Famous in own right
Space flight
- Félicette , the only cat ever launched into space. Launched by the French Centre d'Enseignement et de Recherches de Médecine Aéronautique (CERMA) on 18 October 1963, Félicette was recovered alive after a 15-minute flight and a descent by parachute. Félicette had electrodes implanted into her brain, and the recorded neural impulses were transmitted back to Earth. [5]
By country
Canada
- Tuxedo Stan , a cat who ran for mayor of Halifax, Nova Scotia. [6]
Czech Republic
- Micka , Czech Republic's "First Cat" belonging to the President Petr Pavel
Ecuador
Estonia
- August, a local celebrity receiving pets from and taking photos with locals and tourists living on the streets of Kalamaja.[ citation needed ]
Indonesia
- Bobby Kertanegara , a domestic shorthaired tabby cat, known for being the pet of Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto. [12]
Jersey
- Oscar , a cat in Jersey fitted with 'bionic' hind limbs designed by vet Noel Fitzpatrick following an accident in 2009. [13]
Mexico
- Balam (11 November 2015 ~ 8 September 2024), an Oriental short hair tabby who grew to fame on Instagram for his discussions with his owner Phaedra Barratt. Balam's fame launched the Balam Foundation, a rescue non profit dedicated to ending animal suffering in Mexico's most impoverished communities.
New Zealand
- Mittens (~2009–present Balem ent), a ginger Turkish Angora who wandered Wellington, New Zealand especially in Te Aro, before his relocation to Auckland. He has a Facebook fanbase who regularly post photos of him climbing into rental cars, entering businesses, and napping in unusual places.
- Paddles , New Zealand's "First Cat", a polydactyl cat that belonged to Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern
Poland
- Gacek , a male domestic cat with tuxedo fur, who over the years 2020–2023 has become a prominent tourist attraction in the city of Szczecin, Poland, and received widespread attention from international media. [14]
Sweden
- Luffar-Lasse (Swedish: "Lasse the Vagabond"), an orange cat that gained notoriety for his daily excursions to the Öreby shopping center in Trollhättan, Sweden. His return home is usually done by hitchhiking in one of the shopping center's visitor's car. He became associated with the Swedish annual charity fundraiser Musikhjälpen of which he has brought in more than 2,000,000 SEK. [15] In 2024 he starred in the Slow television show "En helg med Luffar-Lasse" [16] and a statue in his honor was erected close to his usual whereabouts at the Öreby shopping center. [17]
Taiwan
- Think Think and Ah Tsai , who belong to Tsai Ing-wen, the former President of Taiwan. [18]
Turkey
- Gli , a cat from Istanbul best known for living in the Hagia Sophia. [19]
- Tombili , popular street cat from Istanbul who got a statue after his death. [20]
- Şerafettin who resided in the headquarters of the Republican People's Party was a significant icon in Turkish politics before dying at the age of 20.
Russia
Ukraine
- Stepan (Ukrainian: Степан) is a striped cat from Kharkiv, who became famous worldwide during the COVID-19 pandemic. His Instagram page helped raise support for Ukrainian animals after the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Stepan was appointed as an 'ambassador' by the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy as part of their 'Save Ukrainian Culture' campaign. In 2024, after Stepan became ill from the continuing attacks, he and his owner relocated to Germany.
United Kingdom
- Attlee , resident cat of the Speaker of the House of Commons, named for Prime Minister Clement Attlee [21]
- Beerbohm , a cat that resided at the Gielgud Theatre in London.
- Bob (?–2020), a London street cat made famous in books and a film
- Casper (1997–2010), a cat who regularly rode the bus on his own in Plymouth and had a book written about his story.
- Catmando , joint leader of the Official Monster Raving Loony Party from 1999 to 2002
- Chief Mousers to the British Cabinet Office: Freya , Humphrey , Larry , Peta , Peter , Peter II , Peter III , Sybil , Wilberforce
- Crimean Tom , a cat that helped British Army troops find food after the Siege of Sevastopol
- Faith, a London cat that took up residence in St Faith & St Augustine's church (by St Paul's Cathedral) in wartime, and received a PDSA Silver Medal for her bravery in caring for her kitten when the church was bombed. [22]
- Gladstone , Chief Mouser of HM Treasury at Whitehall in London since 2016
- Hamish McHamish (1999 – 11 September 2014), a long-haired ginger cat that was adopted by the citizens of the town of St Andrews, Fife, Scotland, and has had a statue built in his honour.
- Hodge , the "very fine cat" of Samuel Johnson [23]
- Jock , the favourite cat of Winston Churchill in his later life. Named after Jock Colville, who gave Churchill the cat for his 88th birthday. The National Trust now ensures that there is always a marmalade cat called Jock at Churchill's home, Chartwell. [24]
- Mike (1908 – January 1929), a cat who guarded the entrance to the British Museum.
- Nala , a cat popular with commuters, known for sitting on ticket barriers at Stevenage railway station
- Nelson , Prime Minister Winston Churchill's cat, who resided at 10 Downing Street and elsewhere during the Blitz. Noted in Erik Larson's book The Splendid and the Vile and elsewhere.
