Famous cats in fiction and the real world have interesting stories to tell that left a memorable mark in history, pop culture, and social media. Here is a list of the 15 most popular fictional and real cats.
World’s Famous Cats #15: Mayor Stubbs
In 1997, the ginger-coated cat Stubbs started his term as the mayor of the Alaskan historic district of Talkeetna. His mayoral office is located at the town’s general store where his owners live.
Mayor Stubbs was a big hit with tourists. Many would stop by his office to catch a glimpse of the town’s beloved feline mayor. While he cruised through his term with relative ease, Mayor Stubbs had a controversy in 2013, as he had a run-in with a vicious neighborhood dog.
The unfortunate cat suffered broken bones, deep cuts, and a punctured left lung. Despite his severe injuries, he was able to recover and continue as a mayor for around 20 years. Mayor Stubbs died at the age of 20 in 2016.
World’s Famous Cats #14: Oscar
Oscar is a black and white cat that lived most of his life as a shipmate of World War II soldiers. Throughout his journey on the vast seas, he managed to survive 3 major shipwrecks.
His first run-in with danger was when the British sunk the German Battleship Bismarck, which he was on. Oscar was rescued by the British Royal Navy, which found him floating on a board. He resumed sailing in a different ship, the British destroyer HMS Cossack, which later sank due to a torpedo.
Oscar’s last brush with death was when the HM Ark Royal submerged after a torpedo attack. Afterward, he retired and lived until 1995. His amazing luck earned him the nickname “Unsinkable Sam.”
World’s Famous Cats #13: Snowball
Snowball is the white male domestic cat of the popular novelist Ernest Hemingway. He was believed to be a gift from the ship captain, Stanley Dexter, after his six toes caught Hemingway’s curiosity.
Snowball was given free rein to live and explore the Key West mansion estate. He has had dalliances with various female cats, leading to the birth of around 70-80 kittens. They were dubbed the Key West clowder.
Today around 50 of Snowball’s descendants are living on the estate. About half of them inherited his unique trait of having extra toes.
World’s Famous Cats #12: Choupette Lagerfeld
Choupette Lagerfeld is the beloved white cat of the late German fashion icon Karl Lagerfeld. She was such a big part of his life that he lavished her with love and care.
Choupette has two personal maids who keep her company whenever Karl is away. They were tasked with writing down what she did every day in a journal. By the end of 9 months, almost 600 pages were filled with her daily life updates.
Choupette is one of the celebrity cats that rocked the fashion world. Karl created a capsule collection of her with her boyfriend named “Bad Boy.” In addition, she has a makeup line and even modeled for an editorial model shoot.
You may also like: Iconic Designer Karl Lagerfeld Dies Aged 85, Leaves Behind Fortune to His Cat, Choupette
World’s Famous Cats #11: Ta-Miu
Ta Miu is one of the most famous cats in history that was a close companion to the royals. She was the personal pet of Crown Prince Thutmose, whose death remains a mystery to the modern world.
Little is known about Ta Miu and her blue-blood owner. However, the sarcophagus, where her mummified body is laid, provides a small glimpse of the Crown Prince’s life. His royal titles inscribed on it read: “Crown Prince, Overseer of the Priests of Upper and Lower Egypt, High Priest of Ptah in Memphis, and Sem-Priest (of Ptah).”
World’s Famous Cats #10: Maneki Neko
One of the most famous cats in mythology is the Beckoning Cat in Japan, which is popularly known as the Maneki Neko. She also goes by Money Cat, Fortune Cat, Lucky Cat, and Welcoming Cat.
According to a well-known Japanese legend, the Maneki Neko saved a wealthy man’s life from a bolt of lightning during a storm by beckoning him to come inside the nearby temple.
Ever since then, the Maneki Neko has been said to bring good luck to her owners. Japanese people also believed that keeping her in their homes attracted good fortune and happiness.
World’s Famous Cats #9: The Cheshire Cat
One of the most famous cats in literature, the Cheshire Cat, is an iconic character in Lewis Carroll’s renowned book Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. He is known for constantly wearing a big grin on his face and possessing magical powers to make himself disappear at will.
It remains unclear where the Cheshire Cat is inspired from. However, many theorise he was modeled after the British Shorthair since both have compact and muscular bodies.
Some speculated that Lewis Carroll got the idea from a carving of a grinning cat found above St. Wilfrid’s Church’s entrance. Another theory says the Cheshire Cat was inspired by the Cheshire cheese, which is often shaped into a grinning cat.
World’s Famous Cats #8: Tabby and Dixie
Tabby and Dixie were memorable and famous cat names in the White House, as their owner was none other than the late President Abraham Lincoln. They were also the first felines that lived in the White House residence.
