Last Friday, my husband and I volunteered to help with the Feline Rescue fundraiser, which revolved around a much-anticipated meet-and-greet with the reigning princess of all things cute, Lil Bub!
To make sure Bub didn’t get tired and overstimulated from the attention of all her adoring fans, Mike Bridavsky (Bub’s human) asked Feline Rescue to sell only 200 tickets, and of course the event completely sold out. People even showed up without tickets, and unfortunately were turned away. That’s just how popular this little kitty is! They were, however, encouraged to leave a donation for Feline Rescue.
I took photos of the event and interviewed some key players, but my husband John scored the best job by far: He was in charge of moving the line along and taking photos of the attendees and BUB with their own cameras. He did this for three hours! After I’d finished my tasks, I decided to sit in the meet-and-greet room and take it all in. It was truly an unforgettable experience.
Here are five takeaways from my afternoon with Lil Bub:
1. People were unbelievably patient
The fundraiser was from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., but it felt like most people arrived toward the beginning of the event, and the line was massively long. Feline Rescue was allowing about 10 people at a time inside the meet-and-greet room. The line moved fairly quickly, but most everyone spent up to an hour waiting for their few minutes with Bub. I walked past the line several times, and no one was complaining. People were incredibly patient and seemed truly grateful just to be there. I don’t think I’ve ever seen such patient people in a line of that length. The lines are shorter at Costco, and shoppers lean on their giant shopping carts, sighing and making sourpuss faces. I suppose if Bub were checking them out at the register, their mood would have improved. See — more proof that cats are the key to world peace.
2. People were absolutely giddy
I loved watching each group of fans file into the meet-and-greet room. When they saw Bub for the first time, their eyes widened and the biggest grins spread across their faces. Let me tell you those perma-grins stayed on their faces until they’d finished meeting Bub … and then they exited the room and giggled or shrieked down the hallway! Some of them really shrieked! I even saw a few young ladies holding hands and jumping up and down. They could not believe they’d just met her. It was fun to be in the presence of that kind of energy.
3. People brought gifts
I hadn’t expected people to bring gifts for Bub, but many did! I saw a couple of gift bags on Bub’s table, but artwork seemed to be the gift of choice. Lots of kids were in line, and quite a few of them had created special pieces of art for the kitty of the hour. Mike was so sweet with all the kids and their creations, and spent plenty of time complimenting them on the drawings and paintings.
4. Mike is a phenomenal cat-dad
As I previously mentioned, Mike looks after Bub’s well-being by setting timelines on events, and being really present with her during events. During the three hours I was there, he followed her cues and took several breaks when she looked tired, fed her a few times and was really clear to everyone how they should gently pet her — we were to avoid her sensitive ears. Knowing how busy BUB and Mike are, I was wondering how she’d fare making so many appearances. After watching Mike with her, I feel totally confident she’s in loving hands.
5. Time flies
Lil Bub is a truly magical cat. Although we were there most of the afternoon, it felt like only an hour. I think she has superpowers to speed up time or something. Or maybe we were all completely enthralled with her presence that no one thought to look at a clock. Probably a little of both. I don’t think anyone wanted those special moments to end.
And the fundraiser was a total success, earning lots of money for both Feline Rescue and Lil Bub’s Big Fund (they split the funds).
We lub Bub.
Have you met Lil Bub? What was your experience? Let us know in the comments.
Read more by Angie Bailey:
- Do Your Cats Demand Snuggle Time Like Mine?
- Texts from Mittens: The “Antiques Roadshow” Edition
- And Now, 5 Photos of My Cats Caught in the Act
- What Happens When My Cats Tell Me What to Wear
- 5 Ways My Cats Completely Own Me
- My Cats Are Addicts: 5 Reasons They Would Land in Rehab
- Do You Ever Wish You’d Given Your Cat a Different Name?
- What if Cats Held Office Jobs? Worst. Cubicle Mates. EVER!
- 3 Ways You and Your Kids Can Help Big Cats
About the Author: Angie Bailey is an eternal optimist with an adoration of all things silly. Loves pre-adolescent boy humor, puns, making up parody songs, thinking about cats doing people things and The Smiths. Writes Catladyland, a cat humor blog, Texts from Mittens (birthed right here on Catster) and authored whiskerslist: the kitty classifieds, a silly book about cats wheeling and dealing online. Partner in a production company and writes and acts in comedy web series that features sketches and mockumentaries. Mother to two humans and three cats, all of which want her to make them food.
