A veces comprometidos y siempre lucrativos, los gatos de internet

Washington – AFP

Tienen millones de seguidores en Instagram: Lil Bub y Grumpy Cat son gatos que han brillado en internet, algunas veces como defensores de causas nobles y siempre como generadores de enormes ganancias financieras.

La emotividad desatada por la muerte hace una semana de la gata Lil Bub, después de ocho años de oficiar como celebridad en las redes sociales, muestra el alcance del fenómeno del estrellato animal en internet.

Reconocible por su lengua siempre colgante debido a una malformación de la mandíbula, el animal sufrió varias anomalías genéticas y su mentor, el productor musical Mike Bridavsky, fue narrando cada una en línea desde su adopción en 2011. La saga fue seguida por 3 millones de personas en la red Facebook, 2,4 millones en Instagram y más de 800.000 en Twitter.

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This is my first photo with BUB next our last photo together. On the morning of Sunday, December 1st 2019 we lost the purest, kindest and most magical living force on our planet. BUB was cheerful and full of love laying in our bed with us Saturday night, but unexpectedly passed away peacefully in her sleep.. I have always been fully transparent about BUB's health, and it was no secret that she was battling a persistent and aggressive bone infection. Even knowing this, we weren't expecting her to pass so soon or so abruptly without warning. 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. It is impossible to put into words the profound effect that BUB has had on my life, on the lives of thousands of homeless pets, and on the lives of those of you that have cared for her as if she were your own family. She taught me everything that I know about unconditional love, she brought my wife Stacy and I together, she's the reason we have our beautiful children Rosco and Lula, and she has been a constant source of warmth and love in our lives for the past 8 years. To say that our family is devastated would be an understatement. But most importantly, BUB has made a huge difference in the world of animal welfare, and in the lives of millions of people worldwide. She has literally saved thousands of lives (both pets and humans), she started the first national fund for special needs pets, she was the subject of groundbreaking genetic and biological research, she's helped raise over $700,000 for animals in need, and has spread a message of determination, positivity, and perseverance to people all over the world. And even though my heart is absolutely crushed by her graceful departure from planet Earth, I know that her sprit, magic, and overwhelming energy are still with us, reminding us every day to be better. Dearest BUB, I will never forget your generosity, your limitless supply of love, or your uncanny ability to bring so much magic and joy to the world. I am forever honored and humbled that you chose me as your caretaker. Please visit all of us in our dreams o

A post shared by Lil BUB (@iamlilbub) on Dec 2, 2019 at 9:25am PST

El genoma de Lil Bub había sido develado como parte de un proyecto científico que investigadores de la Universidad de Missouri comenzaron en mayo de 2015 sobre las variaciones genéticas en el origen de sus malformaciones.

"Bub ha marcado una gran diferencia en el campo de la salud animal y ha cambiado la vida de millones de personas en todo el mundo", dijo Bridavsky, quien alardeó de haber recolectado 700.000 dólares para "animales necesitados en el mundo". Una suma que podrían envidiar organizaciones benéficas que trabajan para seres humanos.

Debajo de las fotos del animal, los tributos se acumulan en línea, como este suscriptor que se lamenta en Instagram: "Descansa en paz, Lil Bub, cambiaste tantas vidas por tu amor y tu espíritu de lucha. No podrás ser reemplazada, pero siempre estarás presente en nuestra memoria". (E)