This is a list of real, famous cats which achieved some degree of popularity either in their own right or by association with someone famous.
This list provides an index to encyclopedic information which does not always merit its own article. Edits of uncertain quality could be discussed on the talk page for feedback from other editors.
To be included in this list, cats should be either (a) the subject of an independent article which meets notability guidelines, or (b) based on reliable sources (with inline citations for each item) In the latter case, there should be significant coverage which addresses the topic directly and in detail. The cat must have attracted attention over a period of time. Only one entry per cat; if there is no compelling reason for it to be in a category such as "ship's cat", list it under country.
Please note "association with famous people" means more than simple possession, entries in the Guinness book of records are often the result of self-promotion, and internet memes about pets are viral phenomena built on social media, which also amounts to "self-promotion and publicity".
A bicolor cat is a cat with white fur combined with fur of some other color, for example solid black, tabby, or colorpointed. There are various patterns of bicolor cat. These range from the Van-patterned through to solid color with a throat locket or medallion. Bicolor coats are found in many cat breeds, as well as being common in domestic longhair and domestic shorthair cats.
The Sphynx cat also known as the Canadian Sphynx, is a breed of cat known for its lack of fur. Hairlessness in cats is a naturally occurring genetic mutation, and the Sphynx was developed through selective breeding of these animals, starting in the 1960s.
The Munchkin is a breed of cat characterized by its very short legs, which are caused by genetic mutation. Compared to many other cat breeds, it is a relatively new breed, documented since 1940s and officially recognized in 1991. The Munchkin is considered to be the original breed of dwarf cat.
The Egyptian Mau is a small to medium-sized short-haired cat breed. They are one of the few naturally spotted breeds of domesticated cat. The spots of the Mau occur on only the tips of the hairs of its coat. It is considered a rare breed.
Humphrey was a cat employed as the chief mouser to the Cabinet Office at 10 Downing Street from October 1989 to 13 November 1997. Arriving as a one-year-old stray, he served under the premierships of Margaret Thatcher, John Major and Tony Blair, retiring six months after the Blairs moved into Downing Street. He was the successor to Wilberforce. Humphrey was frequently referred to in jest by the press as an actual employee at Number 10.
The Snowshoe is a rare breed of domestic cat originating in the United States of America in the 1960s. The Snowshoe is a short-haired bicolour colourpoint breed. Snowshoes were first produced when a Siamese breeder's cat gave birth to three kittens with white feet. The breeder, Dorothy Hinds-Daugherty, then began a breeding program to produce what were originally called "Silver Laces", crossing the strangely marked Siamese cats with bicolour American Shorthair cats and other breeds. Despite having existed for 45 years, Snowshoes are rare due to the difficulty of reproducing the correct coat markings.
Morris the Cat is the advertising mascot for 9Lives brand cat food, appearing on its packaging and in many of its television commercials since the 1970s.
Creme Puff was a mixed tabby domestic cat, owned by Jake Perry of Austin, Texas. She was the oldest cat ever recorded, according to the 2010 edition of Guinness World Records, when she died aged 38 years and 3 days.
A tabby cat, or simply tabby, is any domestic cat with a distinctive M-shaped marking on its forehead, stripes by its eyes and across its cheeks, along its back, around its legs and tail, and characteristic striped, dotted, lined, flecked, banded, or swirled patterns on the body: neck, shoulders, sides, flanks, chest, and abdomen. The four known distinct patterns, each having a sound genetic explanation, are the mackerel, classic or blotched, ticked, and spotted tabby patterns.
Catwings is a series of four American children's picture books written by Ursula K. Le Guin, illustrated by S. D. Schindler, and originally published by Scholastic from 1988 to 1999. It follows the adventures of kittens who were born with wings. Catwings is also the title of the first book in the series. The series is in print from Scholastic as of August 2015.
Friskies is an American brand of wet and dry cat food and treats owned by Nestlé Purina PetCare Company, a subsidiary of Nestlé global. Friskies was initially introduced by Carnation Company in the 1930s as a dog food brand. When Friskies cat food was introduced in the 1950s, it was the first dry pet food product specifically for cats. The brand was acquired by Nestlé in 1985. From the 1970s to the 2000s, variations in Friskies cat food proliferated as the competition for consumer spending intensified.
Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office is the title of the official resident cat at 10 Downing Street, the residence and executive office of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom in London. There has been a resident cat in the British government employed as a mouser and pet since the 16th century, although modern records date only to the 1920s. Despite other cats having served Downing Street, the first one to be given the official title of chief mouser by the British government was Larry in 2011. Other cats have been given this title affectionately, usually by the British press. In 2004 a study found that voters' perceptions of the chief mouser were not completely above partisanship.
The ship's cat has been a common feature on many trading, exploration, and naval ships dating to ancient times. Cats have been brought on ships for many reasons, most importantly to control rodents. Vermin aboard a ship can cause damage to ropes, woodwork, and more recently, electrical wiring. In addition, rodents threaten ships' stores, devour crews' foodstuff, and can cause economic damage to ships' cargo, such as grain. Vermin are also a source of disease, which is dangerous for ships that are at sea for long periods of time. Rat fleas are carriers of plague, and rats on ships were believed to be a primary vector of the Black Death.
Tabby's Place is a cat sanctuary situated in Ringoes, New Jersey, United States. Opened in 2003, it can house approximately 130 cats, which come primarily from high-volume public animal shelters where they have been scheduled to be killed.
The Abyssinian is a breed of domestic short-haired cat with a distinctive "ticked" tabby coat, in which individual hairs are banded with different colors. They are also known simply as Abys.
The Amazing Acro-cats is a circus troupe of domestic cats and a few other small animals, founded by animal trainer Samantha Martin in Chicago, Illinois. One of the featured acts is the musical band, the Rock-Cats. The troupe, based in Griffin, Georgia, tours the United States for much of the year.
Images and videos of domestic cats make up some of the most viewed content on the World Wide Web. ThoughtCatalog has described cats as the "unofficial mascot of the Internet".
Peter II was a cat who was employed as the chief mouser to the Cabinet Office from 1946 to 1947, during the premiership of Clement Attlee. He was a two-month-old kitten when appointed to the role. Peter served just six months; in the early hours of 21 June 1947 he was struck by a car near the Cenotaph in Whitehall, and died shortly afterwards. He was succeeded by Peter III.
Michi, also known as Embassy Cat, was the pet cat of Julian Assange from May 2016 until November 2018, when he reportedly gave away the cat, or April 2019, when he was evicted from the Ecuadorian embassy. In November 2018 the Ecuadorian embassy set a series of house rules in place for Assange, including that he was responsible for the "well-being, food, and hygiene"; his lawyer called this requirement to care for his cat "denigrating", and according to NPR his failure to do so arguably played "a small role" in him being evicted from the embassy.
The oldest cat ever was Creme Puff, who was born on August 3, 1967 and lived until August 6, 2005—38 years 3 days in total.