Portland: Home of Bob, the Original LOL Cat

By ANDREA DAMEWOOD

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Before the Internet, before LOL Cats and Grumpy Cat, there was Bob the Weather Cat.

The large grey tabby was the official weather mascot for WW's news partner, KATU. He was owned by a cameraman.

Bob had a huge following 20 years ago, appearing on the air every Friday for seven years, usually in some sort of hat and matching outfit. He even made the cover of National Geographic World.

The original Bob passed on in March 1993. And now, in the era of all things kitteh, KATU is searching for a new weather cat. Help them can haz new weather cat: voting starts today on the station's Facebook page.

Of course Portland would be light years ahead of this meme. We're surprised GQ isn't lauding us for it.

Bob also appeared in this number, celebrating Cinco de Mayo. It's simply shocking that this video hasn't gone viral.

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