For those of you who have been living under a rock for the past 5 years, Lil BUB is a famous cat on the internet, most known for her adorable face and tongue that sticks out. She was born with multiple birth defects including dwarfism which affects her mobility (but she has improved so much in the past few years, GOOD JOB BUB!!), her lower jaw is shorter than her upper jaw and her teeth never grew in (which is why her tongue sticks out). BUB is also the only cat diagnosed with osteopetrosis, a bone disease that makes her bones denser as she gets older, making mobility even harder. You can read more about her here. Despite all of this, Lil BUB is a lovely little ray of sunshine and here's why:

1. Just look at her!

She's so cute!!!! Every time BUB posts a new picture on Facebook it immediately brightens up my day.

2. She's actually from outer space.

Lil BUB's dude Mike Bridavsky says that the actual story behind BUB is that she's a space cat and her spaceship crash landed in Bloomington, Indiana where her dude found her. They've been best friends ever since.

3. Her YouTube videos are the best.

From bath time to mobility updates and just BUB being BUB, her YouTube channel is sure to put a smile on her face. It's also a great resource to learn more about her beyond the silly pictures.

4. She gives back.

If you buy something from Lil BUB's online store (which isn't open at the moment, bad timing on my part), a percentage of the proceeds will go to Lil BUB's Big Fund, which helps special-needs pets! She sells t-shirts, socks, mugs, phone cases, stuffed animals (the next best thing to the real BUB), calendars (I've had three calendars now), and much, much more. If you happen to be near Bloomington, Indiana, she has a real shop too!

5. She's a musician!

Besides being the coolest cat parent ever, BUB's dude, Mike, is also a musician. In 2015 he and some friends decided to make an album that captured the essence of BUB. The album is called "Science & Magic: A Soundtrack to the Universe", and it's mostly upbeat and happy electronic songs. It's all instrumental, but BUB makes an appearance on the album multiple times with her signature "SQUONK" noise.

6. She loves her little human siblings.

Bridavsky and his wife have two children. Rosco (first picture) was born in 2015 and Lula (second picture) was born earlier this year. Most of my favorite pictures on BUB's Facebook include pictures with her little brother and sister. They're all so cute.

7. She's also a meteorologist.

BUB has her very own app that tells you the weather with a nice picture of BUB to go with whatever the weather is like. It definitely cheers me up when I get really tired of New England winters.

8. She's a talk show host.

"Lil BUB's Big SHOW" was the highlight of her YouTube channel from 2013-2015. BUB has featured tons of cool guests on her show including Whoopi Goldberg and Michelle Obama!

9. She's doing a great job!

As mentioned before, BUB has struggled with her mobility but she's made so much progress in the past few years. She used to barely be able to walk and now she can run up the stairs and even jump up on the couch all by herself. Every time she does something cool, her dude always says "GOOD JOB BUB!" and you should too.