Based on your votes, this is the cutest cat in Tri-Cities. Meet the one-eyed longhair Bubs

In October, the Tri-City Herald held a contest aimed at finding the cutest cat in Tri-Cities. We received dozens of submissions, which we narrowed down to a curated list of 50. Voting was open for several days, in which Herald subscribers crowned Bubs from Richland as the winner.

Sustaining 41% of overall votes, Bubs had a significant lead over second place Calypso from Richland with 30%. In third place, Beans from Pasco got 14% of the vote.

Now, it’s time to get to know the cutest cat in Tri-Cities, Bubs.

Bubs, the cutest cat in Tri-Cities

Bubs is a one-eyed, white, domestic longhair cat. He was nominated by Jeanne Dunham-Torrey, who owns Bubs with her wife and teenage son.

The family has had Bubs for about two-and-a-half years, though his adoption wasn’t exactly conventional.

It started with Dunham-Torrey’s brother-in-law. Bubs was a neighborhood cat in his area, and he regularly fed Bubs. During the pandemic, this brother-in-law had emergencies come up, so he wouldn’t be able to feed Bubs. He asked the family to take over Bubs’ care, and they fell in love with him.

They took the cat to the vet, and through bloodwork found Bubs had a myriad of chronic illnesses. In order to give Bubs the best chance, the family brought him home.

By the vet’s estimate, Bubs is currently somewhere between 11 to 13 years old.

The cute cat with chronic illnesses

Bubs lost his eye because of an infected tooth, Dunham-Torrey told the Herald. Between being an older cat and a former stray, he has many health issues, including “horrible dental problems” and feline AIDS.

“Cats with feline AIDS can sometimes live a normal life, but it does shorten their life,” Dunham-Torrey said in a phone interview.

There isn’t much the vet can do for feline AIDS. Most of the time, cats with feline AIDS die after catching another virus or illness, which their immune systems can’t protect them from.

Bubs is immunocompromised and can’t be vaccinated, so he can’t roam the neighborhood anymore. He stays at home, where he’s treated like a king, in order to protect his health.

Feline AIDS is also transmissible, so Bubs will remain the only pet in the home. But he’s very social, even clingy with his family members. He’ll talk all day long, according to Dunham-Torrey, and always says hello to any visitors.

A happy, social cat

In fact, Dunham-Torrey says Bubs talks all day long. He’s always making noise, but especially when no one is around. They essentially have a No Closed Doors policy in the house, since Bubs doesn’t like being separated from his family members. He’ll lay on the ground, meowing and trying to get in.

With the doors open, they can do many of Bubs’ favorite activities, including laying on laps, getting brushed and playing. He has a specific way of playing, only while lying on his back. He has to be rolled over, then he loves to play with a toy mouse attached to an actual fishing pole, Dunham-Torrey told the Herald.

“He’s not overweight, just old,” Dunham-Torrey said.

The average day for Bubs is full of him calling the shots. He has an automatic feeder, but he also loves Churu cat treats and pieces of chicken. He’ll also spend time in the yard, but mostly he sleeps, talks and follows his family members around. He’s said to be very spoiled, with lots of cat beds around the house.

Extended family comes over often, including the brother-in-law who first fed Bubs – and named him. Bubs is quite extroverted and enjoys the company.

“Everyone knows and loves Bubs,” Dunham-Torrey said.