Sublime Singer Jakob Nowell Reveals He Had to Put Cat Down Before Concert

Jakob Nowell of Sublime is dealing with an tragic loss ... revealing to fans at his concert that he had to put his cat down.

The lead singer of the band -- son of the band's original lead Bradley Nowell, who passed away from a heroin overdose in 1996 -- took the "Vans Warped Tour -- Long Beach" stage Saturday, telling the audience he had to put down Creature, his hairless cat.

Jakob calls Creature his "best f***ing friend" ... and admits to the audience that he didn't really want to play the show -- but, he reminded himself that the audience might be going through something to, and his music could help them deal with their own issues.

Nowell mentions his dad ... saying it's healing to be playing music with some of his late father's best friends while he's going through this difficult time.

Sublime broke up after Bradley's death in 1996, playing sporadic shows with guest artists on tour, and reformed in 2023 with Jakob as the lead singer. They released their single "Ensenada" -- the first single off their fourth album -- earlier this month.