There’s no denying that cats have become the internet’s most beloved animal. Sure, funny dog posts pop up from time to time. But let’s face it—felines have taken over the World Wide Web, from videos, down to memes. Perhaps it’s due to their innate cuteness. Maybe it’s because they’re quite expressive creatures. Whatever the reason, netizens just seem to love them.

A handful of cats went on to become internet superstars. Let’s get to meet a few of these famous felines:

Tardar Sauce

This feline is popularly known by netizens as Grumpy Cat, who was born on April 4, 2012. Her famous facial expression is due to feline dwarfism and an underbite. Despite her sulky expression, her owners assure that Tardar Sauce is quite the happy kitty. “She’s super frisky, especially between 3 and 6 a.m.—when you’re trying to get your deepest sleep, she’s wanting to play,” says owner Tabatha Bundesen.

Tardar Sauce took the internet by storm after Tabatha’s brother, Bryan, uploaded a photo of the cat on Reddit back in September 2012. She bagged Buzzfeed’s Meme of the Year award at the 2013 Webby Awards. She even published a book (Grumpy Cat: A Grumpy Book) that became a New York Times best seller.

Tabatha notes that the feline has made a positive impact in her life. She gets to travel and spend more time with her daughter, Crystal. She also gets to see Bryan more often than she used to, pointing out that she only got to encounter him “once or twice in every 10 years.”

Lil Bub

This cute cat hails from Bloomington, Indiana. She was found on July 2011 as the runt of a litter. Owner Mike Bridavsky found her after a friend sent him a photo of the feline. She suffers from dwarfism and is dubbed as a “permakitten,” meaning that her kitten-like state will remain with her for the rest of her life. She also has twenty-two claws—take note than an average cat only has eighteen.

Notice how her cute little tongue sticks out? It’s because her lower jaw is quite shorter than her upper jaw. Another contributor is the absence of her teeth, which never grew in. Despite being toothless, Lil Bub is still able to eat her food without any problems.

Like Grumpy Cat, Lil Bub shot to fame via Reddit. At the suggestion of a friend, Mike created a Tumblr account for the purpose of documenting the feline’s life. After one photo got featured in Reddit’s front page, the cat went viral. Lil Bub uses her online celebrity status to champion the causes of pets with special needs, like herself. She and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) teamed up to establish Lil Bub’s Big Fund, which helps out animals with special needs with shelter problems.

Colonel Meow

The rescue cat broke the Guinness World Record for the cat with the longest fur, gracing the 2014 edition of their book, which was released on September 12. He is also known for his scowl, which amused many netizens around the world. He passed away on January 2014 due to health problems.

Maru

Last on the list is the Scottish Fold cat that has been dubbed as “the most famous cat on the internet.” The feline likes being the center of attention, often acting silly to get people’s eyes on him. He’s quite fond of playing with water. Maru’s love for boxes began when he was still a kitten. He liked playing with them, and they often served as his bed.

Although his blog was set up in November 2007, his first video on YouTube was uploaded on July 2008. Since then, the feline has endeared the hearts of millions of viewers through his lovable antics.

References

Cohn, Maria, and Lee, Evelyn. 2013. “25 Things You Didn’t Know about Lil Bub.” Complex, April 15. Accessed May 8, 2017. http://www.complex.com/style/2013/04/25-things-you-didnt-know-about-lil-bub/.

Grumpy Cat. “About Grumpy Cat.” Accessed May 8, 2017. https://www.grumpycats.com/about.

Grumpy Cat. “Grumpy Cat Wins Meme of the Year at the 17th Annual Webby Awards!” Accessed May 8, 2017. https://www.grumpycats.com/post/mD5nPgYaui/grumpy-cat-wins-meme-of-the-year-at-the-17th-annual-webby-awards.

Guinness World Records. 2013. “Colonel Meow, the Cat with the Longest Fur, Makes It into the New Guinness World Records 2014 Book.” Accessed May 8, 2017. http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/news/2013/8/colonel-meow-the-cat-with-the-longest-fur-50832/.

Lil Bub. “About Bub.” Accessed May 8, 2017. http://www.lilbub.com/about.Love Meow. 2010. “Interview with Maru the Cat.” Accessed May 8, 2017. http://www.lovemeow.com/interview-with-maru-the-cat-1608006401.html.

McCarthy, Erin. 2013. “16 Fun Facts about Grumpy Cat.” Mental Floss, October 16. Accessed May 8, 2017. http://mentalfloss.com/article/53217/16-fun-facts-about-grumpy-cat.

Stern, Marlow. 2013. “Lil Bub, The World’s Cutest Cat, Stars in Documentary Lil Bub & Frendz in Tribeca.” Daily Beast, April 19. Accessed May 8, 2017. http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/04/19/lil-bub-the-world-s-cutest-cat-stars-in-documentary-lil-bub-friendz-at-tribeca.

Tata, Samantha. 2014. “Internet Star and Record-Holding Feline Colonel Meow Dies.” NBC Los Angeles, January 2014. Accessed May 8, 2017. http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/Colonel-Meow-Internet-Famous-Rescue-Cat-Himalayan-Persian-Dies-242859641.html.

The Conscious Cat. 2014. “An Interview with Lil Bub’s “Dude”—Part One: How it All Began.” Accessed May 8, 2017. http://consciouscat.net/2014/04/27/exclusive-interview-with-lil-bubs-dude/.

Turner, Amy-Mae. 2010. “The Million Dollar Question: Why Does the Web Love Cats?” Mashable, October 22. Accessed May 8, 2017. http://mashable.com/2010/10/21/why-does-the-web-love-cats/#2HxM4DSZd5qV.

The post Tardar Sauce, Lil Bub, and Other Famous Cats on the Internet appeared first on Picky The Marvelous Chicken.