BANGKOK — Thai internet lost a much beloved internet icon on Thursday with the death of Johnny the Supalak Cat.
Johnny departed from his fandom last night after he fell ill earlier this week, according to his owner who announced the cat’s passing on his official Facebook page. Johnny, a member of Thailand’s Supalak breed, was 14.
The feline comedian gained fame on the internet after his owner began posting humorous photos of him donned in outfits relevant to current affairs – from a general uniform following the 2014 coup, to a monk robe at the height of the confrontation between police and the powerful Dharmakaya sect.
Tributes soon poured in from netizens who said Johnny brought much joy to the cyberverse.
“I’ve been following this page for a long time. Thank you for the smiles and laughter you gave me,” Sasipong Yodcha wrote in a comment thread.
“I cried. Once, there was laughter and smiles from Johnny, but today there are no more,” Preuk Choosung wrote.
Johnny’s funeral will take place in his hometown of Ranong and continue through Saturday. His owner said everyone is welcome to join.
“I’m inviting all of you,” the page wrote. “Johnny’s home is rather far, but we’d be glad if you could make it here, because I want all of us to send him one last farewell.”
Correction: A previous version of this article misidentified Johnny’s hometown as Rayong. It is in fact Ranong.
