Faded Fame
The 2010s were a golden era for viral animal videos. Back when YouTube ruled the internet, some of the most unexpected celebrities weren’t actors or singers, they were pets. Cats, dogs, even monkeys and giraffes captured millions of hearts, popping up on our feeds with their quirks, talents, or just plain adorableness. These furry stars didn’t need a script to be funny or relatable. But as quickly as they rose to fame, many quietly disappeared, leaving behind just a few clips, some fond memories, and a whole lot of fan nostalgia. Here’s a look back at 11 unforgettable animal stars who once took over YouTube, and where they are now.
1. Grumpy Cat
Grumpy Cat (real name Tardar Sauce) became the face of countless memes in the early 2010s with her perpetually cranky expression. A single Reddit post in 2012 launched her into instant stardom, turning this petite Arizona-born feline into one of the internet’s first “petfluencers” with book deals and even a wax figure in Madame Tussauds.
At the height of her fame, Grumpy Cat’s frown was universally recognized as the symbol of displeasure online. Sadly, after several years of making fans smile with her famous frown, Grumpy Cat passed away in May 2019 at the age of 7 due to complications from a urinary tract infection. With her passing, the daily updates and global tours ceased, but her grumpy legacy continues to live on in old videos and memes that still circulate today.
Source: theguardian.com
2. Lil Bub
Lil Bub was a tiny tabby cat with big green eyes, a tongue that lolled out, and extra toes; these were the features that made her an endearing oddball and viral sensation around 2012. Rescued as a runt from a tool shed, Lil Bub’s unique look (caused by genetic anomalies) and gentle demeanor captured hearts worldwide. Her owner, Mike Bridavsky, started by sharing photos on Tumblr, and soon a BuzzFeed article sent Bub’s fame soaring, leading to a Good Morning America appearance and millions of social media followers.
Over the years, this “perma-kitten” helped raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for animal charities and even had her own web series. In December 2019, at 8 years old, Lil Bub died peacefully in her sleep after battling a persistent bone infection. With her passing, her YouTube channel and Instagram went quiet
Source: people.com
3. Keyboard Cat
Keyboard Cat was an early viral superstar whose meme took off in 2009 and continued well into the 2010s. The original short clip, actually filmed on VHS back in 1984, featured a cat named Fatso playing a jaunty tune on a keyboard. That video remained relatively obscure until it was uploaded to YouTube years later and “launched a synth-keyboard-playing feline into Internet stardom” around 2009.
The meme became so popular that the cat’s owner, Charlie Schmidt, introduced a second “Keyboard Cat” in 2010; a mellow tabby named Bento to keep the spirit alive. Bento starred in new YouTube skits, commercials, and live appearances and fans adored seeing him “play” catchy tunes. In March 2018, beloved Bento succumbed to liver cancer at age 9, as his owner announced with a touching YouTube tribute. With Bento’s passing, the era of Keyboard Cat largely came to an end.
Source: washingtonpost.com
4. Colonel Meow
Colonel Meow became an internet sensation in 2012 as the self-proclaimed “World’s Angriest Cat.” This Himalayan Persian mix was rescued as a kitten and adopted by Anne Marie Avey, who began posting his photos with comically cranky captions. By late 2012, Colonel Meow’s Facebook page went viral. His #SpreadTheFrown hashtag and scowling memes took off, garnering over 350,000 followers within a year.
In 2013, he was officially recognized by Guinness for having the longest fur of any cat, further cementing his celebrity. Tragically, Colonel Meow died in January 2014 at only 2 years old. His owners had revealed he suffered heart problems a few months prior. The news of his passing was announced on Facebook with a heartfelt note left the internet, “paw-sitively heartbroken”. With that, the steady stream of new Colonel Meow content stopped.
Source: time.com
5. Mishka the Talking Husky
Mishka shot to fame around 2010 when a home video of her howling “I love you” went mega-viral, racking up over 100 million views. In the clip, the fluffy brown-and-white Husky clearly tries to mimic the phrase back to her owner, melting hearts everywhere. She didn’t stop at “I love you”, Mishka’s words grew to include funny conversations where she’d say “no” or even sing along in howls.
Mishka essentially became a canine celebrity, with a YouTube channel boasting over half a billion views featuring Mishka and her dog siblings. Fans followed her through the years as she celebrated holidays, “spoke” new phrases, and lived a full doggy life. In April 2017, Mishka’s family announced that the 14-year-old Husky had passed away after a battle with cancer. With Mishka’s death, one of YouTube’s first talking animal phenomenons quietly faded.
Source: gmanetwork.com
6. Gabe the Dog
Gabe was a small, fluffy Bichon-Frise/Pomeranian mix with an oddly enthusiastic bark that fans describe as a “bork.” In 2013–2016, countless YouTube remixes popped up where Gabe’s barking was edited perfectly in time with music from pop songs to video game themes birthing the “Bork Remix” meme genre, and he gained a devoted subreddit and fandom. The actual dog behind the meme, who lived in Canada with owner Jesse Hamel, had no idea he was an online superstar.
