TO THE STARS

Lil BUB’s Owner Wants to Send Her Ashes to Space in Satellite to Honor Famous Cat

Mike Bridavsky said he wanted to partner with Purdue University to make the big project a reality.

The owner of Lil BUB, the viral internet cat who died on Sunday, wants to launch a satellite into space with the cat’s ashes to honor its life. “Her backstory is that she came from space here to Earth to help us out in a lot of ways, which she has obviously done,” Mike Bridavsky told The Indianapolis Star. “I would like to send her back in her spaceship.” Bridavsky told the newspaper that he'd like to a partner with Purdue University to create a spaceship with a camera, which would let people on Earth see what space kitty Lil BUB sees. “The ultimate goal is to have the spaceship satellite in orbit,” he said. The cat, born with various medical issues, was previously treated by the university through its veterinary program.

Bridavsky also said he wanted to establish a charitable fund celebrating the satellite that would benefit veterinary research, a continuation of Lil BUB's advocacy work for special needs animals. Bridavsky reportedly acknowledged that it was a large project, but hoped for the best. In the meantime, Bridavsky said there could possibly be a public memorial service for Lil BUB in the city of Bloomington.