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- Lil Bub, the internet-famous cat with dwarfism, died unexpectedly in her sleep this weekend after struggling with a "persistent and aggressive bone infection."
- The 8-year-old cat rose to fame in 2011 after her owner, Mike Bridavsky, posted photos online showing Lil Bub's tiny size, lack of teeth, and tongue consistently hanging out of her mouth.
- Take a look at some of the best photos and highlights from Lil Bub's short life as a pet influencer and internet sensation.
- Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.
The internet-famous cat Lil Bub, known for her toothless appearance and tongue permanently hanging out of the mouth, died unexpectedly over the weekend.
Lil Bub was a genetic anomaly: She stopped growing at around four pounds, had no teeth, and her tongue hung out of her mouth. Despite being the runt of her litter, she became a celebrity after her owner posted photos of her online in 2011. She starred in ads and movies, and accrued millions of followers across Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
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"We weren't expecting her to pass so soon or so abruptly without warning," Bridavsky wrote. "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."
Here's all you need to know about Lil Bub, the cat who died this weekend at the age of 8: