Tater Tot, the kitten who captured the hearts of everyone on the internet, has passed away after a week of illness.
His foster mother, Ash Houghton, broke the news to fans on Facebook saying: “Today, our tiny spud passed away suddenly in my hands.”
“His energy had been slowly decreasing over the last week or so and we were hoping it was an illness that antibiotics could treat.
“He also started showing signs of pneumonia a few days ago, and I had started pneumonia protocol with meds and a nebulizer.
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“Working in rescue is hard.
"We put so much love, care, literal blood, sweat and tears into trying to save as many animals as we can - sometimes they just don’t make it, and it is devastating.”
She asked if all Tater Tot fans, known as Spudbubs, could donate to their local cat shelter in Tater’s honour.
“This tiny little potato has had such a profound impact on my heart, and I am so unbelievably happy I got to share him with the entire world," Ash said.
“I want to thank every person here who has been in his corner cheering him on."
"It has been so beautiful to watch millions of people around the world unite over the life of one small little creature.”
Tater Tots’ fan base began to grow after pictures made their way to the adorable cat to the Facebook group ‘THIS CAT IS G R O M P Y’ in June.
Due to malformed legs, the kitten had four brightly coloured casts on his little feet.
He was also found with a cleft palate but it didn’t stop him from being an absolute cutie.
Tater Tot also went viral on TikTok back in July, with a video of him living out his dream of riding a Harley.
The video has had over 5.9 million views and nearly one million likes.
“I am sobbing,” reads one comment. “What a precious little baby.”
Another added: “This is the cutest grumpy baby on earth."
Houghton had continued to post updates of the kittens progress on the Facebook group as he battled through many visits to the vet.
“I hope that his resilience during his short time here continues to inspire people,” Houghton said.
“He was dealt a really tough hand with multiple health concerns, but he didn’t let that slow him down. He showed us that even if we have some struggles, there is always something to fight toward.”
There are donation options on the Kitty CrusAIDE website to help support and adopt other kittens like Tater Tot.
Velentina Boulter