Ty even gave Silva a shout-out, thanking them “for showing the internet the cuteness of Cookie.” Many people have posted artistic renditions of the plushie, including a crochet version of him.

In 1997, eBay had auctioned off $500 million worth of the plush toys, accounting for more than 6% of the site's total sales. And the following year, Ty's sales surpassed $1 billion for the first time.