world, Bub has managed to overcome some big challenges in life and maintain her happy, loving persona. Even though she has deformities, short limbs, and no teeth, she doesn’t appear to be phased by it one bit. In fact, Bub is just like any other cat who loves to explore, play, and cuddle.

Check out her rambunctious streak in the video, below!

That Story

While fans might initially fall in love with Bub’s adorable face and striking personality, her back story will tug at your heart strings and make you love this little kitty even more!

Bub was born the runt of the litter to a feral cat momma. Her owner Mike’s friend asked him if he wanted to take a new kitty home (he already had several cats at home before adopting Bub) and he immediately fell in love. She was so tiny and Mike recognized that she would need some special care and TLC to bring her to good health.

As Lil Bub's website explains, Mike learned that she has a pronounced case of dwarfism, which makes her legs short and stubby. She was also diagnosed with osteopetrosis, a rare disease in cats that causes very low bone density. In fact, she is the only cat in recorded history to have been diagnosed! Some other unique oddities about Bub is that she has four extra toes, one on each foot, and an underdeveloped jaw, which causes her tongue to droop out of her mouth. Weighing in at only 4 pounds, she will likely remain her current size the rest of her life.

It’s not just Bub’s difficult start in life that makes her story amazing. It’s the love story between her and Mike. Mike was down on his luck financially when he met Bub. Mike often tells the media that Bub really saved his life. Near bankruptcy, Bub’s amazing story went viral not long after the two of them met and now Mike and Bub work on developing her media empire as their full time careers! This is a true story of how a man and his cat rescued each other.

That Reach

What a media empire this little 4 pound cat has built! Everywhere you look online, Bub is there. She frequently connects with fans on her Facebook page, her website, Instagram page, and she even has her own YouTube channel! Check out some of the features you can see on each of her online presences:

• Website

Bub’s website features her inspiring story, upcoming appearances, a link to the Bub Store where fans can purchase merchandise, and links to her other online social media links. Check out just some of the Bub inspired merchandise you can purchase on her website:

• Instagram

Check out Bub’s Instagram feed to see her latest poses, funny faces, and predicaments she gets herself into.

• Facebook

Her owner Mike features photos and videos on Facebook almost daily! It provides a great avenue to interact with fans as she often racks up hundreds if not thousands of likes and comments on every photo.

• YouTube

If you want to see Bub in live action then her YouTube channel is the place to be! Mike posts videos as often as possible. You can even watch Bub interview celebrities as part of “Lil Bub’s Big Show.”

Apart from online media mogul, you can now add “author” to Bub’s list of accomplishments. She recently published her book called “Lil Bub’s Lil Book: The Extraordinary Life of the Most Amazing Cat on the Planet.” As her website explains, the book features over a hundred photos of Bub and “tells the story of how she landed on Earth, found her dude, and their adventures together.”

That Entrepreneurial Spirit

Lil Bub has inspired people around the world with her entrepreneurial spirit. She is the epitome of the American Dream. Together, she and Mike dug themselves out of bankruptcy, developed an impressive online presence with millions of fans around the world, and just a short few years later have their own line of merchandise in addition to a documentary called “Lil Bub & Friendz”, talk show titled “Lil Bub’s Big Show”, and book! Check out some of the celebrities Bub has met and interviewed as part of her day job:

• Whoopi Goldberg
• Robert De Niro
• Michelle Obama
• Jackson Galaxy

She’s even been featured on national American television on shows like The View and Animal Planet.

Bub isn’t just cashing in for herself, however, she is an active philanthropist with her own ASPCA fund called “Lil Bub’s Big Fund” benefiting animals and raising funds for charity! What’s more inspiring than having a wealth of success and sharing your good fortune with others?

That Love

Perhaps the most inspiring thing about Bub is her ability to love. Mike lovingly refers to her as “one of nature’s happiest accidents.” The love between Mike and Bub is apparent, but the love Bub has for her fans is just as special. Hundreds of thousands of people look to Bub to put a smile on their face and provide a pick-me-up during their day. They tune in to see what she is up to, what she looks like, and her next greatest adventure. Even though they may be strangers, her fans hold a special place in their hearts and great love for this loveable, imperfect, special cat.

While bub may not be typical, perfect, or normal in any sense of the word, she teaches us all great lessons about how we all have something to offer and how we all have the capacity to love.

We all have our flaws. We are all dealing with challenges. None of us is perfect. But if we can open our hearts to others, life can be beautiful! We can have adventures. We can open our horizons. We can love. Just like Bub.

Are you a Lil Bub fan? What do you find inspiring about her? Share in the comments, below!