Both Tabby and Dixie were a gift from the Secretary of State William Seward. Abraham Lincoln has a great fondness for cats. In fact, he is believed to have fed Tabby with a gold fork during White House dinners. He was also heard saying that Dixie was smarter than his whole cabinet.
Abraham Lincoln’s cats lived a happy life in the White House. In return, they provided him companionship whenever he needed to unwind from work.
World’s Famous Cats #7: Salem
The fictional black cat, Salem Saberhagen, is one of the most famous cats in TV shows. Salem made his first appearance in the Archie Comics Sabrina series in 1962. He would later on become a part of the weekly Sabrina the Teenage Witch series, which aired from 1996 to 2003.
Salem was often played by a puppeteer, but the show soon scouted real black cats to take on the role occasionally. Some of the cat actors that breathed life into Salem were Witch, Elvis, Salem, and Warlock.
The staff noted how each of them has a distinctive personality. The witch was known on the set for carrying out stunts, while Salem loved to cause mischief. Elvis was the calmest among the four and Warlock was very dedicated to his craft.
World’s Famous Cats #6: Ted Nude-Gent
Ted Nude-Gent is the Sphynx cat that played the role of Mr. Bigglesworth in the movie Austin Powers. Many people on set have attested to how he was very smitten with Mike Myers.
One time, Ted Nude-Gent immediately sat on the actor’s lap and purred after months of not seeing him. And on many occasions, he fell asleep on Myers’ lap, which delayed shooting.
The famous cat would later on appear in the movie I Know Who Killed Me Too, starring Lindsay Lohan, and in the ever-memorable TV sitcom Friends.
World’s Famous Cats #5: Felix the Cat
Felix the Cat began his adventures on the big screen in 1919, during the time of silent films. The black and white cat, later on, graced the comic sections of over 250 newspapers in different parts of the world.
This black and white cat’s popularity soared so high that he was able to achieve numerous milestones. He was chosen as the mascot of Fighter Squadron 2-B, wherein his image was painted on their F-3 biplanes. Felix the Cat was the first image to be broadcast on American TV.
By the end of the 50, about 264 five-minute episodes of the new Felix animated series were picked up for first-run syndication. The whole series ran for over 20 years.
World’s Famous Cats #4: Mrs. Norris
One of the most famous cats in movies, Mrs. Norris, was the feline companion of Argus Filch, the Hogwarts school caretaker in Harry Potter. She was portrayed as a Maine Coon cat in the film series. Her role was played by different Maine Coons.
The team had to visit various catteries and animal shelters to find the right cats. They settled with around four or five cats. Some of the most memorable are Alanis, Cornilus, Maximus, and Pebbles.
Each has a specific role to play when acting as Mrs. Norris. Pebbles was entrusted with the task of walking the hallways since she was trained to stop at a certain mark.
Alanis was the one being carried because she stayed still when handled. Maximus was trained to jump on the actor’s shoulders while Cornelius served as one of the extra actor cats on set.
World’s Famous Cats #3:Garfield
Garfield has long been one of the most famous cats in films and pop culture. Created by the cartoonist Jim Davis, Garfield is a portly tabby cat with a big love for lasagna.
Garfield first debuted in the U.S. newspapers’ comic strip in June 1978. He quickly gained popularity, which led to the creation of two animated TV series Garfield on the Town in 1983 and Garfield and Friends in 1988.
In 2002, Garfield was added to the Guinness World Records for being the world’s most widely syndicated comic strip. Although many years have passed since he was created, Garfield remains one of the most unforgettable names of famous cats to this day.
World’s Famous Cats #2: Nala
Who is the most famous cat on the Internet? Nala ranks number 1 as the most famous cat on social media. The Siamese Tabby Mix has over 4 million fans on Instagram and also has her own merchandise and brand of cat food. As of 2022, her net worth is around $100 million.
Before Nala made her way to stardom, she was a sickly shelter cat. Fortunately, a woman named “Pookie” Varisiri Methachittiphan adopted and took good care of her. Her owner then named her after the female lion in The Lion King. Fast forward to today, Nala is now one of the most famous cats on Instagram.
World’s Famous Cats #1: Grumpy Cat
Who is the most famous cat in the world? Grumpy cat, a.k.a. Tardar Sauce, is arguably the most famous cat in the world. She became a viral sensation back in 2012 when the photo of her natural frowning face gained netizens’ attention.
The famous cat’s iconic scowl was a result of her dwarfism. Although she might seem unapproachable because of her looks, Grumpy cat has a sweet and friendly personality. Her owner, Tabatha Bundesen, shared how she enjoys being held and cuddled.
