<\/video><\/figure>\n1. Surf Dog Ricochet<\/h2>\n Ricochet, the golden retriever, may not have gone extremely viral like some pets on this list, but she was special nonetheless. Originally a support pup, she became the first known dog to aid in surf therapy, advocating for veterans while riding the waves. Sadly, on March 31, 2023, her owner, Judy Fridono, found Ricochet struggling to breathe. A vet visit revealed cancer and a liver rupture, leading Fridono to make the heartbreaking decision to let her go at 15 years old. In an emotional Instagram post, Judy expressed her sadness and gratitude for the lives Ricochet touched, saying, “My heart is full of sadness and gratitude today. Sad because Ricochet is physically gone, and grateful for the long and triumph life she lived to the fullest… helping millions along the way.”<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n<\/video><\/figure>\n2. Keyboard Cats: Fatso & Bento<\/h2>\n You’ve likely seen the viral video featuring an orange tabby expertly pawing a keyboard.\u00a0That was Fatso, aka the original Keyboard Cat. The clip, recorded on VHS in 1984, wasn’t uploaded to YouTube until 2007, but it went massively viral. Fatso herself passed away in 1987, long before her rise to fame. Later came Bento, Fatso’s “successor,” who kept the Keyboard Cat legacy alive. He starred in ads and made appearances before passing away from liver cancer in 2018. Today, a new cat named Skinny keeps the act going, but Fatso and Bento remain the OG stars.<\/p>\n
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3. Henri, le Chat Noir<\/h2>\n Henri wasn’t just a cat: he was a thinker and a smart boy, just covered in fur. In a series of black-and-white YouTube shorts, he lamented the futility of life in French while sneering at his feline roommate (a.k.a. “the white imbecile”). Millions watched, and even Roger Ebert called it the best cat video of all time. Henri officially “retired” from film in 2018 but lived until December 2020, passing away at 17. His owner, Will Braden, told fans, “Henri lives on in the laughter he brought into your lives.”<\/p>\n
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<\/p>\n<\/video><\/figure>\n4. Marnie the Dog<\/h2>\n Marnie, the sweet Shih Tzu with the tilted head and floppy tongue, was found on the streets at around 10 years old. She was adopted by Shirley Braha and given a second shot at life. Once cleaned up and healthy, Marnie became a star, posing with celebrities like Betty White and Demi Lovato and racking up 1.5 million Instagram fans. She passed away peacefully on March 5, 2020, at the incredible age of 18. This best girl encouraged people to adopt senior dogs, and that’s more than enough.<\/p>\n
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5. Pot Roast<\/h2>\n Pot Roast, with her frazzled fur and sleepy face, became a TikTok staple. Adopted from a shelter for just $20, she came with a handful of health issues. Over time, she battled feline herpes, stomatitis, and eventually feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), which affected her bone marrow. She passed away on February 16, 2022, at the age of 7. Her human companion, known online as Pot Roast’s Mom, was devastated but very grateful for having Pot Roast in her life.<\/p>\n
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<\/p>\n6. Noodle the Pug<\/h2>\n Noodle rose to TikTok fame with the “Bones or No Bones” game, where his owner would sit him up each morning to see if he’d stand (Bones Day) or flop back down (No Bones Day). The outcome became a daily mood forecast for millions. Noodle passed away at 14.5 years old in 2022. His fans mourned the loss of the internet’s chillest pug, who reminded us that it’s OK to take a day off sometimes. It was a heck of a run.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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7. Lil Bub<\/h2>\n Lil Bub wasn’t your average cat. With her tiny frame, bulging eyes, and tongue that permanently stuck out, she melted hearts across the internet. Born with several genetic conditions, including dwarfism and a rare bone disorder, Bub defied the odds. Her odd look made her a social media star with 2.4 million Instagram followers, TV appearances, and even a book that she wrote herself (no, not really). Sadly, on December 1, 2019, Bub passed away in her sleep at age eight from complications due to a bone infection. Her owner, Mike Bridavsky, said it best: “She changed my life, and the lives of thousands of homeless pets.”<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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<\/p>\n8. Tardar Sauce aka Grumpy Cat<\/h2>\n Few cats have ever reached Grumpy Cat levels of fame. Her signature scowl took over the internet in 2012 and launched a billion memes. With feline dwarfism and an underbite giving her that famous grump face, she starred in commercials, landed merchandise deals, and even led a Lifetime movie. Tardar Sauce died on May 14, 2019, at the age of 7 from complications related to a UTI. Her family remembered her as more than a meme, thanking fans for all the love.<\/p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Internet-famous pets are more than just viral content – they are fluffy balls of fun and joy. Even after their death, they’ll always live on in our feeds and favorites.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1125,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-338","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-entertainment"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/popbriefly.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/338","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/popbriefly.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/popbriefly.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/popbriefly.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/popbriefly.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=338"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/popbriefly.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/338\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/popbriefly.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1125"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/popbriefly.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=338"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/popbriefly.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=338"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/popbriefly.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=338"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}