Talking Kitty Cat YouTuber Steve Cash Dies by Suicide at 40
Editor's Note
If you experience suicidal thoughts or have lost someone to suicide, the following post could be potentially triggering. You can contact the Crisis Text Line by texting “START” to 741741.
Talking Kitty Cat YouTuber Steve Cash has died by suicide at the age of 40, according to a Facebook post from his wife, Celia DeCosta Cash, on Thursday. Cash’s popular YouTube videos featured funny skits with cats — some with attitude — where he voiced each cat. His videos garnered more than 770 million views since he started 12 years ago.
Cash was open about living with bipolar disorder and how it impacted his work. In a video posted on his Facebook page in August 2019, Cash explained he was in the middle of a manic episode but when he goes into a depressive episode, he often stops posting content for months at a time. Cash shared in a Facebook post in November he was back in a depressive episode. He last posted a new Talking Kitty Cat video on Dec. 30, 2019.
“My bipolar is in a full low swing. I want so badly to finish the videos I’m working on, but depression is making it nearly impossible,” Cash wrote on Facebook. “It won’t last forever, and eventually I’ll be just as active as I can be! But for now, I’m kind of stuck with my thoughts. Btw, I rarely ever get online during depressions so this feels like a positive step for me.”
Need to get a few things off my chest. Nothing serious. ????
Posted by Steve Cash on Saturday, August 24, 2019
While fans shared condolences on social media, Cash’s Celia wife wrote on Facebook:
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.
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…
Posted by Celia DeCosta Cash on Friday, April 17, 2020
If this news is hard for you, know you are not alone — and there is help for people who feel suicidal. You can call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or text “START” to 741-741. Head here for a list of crisis centers around the world.
Renée Fabian was the features editor at The Mighty. She has also written for The Washington Post, VICE, Healthline, Talkspace, The Fix, The Establishment, The Culture Trip, and GRAMMY.com, among others. Renée was named a 2019 AHCJ Comparative Effectiveness Research fellow, a 2020 USC Center for Health Journalism California fellow, and holds a master's degree in journalism from the University of Southern California and a master's degree in psychology from Antioch University Los Angeles. You can follow her on Twitter @ryfabian.
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