What happened to Pot Roast the cat? Tributes pour in as popular TikTok sensation dies

TikTok’s favorite ‘Pot Roast’ the cat has passed away. The internet sensation was diagnosed with Feline Immunodeficiency Virus. The news was shared by the cat’s caretaker known on the internet as PRO. The TikToker said in a video uploaded on February 6:

The day before the cat died, PRO shared the feline's health struggles in a video. She stated that the beloved cat had suffered from a seizure leading to a second blood transfusion. PRO added that she was doubtful about the cat making it through the procedure.

The cat had accumulated over 879k TikTok followers and 51k followers on the official @potroastsmom account. Fans adored the hilarious but sentimental videos of the two together.

What is FIV, the infection Pot Roast suffered from?

PRO said in a TikTok video that her cat’s diagnosis took her by shock. She stated that she had tested negative for the same when she was a kitten. However, the virus came into existence as the cat grew, which completely “blindsided” her.

She also added that her cat’s FIV had progressed to bone marrow, leading to her cat no longer making red or white blood cells. In a video, she also revealed that the veterinarian said Pot Roast was “living on borrowed time.”

The retrovirus infection is often referred to as cat HIV or cat AIDS as the symptoms are similar. The virus often damages the cat’s immune system by targeting the white blood cells. Once they are weakened, they become vulnerable to secondary infections.

Although FIV is contagious to other cats, the virus does not typically transmit by eating in the same bowl, social grooming, sneezing and other regular cat behaviors. Cats often get infected by the virus once they get a deep bite from other infected felines.

Symptoms of FIV include a lack of appetite leading to weight loss, seizures, diarrhea, persistent eye problems, inflammation near the mouth and gum region, among other symptoms.

Several netizens were saddened by Pot Roast’s death. Many paid tribute to the cat on social media. A few tweets read:

PRO found the adored cat in 2014 at Missouri University of Science and Technology. She attended an event which allowed her to sit in a pen of kittens for two hours to relieve stress. She ended up bonding with the feline, leading to her adopting the cat.

About the author

Karishma is a trending writer at SK POP. With a BA in Journalism, Psychology and Literature, Karishma, who has closely followed the latest internet trends from a young age, found her role at SK POP to be the perfect fit for her professional qualifications and personal interests.

She has nearly 3 years of experience in the industry and has interned with The Hindu and Deccan Herald. In her role at Sportskeeda, Karishma covers a range of topics at the pop division, but she believes her skills as a journalist are best reflected while creating impactful and research-intensive stories. For her, no other step in the writing process is as crucial as fact-checking with multiple sources and accurately conveying facts and data.

Karishma holds deep admiration for artists Luke Jerram and Yoshitomo Nara's authenticity and originality, who are her favorite icons. When not ideating her next story, Karishma can be seen deeply engrossed in a book.

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