Little Dude, the rescue cat who attracted international attention as he struggled to lose weight in Costa Mesa, died over the weekend after struggles with his health, his foster care provider said.

Angela Jackson-Brunning — who brought home the 10-year-old cat weeks ago from a no-kill shelter in Westminster — had been trying to slowly get Little Dude down to a manageable weight with the goal of getting him adopted by a “forever family.”

She made a Facebook profile for “BIG Little Dude” to help potential adopters follow the big cat’s progress. And a Reddit post prompted donations from people as far away as Germany for his medical care.

But the transition was stressful. After about a week at Jackson-Brunning’s home, Little Dude was refusing to eat and, ironically, had dropped too much weight — from 36 pounds to about 31 pounds.


“The 13-pound cat within could no longer support the weight and fight the illness. His body was ready to rest,” Jackson-Brunning in a Facebook post.

Little Dude died Saturday at an animal hospital in Orange County, the Daily Pilot reported.

“Little Dude was a treasure. A beautiful, precious, invaluable gem. I have never known a soul like him and I doubt I ever will. I am so blessed to have been his foster mom,” Jackson-Brunning said.

Cowan writes for Times Community News.


Follow the reporter on Twitter: @JillCowan