Is the Tater Tot cat dead? Tributes pour in as the internet is left distraught over viral kitten's passing

The viral kitten, who went by the name Tater Tot, passed away on Wednesday, August 2, in his Utah home. The news of his death was shared on Facebook by his foster mother, Ash Houghton. The rescue kitten, who became popular for his messy hair and mismatched colored casts (called “bodankabonks” or “bonkers” by his foster mom) succumbed after exhibiting signs of pneumonia and other related symptoms for over a week.

Ash Houghton addressed the kitten’s viral page on Facebook, called “Tater Tot and His Spudbuds” and wrote:

“Hey Spudbuds. I’m honestly not sure how to start this post, but here it goes. Today, our tiny spud, passed away suddenly in my hands.”

She also added how Tater Tot’s energy had been down for a couple of days and he was being treated with antibiotics before his demise. As soon as the news of the rescue kitten’s death became viral, netizens took to social media to post condolence messages.

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Tater Tot may have had a fatal heart condition

As per Tater Tot’s rescuer and foster mom Ash Houghton, the viral kitten was showing signs of pneumonia and lowered energy, which is why she had started him on pneumonia protocol with medicines and a nebulizer.

“We were hoping it was an illness that antibiotics could treat,” she wrote in her Facebook post.

Unfortunately, the treatment did not seem to work for the kitten as he passed away suddenly. Houghton also wrote how she believed Tater Tot had a heart condition, but “he was too small to run any tests on him yet.” She continued by saying that looking back, she thinks he may have had an enlarged heart, and “it just couldn’t keep up with him.” Ash Houghton further continued by saying:

“This tiny little potato has had such a profound impact on my heart, and I am so unbelievably happy I got to share him with the entire world.”

She talked about the community that showed her late foster “kindness, humor, and compassion,” while also mentioning:

“I hope that his resilience during this short time here continues to inspire people.”

Furthermore, the rescue kitten's foster mom informed his followers that she is not going to shut down the page yet and will continue to treasure and keep alive the kitten’s memories, while also sharing stories of other animals built differently. She also thanked everyone for their support and encouraged them to rescue more animals.

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"My sweet sunshine boy": Netizens mourn the loss of Tater Tot

With news of the kitten's death surfacing on social media, internet users came together to pay him their tributes.

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About the kitten

The rescue kitten became viral on social media in June for its cute yet grumpy face and orangish body and raised awareness about special needs animals, the ones with disabilities, and their journeys to recovery.

As per Houghton and her fellow rescuers Sara Dani, Chase Brim, and Mollie Tracy, Tater Tot was discovered with all four of his legs malformed and with a cleft palate. It is an abnormal condition in animals in which the two plates of the skull are not totally joined.

The kitten’s front legs were also stuck at a 90-degree bend, while his back legs were curled, making it difficult for him to move around.

Ash Houghton, who will be taking a few days offline to grieve, as per her Facebook post, is a resident of Salt Lake City, Utah. She is the co-director of a local rescue organization and animal shelter called Kitty CrusAIDe and asked the late kitten’s followers to donate to her organization in his honor.

Interestingly, the kitten’s group on Facebook “Tater Tot and His Spudbuds” has over 20,000 followers from across the world.