That is, until Hamel sadly informed Gabe’s fan community that the pup had been struggling with heart disease and passed away on January 20, 2017. The news hit the meme world hard and tributes poured in, including an animated send-off of Gabe barking among the stars. After Gabe’s death, the torrent of new bork remixes slowed to a trickle.
Source: mikennemonic.fandom.com
7. Tillman the Skateboarding Bulldog
A YouTube video of Tillman zooming on a skateboard at a California beach in 2007 astonished viewers, accumulating over 20 million views. By 2009, Tillman’s skill earned him a Guinness World Record as the fastest skateboarding dog (he bulldozed through 100 meters in 19.67 seconds!). With his short legs, low center of gravity, and obvious enthusiasm, the stocky bulldog became a media darling, appearing on TV shows and leading a pack of trick dogs on a reality series.
Unfortunately, in late 2015, Tillman’s ride came to an end. He died at age 10 after experiencing a sudden heart issue (an irregular heartbeat) that vets couldn’t correct. His owner, Ron Davis, announced the sad news and remembered Tillman as his best friend who made “millions of people smile throughout the world”. With Tillman gone, his social media presence went quiet and his skateboards were retired.
Source: theguardian.com
8. Boo the “World’s Cutest Dog”
Boo amassed an astonishing amount of followers on Facebook at his peak. and rose to fame in 2010 after pop star Kesha jokingly tweeted about him, and from there Boo’s cutesy photos went viral worldwide. This tiny pup landed book deals, a line of stuffed animals, and even the title of official “pet liaison” of an airline for a time. Boo’s daily posts, whether donning costumes or just being adorable, brought joy to countless fans.
In early 2019, Boo’s family announced that the 12-year-old pup had passed away in his sleep. He had shown signs of heart trouble after Buddy died a year prior, and his owners poignantly remarked that “we think his heart literally broke when Buddy left us”. Boo’s death marked the end of an era for his millions of followers and his Facebook page stopped posting new updates of Boo’s daily life.
Source: en.wikipedia.org
9. Fenton the Deer-Chasing Labrador
A black Labrador in London had his unscripted mischief become a viral video in November 2011. In the famous 47-second clip filmed by a passerby in Richmond Park, Fenton takes off after a huge herd of deer, while his frantic owner sprints behind, repeatedly shouting “Fenton! FENTON!” (and even a panicked “Jesus Christ!” as the chase nears a road). The comedic timing made the video an instant hit on YouTube. Within days, over a million people had watched the chaos unfold.
The clip sparked endless remixes, spoof reenactments, and even a popular ringtone of the owner yelling “Fenton!”. After the meme frenzy, however, Fenton and his owner retreated from the spotlight just as quickly as they had burst into it. Apart from a few interviews clarifying the backstory, there were no official Fenton social media pages or follow-up videos, and Fenton returned to being a normal, anonymous pet.
Source: telegraph.co.uk
10. Darwin the Ikea Monkey
Darwin the “Ikea Monkey” became a viral sensation in December 2012 after he was found wandering a Toronto Ikea parking lot around the store entrance in a stylish winter coat! Photos and videos of Darwin’s escapade exploded online and on YouTube, making him one of the strangest animal celebrities of the decade. It turned out the 6-month-old monkey had escaped his owner’s car (he cleverly unlocked his crate and the door) and went looking for company in Ikea.
Toronto authorities, however, were not amused by the primate shopper owning such a monkey as a pet was illegal, so Darwin was seized and his owner fined. The adorable images of “Ikea Monkey” in his little coat spawned memes and even a parody Twitter account, but Darwin’s public life was short-lived. He was soon placed at Story Book Farm, a primate sanctuary, far from the media buzz of the city.
Source: globalnews.ca
11. April the Giraffe
April the Giraffe became an unlikely YouTube star in early 2017, when Animal Adventure Park (in upstate New York) set up a live webcam for her impending calf delivery. The sight of this gentle giant pacing in her stall and the anticipation of a baby giraffe had viewers hooked. Over several months, more than 232 million live views accumulated, making April’s stream the second most-watched live event in YouTube history at the time.
When she finally gave birth to a healthy calf named Tajiri in April 2017, up to 1.2 million people were watching simultaneously and cheering. After the viral frenzy, life quieted down for April. By 2021, the elderly giraffe began suffering from arthritis. In April 2021, at the age of 20, April was peacefully euthanized due to her worsening condition. The zoo announced her passing with heartfelt tributes.
Source: theguardian.com
Each of these animals made the internet a brighter, warmer place for a while, and though they’ve vanished from the public eye, their legacy lives on in our memories (and in classic YouTube clips). If reading this made you smile, consider revisiting some of those old viral videos, you might be surprised how heartwarming they still are. And feel free to share your favorite forgotten animal star in the comments.
