Longcat “Nobiko” Dies At 18, But Lives On As One Of The Web's Most Legendary Cats

One of the most famous and recognizable cats on the internet, Longcat, has died at the old age of 18. Longcat, whose real name is Nobiko, was living in Japan with her owner, Miko, and passed away on Sunday due to natural causes.

In a Twitter post, Miko announced Nobiko’s death and said that early on Sunday morning, Nobiko was very weak and taken to a nearby pet hosptial where she passed around 2 p.m. local time.

訃報
飼い主のみーこさんより、のび子さんが先ほど虹の橋を渡ったそうです。ご冥福をお祈りします。

2005年頃から猫画像の加工がブームとなるなかで、のびーるたんの愛称で親しまれ圧倒的な存在でした。

地球に生まれて長生きしてくれてありがとう、のびーるたん🌈

※以下拾い物画像より pic.twitter.com/c7aOlgSLyi

— えあろうっちー (@aerosubaru) September 20, 2020

According to an interview with PETomorrow from last year, who interviewed Miko, Nobiko was rescued after being discovered on the street back in 2002. Nobiko, who was “thin and messy” after being found, was given a bath and revealed to be a beautiful “snow-white” cat. Upon being adopted, Nobiko lived with Miko and was the oldest of their seven cats. "Mr. Nobiko was deaf and couldn't hear any sound, so she might have slept in the middle of the road," Miko said. "I'm really glad that [we were] able to protect her before she was hit by a car."

Following the announcement of her death, social media users around the world began posting tributes to Nobiko and reflecting on the many Longcat memes of the past.

An owner lost her beloved 18 year old pet cat, and the Internet lost an icon from old times.

Rest in peace Nobiko aka Longcat. pic.twitter.com/S2v1bYrMCY

— Rosana Margarida (@rosecg) September 20, 2020

Longcat originally graced the internet back in 2004-2005 after appearing on the Futaba channel (2chan) where she was referred to as “Nobiiru,” which means “stretch.” By 2006, Longcat was well established online, defined in Urban Dictionary, photoshopped into countless memes and edited into humorous videos or clips around the web.

One of the most well-known memes of her prime depicted the epic battle between Longcat and Tacgnol, the counterpart to Nobiko, whose lore stated that Catnarok would ultimately conclude with the final battle between the two.

Although it’s been several years since her prominence online, Nobiko is undeniably one of the most legendary cats from the early days of internet meme culture, and her memory will live on through the countless Longcat memes and tributes.