Internet darling and cat celebrity Lil Bub launched into Tumblr fame in November 2011 due to her "perma-kitten" appearance. Today the kitty has 153,000 Facebook likes, a documentary, a soon-to-be web series, and recently announced book deal.
Although Bub looks like she took a sip from the kitten fountain of youth, she actually suffers from a disease called osteopetrosis, an ailment which causes her bones to become too dense and overgrow. As a result of her condition, she has been in incredible pain and was unable to jump or even walk due to the unusual growth and shape of her bones.
Now, thanks to the assistance of a device called the Assisi Loop, Lil Bub has managed to make quite the recovery. The Assisi Loop, which uses an electromagnetic field to treat inflammatory conditions of the body, has allowed Lil Bub to regain the use of her extremities.
This is a huge turnaround from just last December when her owner, Mike, was told by veterinarians that in only a few weeks Lil Bub’s body parts would stop working, and that the possibility of having to put her down was not far off. But now, says Mike, “I’m still in shock a little at how much (the Loop) has helped. Yesterday she ran and jumped, picking up her toy twice.”
Congrats to both Mike and Bub on her recovery. We hope to see you on the "Procatinator" soon!
Drew DiSabatino is a viral writer for iVillage. Follow him on Twitter and Google+.
A version of this story originally appeared on iVillage.