Mister Marbles

“I literally cried tears of joy when I first held him in my lap on our way home from the shelter—the same feeling I had the first time I held Bub 11 years ago,” owner Bridavsky shared, introducing their new cat. When feline social media sensation Lil Bub passed away in December 2019, her loss was mourned not only by her family, but by fans across the globe. Her humans, Mike and Stacy Bridavsky, were not planning to adopt any more pets, at least for a while, but that changed when they received a call from the team at their local shelter in Bloomington, IN. “As soon as Mister Marbles was dropped off, two or three people from the shelter contacted us immediately saying they thought he was a perfect fit,” Mike says. “Not only because he was so unique and had this fantastic energy much like Bub, but his name was actually Bubba when he came in.”

The shelter staff weren’t wrong—the family felt an immediate connection to the tiny 15-month-old cat and signed adoption papers that day.

“He sat on my lap, and I just started crying because it almost felt like she was back a little bit…He purrs just like her. It is kind of uncanny,” says Bridavsky.

Bridavsky describes Mister Marbles as “perpetually confused, curious, but also remarkably confident.” Their veterinarian suspects Mister Marbles may have a case of hydrocephalus, and the cat has a harder time eating because his teeth are pointing in different directions. Nevertheless, Mister Marbles is “incredibly happy” and currently has no major health concerns. “He loves to cuddle and literally follows you around anywhere you go,” Bridavsky reports. Their kids are “absolutely obsessed” with the new addition to the family.

“He is truly a magical critter undoubtedly sent to us by our beloved Bub,” Bridavsky shared when introducing Mr. Marbles on Instagram. “He weighs five pounds, has an impressive snaggletooth, a head shaped like a donut, enormous blue eyes, and a double-wide half-length tail that probably belonged to a raccoon in a past life.” Most importantly, he has “the same magical energy that brings pure joy and wonder to anyone that meets him.”

“They both have this energy that puts people in awe whenever they are around them,” says Bridavsky. “Everyone wants to see Marbles and everyone wants to hold him. He’s extraordinarily social and he really wants everyone to know that he loves them.” 

Mister Marbles will become the new face of Lil Bub’s Big Fund, the non-profit the Bridavsky’s started in honour of their late cat, and work to become a registered therapy cat. He will also be a part of new community and school outreach programs to teach kids how they can get involved in animal welfare and address anti-bullying issues.

“He continues her story in the present with all of his antics and through sharing his story. It gives us something new to share with all of her fans,” Mike says. “All of Bub’s fans are very loyal, committed, and excited to hear about Marbles. It feels good to have that again.”

Follow Mister Marbles’ adventures on Instagram: @itsmistermarbles