- Palmerston , Chief Mouser of the Foreign & Commonwealth Office from 2016 to 2020
- Peter, the Lord's cat , the only animal to have an obituary in Wisden Cricketers' Almanack . [25]
- Simpkin , the traditional name of the mouser of Hertford College, Oxford, named after a character in the book The Tailor of Gloucester , by Beatrix Potter. The current incumbent, from 2017, is Simpkin IV.
- Tibs the Great (November 1950 – December 1964) was the British Post Office's "number one cat" and kept the post office headquarters completely mouse-free during his 14 years of service.
- Tiddles , tabby resident of the ladies' toilet at Paddington Station, London. Thousands of passengers met him and their donations fed him.
- Tobermory Cat , a cat living in Tobermory, made famous by Angus Stewart.
- Unsinkable Sam , the ship's cat that survived the sinking of the Bismarck , HMS Cossack and HMS Ark Royal . [23]
United States
- US Presidential Cats: India "Willie" Bush (George W. Bush), Misty Malarky Ying Yang (Jimmy Carter), Puffins (Woodrow Wilson), [26] Shan (Gerald Ford's daughter, Susan), [27] Socks Clinton (Bill Clinton), Tabby and Dixie (Abraham Lincoln), [28] Tiger and Blacky (Calvin Coolidge), [29] Willow (Joe Biden) [30]
- Blackie the Talking Cat , a "talking" cat who was exhibited (for donations) by an unemployed couple on the streets of Augusta, Georgia. Blackie became the subject of a court case, Miles v. City Council of Augusta.
- Blue , a Siamese cat taken hostage in Gresham, Oregon, in a grocery store in the United States in 1994.
- Browser , Texas library cat [31]
- Brünnhilde , a cat known for having her photos displayed by the Library of Congress.
- CC (Copy Cat, or Carbon Cat), the first cloned cat.
- Dusty the Klepto Kitty (US), notorious for being an expert night cat burglar. [32]
- Francine , a cat living in a Lowe's store in Richmond, Virginia.
- F.D.C. Willard , or Felis Domesticus Chester Willard, a feline physicist, co-author and author, owned by Jack H. Hetherington.
- Fred the Undercover Kitty , a cat famous for assisting the NYPD and Brooklyn District Attorney's Office in 2006.
- Hank the Cat , a Maine Coon who ran for Senate in the commonwealth of Virginia in the 2012 US elections. He finished in third place behind winner Democrat Tim Kaine. [33]
- Jack , a cat who was lost by American Airlines baggage handlers at John F. Kennedy International Airport before Hurricane Irene. [34] He was found later but was severely dehydrated and malnourished after his 61-day ordeal [35] and was euthanized. [36]
- Jorts , office pet whose persona was used by a Twitter account to support workers [37]
- Lewis , a cat who became infamous after being placed under house arrest.
- Little Nicky , the first commercially cloned pet.
- Mayor Stubbs , a cat who was honorary mayor of the town of Talkeetna, Alaska, from 1997 until his death in 2017.
- Nora , a gray tabby cat who apparently amuses herself by playing the piano.
- Oscar the hospice cat, written up in the New England Journal of Medicine for his uncanny ability to predict which patients will die by curling up to sleep with them hours before their death. To date he has been right 100+ times. [38] [39]
- Pot Roast , a cat that went viral on TikTok.
- Room 8 , a tomcat who appeared at Elysian Heights Elementary School in Echo Park, California, at the start of the school year in 1952, returning every day thereafter, before disappearing for the summer, only to return the following September. This behavior continued into the mid-1960s. (Ref. Los Angeles Times )
- Scarlett , who in 1996 saved her kittens one by one from a fire in Brooklyn, New York, suffering horrible burns in the process. Named Scarlett by the fireman who rescued her. She became a famous example of the power of a mother's love. [40]
On the Internet
- Grumpy Cat (US, real name Tardar Sauce), an Internet celebrity known for her grumpy facial expression; died in 2019.
- Henri, le Chat Noir , an internet film noir "existentialist" cat. [41]
- Jorts and Jean, cats in a viral 2021 Reddit post who became organized labor advocates on Twitter. [42] [43]
- Lil Bub (US), star of Lil Bub & Friendz
- Longcat (Japan, real name Shiro), who became the subject of an Internet meme due to her length [44]
- Maru (Japan), internet celebrity famous for his love of boxes.
- Smudge (Canada), also known as "Table Cat", who became part of the woman yelling at a cat Internet meme in 2019. The meme consisted of a screencap of a woman pointing angrily from The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills paired with a picture of Smudge at a dining table, seemingly looking confused. [45]
- Sockington (US), a cat famous for his posts on Twitter.
- Tara (US), a family cat from Bakersfield, California, who saved a four-year-old boy from a dog attack in 2014, and became a "viral Internet sensation" when household surveillance footage was published. [46]
- Tater Tot, a disabled orange kitten with "several malformations" including a cleft palate and "completely curly" legs. Became famous in 2023, for his mismatched splints and grumpy expression, Tater Tot died suddenly only weeks after making headlines for being a "tiny inspiration". [47] [48]
- Zoe the Cat, PhD , a cat accredited by the American Psychotherapy Association, as part of a commentary about the state of accreditation within the industry by Dr. Steve Eichel. [49]
In film and television
- Morris the Cat , the advertising mascot for 9Lives brand cat food.
