Famous Internet Cat Grandpa Mason Passes Away after Long Battle with Kidney Disease

Grandpa Mason, a "battle-scarred" feral cat that became famous for taking care of orphaned kittens, has finally gone to the Rainbow Bridge after years of fighting kidney problems.

Tiny Kittens, a Canadian animal rescue group from Fort Langley, British Columbia, recently announced that Mason was euthanized "peacefully and "painlessly" at home.

It has been reported that Mason, who was rescued in 2016, spent his last night lying in his favorite bed and cuddling with the kittens that he loved so much.

HOW MASON WAS DISCOVERED

The group found the cat in a rural property that was set to be bulldozed. He was in bad shape, with severe dental issues, a badly injured foot and covered in scars, which showed how much he had battled to survive.

However, Tiny Kittens soon realized that he also suffered from advanced kidney disease and wouldn't be able to survive much longer if he returned to the outdoor life he was used to.

So Shelly Roche, the founder of Tiny Kittens, took Mason home. In the beginning, the cat was scared and showed signs of aggression, but he warmed up to his new home after a while.

[H]is "impact will live on, and he will continue to change the narrative about feral, old, sick and 'different cats,'" who most people consider "lost causes."

Still, Roche needed to respect his personal space as he wasn't used to having others around him. His behavior changed when he was introduced to a group of foster kittens.

HOW MASON EARNED THE NICKNAME "GRANDPA"

Roche was afraid that he would hiss or slink away, but he had a completely different reaction. When one of the kittens started licking his ear, the elder cat gently leaned into it and closed his eyes.

Mason enjoyed the little bit of affection the kitten was showing him and Roche realized that he hadn't felt it from his own kind for a long time. So that was the start of Mason's story.

Mason turned into a star and earned hundreds of thousands of fans around the world by showing his soft side to the dozens of kittens he fostered throughout the years.

In the videos shared by Tiny Kittens, he could be seen playing, grooming and cuddling with several different kittens. But, although Mason is now gone, after experiencing total kidney failure, his journey isn't over.

HE WILL FOREVER BE AN EXAMPLE OF LOVE AND COMPASSION

According to the group, his "impact will live on, and he will continue to change the narrative about feral, old, sick and 'different cats,'" who most people consider "lost causes."

Mason has now joined fellow feline star Tardar Sauce, also known as Grumpy Cat, at Rainbow Bridge and they are both looking down on their fans with all the love in the world.