Famed Feline

[dropcap class=”kp-dropcap”]L[/dropcap]ooking at Lil BUB can feel like an out-of-this-world experience.

Lil BUB’s walleyed eyes, protruding tongue and exceptionally cute appearance helped this one-of-a-kind cat gain international fandom and help advocate for special needs and homeless pets with positivity and acceptance. She also discovered a new purpose recently after her owner shared her experience using hemp-derived CBD oil, making her become a public face for medical cannabis and CBD hemp oil use for pets.

Lil BUB was discovered as the runt of a feral litter and was recognized immediately as a cat with special needs. Mike Bridavsky took her in to live in his apartment with him after several friends shared pictures of the singularly unique kitten. Bridavsky already owned four other adopted cats that live at his Russian Recording studio in Bloomington, Indiana.

The now four-pound, seven-year-old cat has several conditions that make her healthcare a unique challenge. Her conditions include dwarfism, an underdeveloped lower jaw, no teeth, one extra toe on each paw and osteopetrosis, which causes her bones to gradually grow denser as she ages. Bridavsky has used a variety of treatments to help Lil BUB live her life to the fullest, including Reiki, energy healing and pulsed electromagnetic field therapy with an Assisi Loop. Bridavsky said he prefers more alternative treatments since traditional ones left her listless. “She doesn’t respond very well to those,” he said.

“She’s been spryer and more with it than ever before.”

Her internet fame started as a YouTube video of Lil BUB as a playful kitten pouncing on camera and now includes several social media channels, including over three million likes on Facebook. Her playful nature, unique chirping sounds and precociously protruding tongue make her a unique addition to the viral age of feline internet sensations.

She is a published “author,” has her own merchandise line including plushies in her likeness, and starred in an award-winning VICE Media documentary about internet cats called Lil BUB & Friendz. Lil BUB and her “dude,” Bridavsky, have also created Lil BUB’s Big FUND for the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, which provides grants to shelters to assist with special needs care.

For the last year, Lil BUB has been taking hemp-derived CBD oil daily to manage her discomfort from her debilitating conditions.

“Her mood and spirit seemed to be lifted,” said Bridavsky, who said after reviewing one of her older videos, he noticed a marked change in level over the years. The challenge with a cat like Lil BUB, who has several medical condition, is being able to track how the oil is benefitting her. “Everything with BUB seemed to be a question mark,” he said, noting a cat with one conditions, like seizures, would be easier to track the response from the treatment.

His followers have surprised him with the amount of support showered on Lil BUB’s recent pet CBD hemp oil campaign with cbdMD, which has been featured in recent social media posts. “Overall, extremely positive,” he said, noting some 95 percent of comments were in support of the treatment option. Videos and images depict her happily playing with cat toys and scampering around, something that was a challenge more recently as her osteopetrosis condition grows worse, making it hard for her to move around. “She’s been spryer and more with it than ever before,” he said.

Many commenters mentioned their own administering of CBD oil to their pets for treatment of various ailments and, sometimes, their own use. Comments also thanked Bridavsky for discussing the treatment option openly.

“I always recommend to talk to your vet before giving anything to your own pets,” said Bridavsky, who said he had met with Lil BUB’s vet and received their approval before giving her any CBD oil. He echoes that advice in the comments section of posts, including to the few skeptics who comment adversely about the CBD oil treatment, citing the lack of data about it.

Considering her small size, Bridavsky slowly worked Lil BUB up to a current two 300mg dropperfuls of CBD oil, which she happily takes. He acknowledges that is a high dose for a four-pound cat. He also administers CBD oil to one of his recording studio cats, Special Agent Dale Cooper, to help with his arthritis.

Bridavsky said it was a great idea that the California legislature is currently considering Assembly Bill 2215 that would regulate cannabis for pets just like how it is for adults in California and empowering more veterinarians to recommend this type of treatment. Similarly in New York, Assemblywoman Amy Paulin recently introduced an amendment, Bill No A10104, which would allow pets to have access to medical cannabis. In addition, the potential of CBD on epileptic dogs is currently being tested at Colorado State University College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences.

“Cannabis-derived CBD contains a lot more cannabinoids,” he said, noting that a cannabis-based full-spectrum oil could have medical properties beyond hemp-derived CBD oil. “I think it would be great to legally give it to your pet if they would benefit.”

Lilbub.com