- Orangey , animal actor which appeared in Breakfast at Tiffany's and other movies.
- Palmer the Cat, acted the part of Leo Kohlmeyer in the 1986 film The Richest Cat in the World . [50]
- Tsim Tung Brother Cream , was a cat who lived in a convenience store in Hong Kong. He has appeared in a book, and in advertising and on TV programs.
- Lorenzo the Cat, an American feline model which appeared in the CBS News Sunday Morning, New York Daily News, The Boston Globe, The Seattle Times, The Times of India, and other various places such as magazines.
In literature
- Catarina (alternatively spelled Cattarina), Edgar Allan Poe's pet cat and the inspiration for his story "The Black Cat". [51]
- Cleo (1982 – c. 2006), a black cat owned by author Helen Brown and her son Sam. Cleo featured in Brown’s 2010 bestselling novel Cleo.
- Dewey Readmore Books , the library cat from Spencer, Iowa. Born Nov 1987; abandoned at the Library in January 1988; died (euthanized) December 2006. Subject of a best-selling 2008 book, Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World [52]
- Henrietta, the now-deceased cat of New York Times foreign correspondent Christopher S. Wren, made famous by the book, The Cat Who Covered the World. [53]
- Hodge , Dr. Samuel Johnson's favourite cat, famously recorded in James Boswell's 1791 Life of Johnson , as shedding light on his owner's character.
- Homer (1997–2013), blind cat and the subject of Homer's Odyssey, famous for saving his owner from a burglar.
- Jeoffry , the visionary poet Christopher Smart's cat, who is praised as "surpassing in beauty" in his owner's poem "Jubilate Agno". [54] (Jeoffry was Smart's only companion during his confinement in an asylum in 1762–63.) The Jeoffry extract is set as a treble solo in the festival cantata, Rejoice in the Lamb Op 30, by Benjamin Britten.
- Tao, male seal-point Siamese; inspiration for a main character in the 1961 novel, The Incredible Journey .
In music
- Delilah , belonging to the Queen frontman Freddie Mercury; Mercury paid tribute to Delilah, a female calico cat, on the Queen album, Innuendo.
World record holders
- Colonel Meow , a Himalayan-Persian mix who became famous on social media websites for his extremely long fur and scowling face. As of 2014, he holds the Guinness world record for longest hair on a cat (nine inches). Died 2014.
- Creme Puff (1967–2005), Guinness World Records verified longest-lived cat, at just over 38 years; owned by Jake Perry of Austin, Texas [55] [56]
- Flossie , Guinness World Records verified oldest cat alive (as of January 2024) [update] ; born in 1995; owned by Victoria Green of Orpington, England. [57]
- Nala Cat, a slightly cross-eyed Siamese-tabby mix. With 4.3 million followers on Instagram and her own brand of cat food, her value was estimated to be $100 million in 2022, making her the richest cat in the world at that time. [58]
- Prince Chunk , a shorthair cat alleged to weigh forty-four pounds (two pounds short of the world record).
- Stewie , Guinness World Record holder for world's longest domestic cat from August 2010 until his death on 4 February 2013.
- Towser "The Mouser" (1963–1987) of Glenturret Distillery in Crieff, Scotland, holds the Guinness World Record for the most mice caught (28,899). [59]
On ships
- Mrs Chippy of Endurance , cat on the Ernest Shackleton expedition.
- Nansen of Belgica, the ship's cat on board during the Belgian Antarctic Expedition 1897–99.
- Simon , celebrated ship's cat of HMS Amethyst. In addition to being presented with multiple medals, he was the only cat to have won the PDSA's Dickin Medal, for his rat-catching and morale-boosting activities during the Yangtze Incident in 1949. He also received the rank of "Able Seacat".
- Trim of HMS Reliance, and HMS Investigator, the first cat to circumnavigate Australia. Companion of Matthew Flinders.
- Unsinkable Sam of the German battleship Bismarck, HMS Cossack, and HMS Ark Royal. All three ships were torpedoed, but Sam survived each sinking and retired to a home on dry land. The most famous mascot of the British Royal Navy.
Railways
- Tama , a calico cat who was the station master at Kinokawa, Wakayama railway station, Wakayama Prefecture, Japan from 2007 to 2015. [60]
Mascots
- Algonquin Hotel cats named Hamlet and Matilda, resident cats of the Algonquin Hotel in New York City. The Algonquin was for many years home to the Algonquin Round Table, consisting of such American wits as Dorothy Parker, Alexander Woollcott, and Harpo Marx. There have been nine cats who have called the Algonquin their home since the 1930s, but not all have been female. All the males have been named Hamlet (in deference to the actor John Barrymore), and the females Matilda. [61]
- Şero , the political mascot of the Turkish Republican People's Party (CHP), who resided in the party's headquarters in Ankara until his death in September 2024.
- Smudge , "employed" for many years at the People's Palace, Glasgow, and a trade union member as a result.
