Celebrity endorsement or not, cats are steadily rising in popularity as pets

Cats, unlike other animals, are special in the manner they live with their masters — quiet, homely and independent. An animal of companionship who can live in any way, in any corner of the house, the furry felines don’t need a lot of space to play and most even don’t need-or want-constant attention. Maybe this is why cats are great household pets.

While Indian households have been consciously catching up with the cat-as-pet trend, Israel is already known to have an abundant cat population, which is said to have exploded after the 1940s, when a rat epidemic attacked the country and the British imported numerous cats to counterbalance and get rid of the rats then. Today, Israel is estimated to have over 2 million stray cats roaming the streets and over 30% of the citizens are proud pet owners, 10% of which own cats.

In fact, cats are also quite a sensation among the glitterati. American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift adores her three cats — the oldest is Olivia Benson, another one is called Meredith Grey, named after a character from Grey’s Anatomy, and a new furry companion Benjamin Button who she adopted in 2019.

Of all three, Olivia Benson, the oldest of the three cats, has been estimated to have a staggering net worth of Rs 800 crore. Just like her owner, the Scottish fold has earned her fortune in several music videos and has featured in Swift’s music videos, including Blank Space and Me! The cat has crafted her own merchandise line, and has had cameos in many big-budget ads alongside Swift, including Diet Coke and Ned Sneakers.

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Choupette, is another cat that draws constant attention, owned by the late Karl Lagerfeld, and is still living the high life. The glamorous Birman cat is rumoured to have earned a sizeable part of Chanel designer Karl Lagerfeld’s fortune — estimated to be between $195 million and $300 million. The cat is now looked after by Lagerfeld’s former housekeeper, Francoise Cacote.

Last year, an Instagram post of the cat showed her luxurious life and 11th birthday showing Choupette on a private jet surrounded by gold balloons, food, drink and presents. The post said “Thanks to @mypetagency for organising this little party as well as to @ibcaviation for providing a jet, which stayed on the ground at le Bourget, I specify, in memory of the many trips with my daddy.”

With 153K followers on Instagram and still growing, Choupette is known to have a bodyguard, chef, private vet, travels in a customised Louis Vuitton bag and eats from silver dishes and bowls.

Back home, cats are more in demand because they’re easy to care for, and comparatively affordable. “Cats are independent in nature. They do prefer to interact with their owner, but do not rely on them for reassurance when in an unfamiliar environment. With cats, cleaning litter boxes is much easier than walking your dog twice a day. They are naturally very clean creatures. They keep grooming themselves,” says Faisal Islam, co-founder, Carry My Pet, international and domestic pet delivery service.

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As per Rashi Narang, founder of pet store Heads Up For Tails, India has always had a large number of households that have taken care of the feline members and more so now, as cats are super intelligent, very friendly with children, and make excellent companions to families.00

“Their independent nature allows for pet parents to live a balanced life of nurturing moments without the need of constant attention. The Indie cat is very robust in health, extremely agile, sharp and active. They are loyal and have a strong sense of community and family,” says Narang.