Maru the cat, known for his love of sitting in cardboard boxes, has died.
According to his owners, who made the announcement on the YouTube channel Mugumogu, Maru died on Sep 6 after being ill; a vet checkup later revealed he had a tumour in his lungs. He was 18.
A statement by his owners read: “Maru was usually laid-back, but in his very last moment he made an unexpected final sprint… Thank you for supporting Maru until his end.”
Maru, a Scottish Fold who lived in Japan, became famous on the internet for his love of boxes and his ability to comfortably fit himself into any sized receptacle.
His fame came after the ninth clip posted by his owner – of Maru jumping into small cardboard boxes and with his legs sticking out – went viral in 2008.
The Guinness World Records awarded Maru the record for the most views for an animal on YouTube in 2016 for garnering more than 325 million views. The record has since been broken.
Maru’s YouTube channel currently has almost 900,000 subscribers.
His death has saddened fans around the world with many paying tribute to him online, including on one Reddit thread.
One commenter wrote, “Loved him and his antics. Got me smiling through tough times. RIP sweet prince,” while another wrote, “RIP Maru the original if he fits he sits.”
Another admirer wrote: “I cried about this when I first heard this morning. I’ve been watching Maru videos for at least 15 years … I watched his birthday videos each year and associate some of the music his owner used with my daughter’s early years because we watched some of the videos so often.
He lived a long life where he was loved very much and treated like a prince – as well it should be for every cat.”
Source: CNA
-Agencies
