Maru, Youtube Star Feline, Dies At 18

With his comical expressions and determination to squeeze in the tiniest of containers, Maru developed a loyal following. For a time, he held the record for the web’s most popular animal.

Maru the cat, who was once the most-viewed animal on the internet, passed away after a short battle with lung cancer.

The 18-year-old Scottish Fold was one of the first viral animal sensations on the video platform, and his videos have amassed a staggering 578 million views over the years. In 2017, Guinness World Records named him the most popular animal on the internet, lending credence to the joke that the internet was invented to share photos and videos of our feline overlords.

His name, which means “round” in Japanese, was an apt descriptor, and viewers found laughs and distraction while watching his antics. More often than not, his adventures included boxes and other containers he could barely fit in.

For Maru, the smaller the box, the bigger the challenge. Credit: Mugumogu/Youtube

Maru’s face was familiar even to people who weren’t big Youtube watchers, with internet users authoring several popular memes using his image over the years.

Maru’s human, who shared the bad news in a video, said she brought the little guy to the vet when his behavior changed and he stopped eating. His health rapidly deteriorated and he passed away on Sept. 6.

In one of his most-watched videos, the chonky Scottish Fold comically takes a tumble while trying to scale his cat tree, and demonstrates his dedication to laziness by laying on his back, half-heartedly batting his paws at a wand toy while his human tries to get him up.

In the video announcing Maru’s death, his human thanked his fans for being invested in his life for so many years.

“Maru was a laid-back and calm cat,” she wrote, “but at the very last moment he made a mad dash.”

Header image credit Mugumogu/Youtube

7 thoughts on “Maru, Youtube Star Feline, Dies At 18”

  3. My heartbreaks for Maru and his owner, and honestly it gives me shivers thinking of my own Oreo’s time here. I hope he lives to 18+. You just never know, so let’s just love all of our furry buddies, on fours, on two’s, with feathers, with shells, or scales, with all of their crazy, silly, lovable and not so lovable moments. Take a moment for Maru, and while there, take a time out for your Buddy. Speaking of, much love and thanks for letting us know of Maru’s passing and many scritches, head bumps, and hugs to you both, Big Buddy & Little Buddy (with the biggest meowscules ever) 🥺🫂 You’re always appreciated

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    1. 18 years is not enough, although I realize Bud and I would be fortunate to have 18 years together. I don’t like thinking about it because I’m a grown ass man reduced to trying to pathetically clamp down on my emotions as my eyes well up.

      Then I have to think about Bud being a jerk and waking me up by smacking me or whatever just to banish those thoughts. It doesn’t help that he’s more recently taken to waking me by purring loudly and rubbing his head against my face. I preferred it when he violently paw-slapped me or did cannonballs onto my stomach.

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    1. I’ve seen him in so many memes over the years without even knowing his name or realizing until recently that he was famous from Youtube. You know when there are just “meme cats” whose images are all over the place? That’s what I thought he was. RIP little dude.

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