Maru the cat, who broke record by squishing himself into tiny cardboard boxes, dies at 18
Maru, a record-breaking cat who won over the internet by squishing himself into tiny spaces, has sadly died.
The Scottish fold cat, who lived in Japan with his loving owners, once held the record for most views for an animal on YouTube.
As of 22 September 2016, his videos had been watched over 325 million times.
While he may have lost his record to other entertaining animals, he maintained a loyal following on his YouTube channel, Mugumogu.
Videos of the feline celebrating his 18th birthday a few months ago, napping on the sofa, wearing little outfits and smushing his body into bowls, boxes and various other tight spaces regularly pulled in millions of views.
We even visited him back in 2017 as we toured Japan meeting up with record holders.
In our adorable video, Maru, which means "Round" in Japanese, is seen demonstrating his ‘if I fits, I sits’ ethos on life.
Guinness World Records Adjudicator Kaoru Ishikawa said that Maru’s owner was simply documenting his growth through photos and videos when they accidentally turned their pet into an internet sensation.
While the first few videos got relatively low views, the ninth upload, clips of Maru jumping into small carboard boxes and his legs being left sticking out, went viral.
Kaoru said: “The owner was initially surprised and scared by the attention Maru was getting, but was relieved by the overwhelming positivity in the comments.
“Maru’s owner attributes this success to Maru’s ability to fit into small cardboard boxes and his love for his living room swing.
“Plus, he’s very cute.”
Maru went on to become a household name on YouTube, but the fame never went to his head.
A statement on Maru’s YouTube channel said that he “went to heaven” on Saturday 6 September.
His loving owners added that he’d been poorly recently and had lost his appetite.
They took him to an animal hospital and he received tests, and tragically, it was discovered that he had a tumour.
He was diagnosed with lung adenocarcinoma, a common type of lung cancer, and deteriorated quickly.
The statement said: “Maru was a laid-back and calm cat, but at the very last moment he made a mad dash... Thank you for supporting Maru until the end.”
Fans expressed their condolences.
One wrote: “He brought a lot of happiness to so many people around the world, and I'm sure even more to his owner. Rest in peace.”
“It seems so crazy that reading this about a cat I’ve never met is making me cry,” another confessed.
While a third penned: “This is my first comment on YouTube. He was my favourite cat. I can't stop crying. Thank you, Maru.”
Rest in peace, Maru. You’ll forever be a star.
