YouTube star Steve Cash has died at the age of 40 after taking his own life.
Cash, who was behind the Talking Kitty Cat viral videos, died of a self-inflicted gun wound on Thursday morning, his heartbroken wife confirmed.
In a statement on Facebook, Celia DeCosta Cash wrote: "This is so hard. I'm not even sure what to say, or for that matter, what to do. I just lost my best friend, my sidekick, my lover, my mentor, my absolute everything, this morning.
"I'm so sad to say, my husband, Steve Cash took his own life this morning 4/16/2020. It hurts me to share this.
"Please understand, give the family time to grieve, but know that Steve is no longer in pain."
According to reports, Idaho's Nampa Police Department responded to a call to Cash's home on Thursday morning and found him dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. There is no indication of foul play, reports E!
Cash had previously opened up to his fans about his battles with his mental health.
The animal lover became a viral star in 2007 with his Talking Kitty Cat YouTube videos and amassed more than 2.4 million subscribers.
He delighted fans with clips showing him talking to his cats as if they were humans and imitating their responses.
His most popular video, Bad! Bad! Bad!, clocked up more than 17 million viewers on the site.
Fans had noticed Cash's account become inactive over recent months.
In September he responded to one of his followers who asked if he'd been hacked.
"Nah, just bipolar. I'm on a manic up right now. When I go back into depression I'll vacate everything," he replied.
His last video was posted in December, and titled Sylvester Goes To Court.
After the tragic news of his death was confirmed, many fans took to social media to pay tribute.
"We will all miss him. He made smiles on many people's faces with his content, he was an amazing guy. It's so sad to hear about this. He was a major part of my childhood. Rest in peace dude, we all love you and miss you," said one.
"We'll always love you. Thank you for your amazing work that made us laugh and feel safe. God bless you," tweeted another fan of Cash's videos.
Samaritans (116 123) operates a 24-hour service available every day of the year. If you prefer to write down how you’re feeling, or if you’re worried about being overheard on the phone, you can email Samaritans at jo@samaritans.org
