CENTERVILLE, Utah (Gray News) – A tiny but mighty kitten is leaving a lasting imprint on millions of fans following his passing last week.
Tater Tot took the internet by storm when he was first posted in a Facebook group for cat lovers on June 29 at just a few days old.
The tiny orange kitten was found outside in Utah by a dog, whose owners quickly saw that the kitty needed help.
Seemingly just a day or two old, it was clear Tater Tot had a cleft pallet, and all four of his legs were deformed.
He was taken in by local rescue group Kitty CrusAIDe, where he was tube-fed and had every need tended to.
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Tater Tot had splints (affectionately known as his “bonkers”) put on his front legs to help them straighten out. A photo of the kitten in his splints was posted to Facebook on July 13 and went viral. So viral, in fact, that the Facebook group “Tater Tot and His Spudbuds” was created just to give his fans daily updates.
In just a few days, the group gained 52,000 members.
Thousands of memes and endless artwork of Tater Tot poured in. Videos of Tater Tot on TikTok were getting millions of views.
Tater Tot seemed to be improving every day, even working with an orthopedic specialist to correct his legs. Sadly, things took a turn for the worse, and Tater Tot died suddenly on Aug. 2 at just over 6 weeks old.
Tater Tot was too small to have tests run, but his rescue group believes he had more health issues than they knew about – possibly even an enlarged heart.
His caretaker, Ash Houghton with Kitty CrusAIDe, said one moment Tater Tot was walking around, and the next moment he was gone.
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“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,” Houghton wrote in a Facebook post. “What started as me sharing some photos of the goofy new foster I had turned into an entire community focused on kindness, humor and compassion. I am astounded at the reach Tater Tot’s story had, and I cannot express to you just how incredible it has been to see how he has impacted the world.”
Even after Tater Tot’s passing, his fan base continues to grow. Followers have even gotten Tater Tot tattoos, painted Tater Tot murals and customized nail designs to honor the kitten.
“It has been so beautiful to watch millions of people around the world unite over the life of one small little creature,” Houghton said.
Houghton plans to continue running the “Tater Tot and His Spudbuds” group on Facebook, with the hopes that his memory can live on “in the stories of other creatures who are built just a little different from others.”
Kitty CrusAIDe is asking everyone to donate to their local shelters in Tater Tot’s honor. You can also donate to Kitty CrusAIDe at the following methods:
- Website: www.kittycrusaide.org/aid-the-crusaide
- Venmo: @kitty-crusaide
- PayPal: @kittycrusaide
- Amazon Wishlist
“Please help his life continue to impact other animals in the world,” Houghton said. “Thank you for being a part of Tater Tot’s journey, and for having such a profound impact on me and our rescue. We never anticipated we would build a whole community, but my goodness, I am glad we did.”
Copyright 2023 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
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