Recently deceased feline Lil BUB has been considered one of the most famous cats on Earth. Now, after her death, she may become one of the most famous cats in the galaxy.
Her owner, Mike Bridavsky, said he intends to send her remains into orbit.
Lil BUB, an American celebrity cat famous for her social media and charity work, died in her sleep Dec. 1, 2019. She was 8.
She rocketed to popularity in 2011 for her other-worldly appearance, with her pink, lolling tongue and green bulging eyes. She gained millions of followers online and appeared on "Good Morning America" and in an award-winning documentary.
Bridavsky, 39, said he has always considered her an “alien cat” because she had an energy not of this planet. He joked that she came to Earth to make it a better place.
“Well, she came from space, so I think it’s fitting to put her back into space,” Bridavsky said.
Bridavsky said he has been planning to send Lil BUB’s remains into space for almost three years. It’s one reason he decided to cremate her.
Cremation made BUB more compact — more suitable for space travel.
Bridavsky has already been in contact with Purdue University, a place BUB had visited a few times for emergency vet care, to develop a vessel to carry her remains into orbit.
BUB won’t be the only cat sent into the stratosphere.
The first cat in space, Félicette, was launched in 1963 and safely returned to Earth. In January, an Oregon man launched a fundraiser to provide his cat, Pikachu, a space burial. Pikachu is currently on the “Horizon Flight” provided by Celestis Pets, despite the GoFundMe never reaching the $5,000 goal.
Bridavsky’s plan is to create a pod-shaped satellite that has a camera attached to it.
He also wants to create subscription-based charitable-giving system. Every time Bub completes one orbit, a certain amount of money will be deducted from subscribers’ accounts and donated to veterinary research and Lil BUB’s BIG Fund, a partnership between Lil BUB and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals that has raised more than $420,000 for special needs pets.
“It’s a way to continue her legacy and for people to still be able to connect with her,” Bridavsky said.
He said BUB didn’t care about fame.
“She does care about reaching a lot of people and helping them,” he said.
She was a powerful presence that took the form of a strange cat, Bridavsky said. In the future, she will take on her next form: a space pod.
“One way or another, my plan is to send her remains to orbit Earth,” Bridavsky said.
